Budget Debate (28 March 2022)

From Hansard (28 March 2022)

 

Budget Debate

Mr. Jenson: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s an honour to be on my feet tonight to give my remarks in response to our government’s budget and a road map for the year that lays in front of us.

But before I begin, Mr. Speaker, I’d just like to recognize some pretty special people in my life, including my wife, Angela. A year ago we were here as MLAs [Member of the Legislative Assembly], essentially full-time residents of Regina and unable to go home to our families and friends on weekends. That lasted about six weeks, and quite frankly it was the longest six weeks of my life, without being able to see my wife or my kids. A lot has changed in the past year and it’s great to be back in a Chamber like this and able to go home on weekends.

Mr. Speaker, Angela’s birthday is in April and I was unable to spend it with her last year. She was really disappointed but she also understood the reasons why, and why we’re here, and continues to be supportive of the work our government, along with my colleagues, do on behalf of the people of this province.

It’s been said many times before and it’s so true, Mr. Speaker, that we don’t govern alone. It’s because of the support I get from Angela and our son, Asher, and daughter, Kolbie, that I’m able to be away for so many days out of the year, working to make sure that my kids and the thousands of others like them around the province have a place to call home here in Saskatchewan in the future.

Mr. Speaker, this budget does get our province back on track, back on the way to fiscal balance and continued economic growth. I’m supportive of the measures our Finance minister has taken to invest substantially more in the areas that require it, such as health, mental health, and education, as we emerge from two years of incredible instability thanks to this pandemic.

I’m also more than pleased that our government will maintain fiscal responsibility, Mr. Speaker, and not maxing out our credit card today and leaving our children and the generations that follow with the job of tackling debt, like our federal counterparts somehow think is perfectly acceptable.

In my constituency of Martensville-Warman, we’ve been blessed with continued, strong population growth. It’s no secret that our province’s greatest resource, and really the greatest resource of any jurisdiction around the world, is population growth. Mr. Speaker, the growth of my constituency, as witnessed over the last 15 years, has been nothing short of amazing. But with that growth comes challenges, unique challenges, in the areas of infrastructure and services.

I know some back home are watching — or maybe not — but, Mr. Speaker, I want them to know that I’m working hard each day as their voice in our government to deliver on the projects that are needed. And that work will continue in the weeks and months to come, Mr. Speaker, to ensure communities continue to grow and thrive.

And growing we are, Mr. Speaker. In 2021 the value of residential and commercial construction in Martensville alone was $20.1 million, an increase from the year before by over $7 million, in the middle of a pandemic. In Warman, that growth is even greater, with $40.1 million, an increase of $14 million from the previous year.

In the RM [rural municipality] of Corman Park, Mr. Speaker, which I share with a few colleagues on this side of the House, we saw growth in 2021 that was absolutely incredible. In 2020 the RM of Corman Park recorded $55 million worth of residential and commercial construction. You know what that number grew to in 2021, Mr. Speaker? $91.9 million, a massive increase of 67 per cent over the previous year, in the middle of a pandemic.

Warman is going to be celebrating its tenth anniversary as a city on October 27th, Mr. Speaker. In that 10 years, the population has grown from 5,300 in 2007 to 12,419 in 2021. This also includes a 12 per cent increase from 2016, making it the fastest growing city in Saskatchewan. And close behind that, Mr. Speaker, is Martensville, the second-fastest growing city in the province. Martensville is now at 10,549 residents according to the 2021 census, an increase of 9.3 per cent over 2016.

Yes, it’s a daunting challenge to be the only MLA in Saskatchewan representing two cities, Mr. Speaker . . . [inaudible interjection] . . . Hey, it’s a daunting challenge. But you know what? It’s also a good thing that I can stand here proudly today and say to my friends and neighbours in the constituency of Martensville-Warman that we will continue to lead the way when it comes to population growth and quality of life.

But, Mr. Speaker, back to the budget and the reasons why I think it’s exactly the right formula for the year ahead. The pandemic was a marathon, and no one is going to argue that it took its toll on all of us, with some suffering effects more than others. To that, Mr. Speaker, we’re committing more investments in health care to significantly reduce surgical wait times over the next few years, and additional hospital beds provide more mental health services and continue our work in the areas of addictions.

Mr. Speaker, we know that there are several areas that need to be addressed in health care coming out of this pandemic, and this government is going to plan and build for the future like we always do. We’ve budgeted for additional nurses to be recruited from the Philippines, Mr. Speaker. Our plan is to bring 300 nurses to bolster our staffing resources across the province while at the same time continuing to fulfill our commitment to hire 300 new continuing care aides to support long-term and expanded home care services for our seniors.

Recruiting from abroad isn’t the only solution either, Mr. Speaker. We’re also committing $4.9 million in this budget to add an additional 150 nurse training seats. Mr. Speaker, I can’t go through the entire list of health care initiatives our government will be undertaking in the coming year, but let’s just say the needs are identified in this area, and our government will take on that challenge like we always do to get the job done.

Another part of our budget that I’m proud to support here tonight is the increased funding for protecting people and property. Mr. Speaker, we all know of someone close to us who has been a victim of crime, whether that be a crime against the person or a property crime. With an increase of $91.1 million, or 10 per cent over last year, we’re committed to making life more difficult for criminals.

One specific area that I think will be a game changer, Mr. Speaker, is the $50.7 million that will bring together multiple agencies under one organizational structure. Too often we hear of stories from people we know who have concerns about response times. Mr. Speaker, they don’t care what colour the stripe is on their pants or what the decals on the response vehicle are. They just want help, and they quite frequently need that help urgently. This initiative will allow branches such as highway patrol, conservation officers, community safety officers, and others to share information and, more importantly, assist people in a more timely and efficient way, Mr. Speaker.

The newly created provincial protective services branch will allow multiple agencies to be on the same page, Mr. Speaker. This will result in efficiencies across the board and provide an even greater protection for our residents while helping free up some RCMP [Royal Canadian Mounted Police] resources so they too can become more responsible when a call for help comes in.

Mr. Speaker, we’ve seen the dark past of the NDP [New Democratic Party] in this province. I was a young adult right in the middle of these darkest times, and I watched as friends and family members packed up and headed west, and sometimes to the East, for opportunities elsewhere. In fact, Mr. Speaker, I believe it was the NDP member from Prince Albert Northcote who was Economic Development minister at the time. He said a decreasing population was actually not a bad thing. Yeah, in his estimation, Mr. Speaker, with people leaving the province in droves, he actually stated, with fewer people here there would be more here for the rest of us. Can you imagine that? From an Economic Development minister, no less. The NDP plan for economic development growth was to literally chase people out of the province so there would be more left for everybody else.

Not only did I have to change the shocks in my vehicle more than the engine oil under the NDP, but I watched everything decay around me, Mr. Speaker. Schools were closed. Hospitals were closed. Highways were riddled with craters and littered with appropriately orange-coloured markers for as far as the eye can see.

I guess what I, and so many thousands of others who lived through those dark times and experienced the anguish that went with it, leads me to this, Mr. Speaker. Over the weekend I spent some much-needed time with my family. Hockey season wrapped up for my son earlier in the week and my daughter is getting ready to exchange her cheerleading shoes for soccer shoes.

And speaking of cheerleading — I’m just going to veer off course for a quick moment — I just want to acknowledge the outpouring of support from friends and family that attended the Warman Ultimate Cheerleading club’s showcase last night. One of the club’s athletes has six relatives who are attempting to flee Ukraine at this very moment. Last night the Warman Ultimate Cheerleading club donated all the proceeds from their 50/50 draw to help cover the costs with getting this young lady’s family to Canada and hopefully to our province.

Ukraine is on everyone’s mind these days, and I spoke last week about some of the things people here in Saskatchewan are doing to help in whatever way they can. So as our family ate dinner together on Saturday, it gave me a chance to reflect on just how good we have things here, Mr. Speaker. We live in relative comfort without fearing for our lives or the lives of the people that we love. I think it goes without saying that a quick and peaceful resolution is needed for the people of Ukraine. It truly is a helpless feeling as each day passes and more innocent lives are lost. We can only pray that we have peace in Ukraine and that Ukraine will emerge as the independent, sovereign nation it so deserves to be.

But back to the dinner table with my kids. It won’t be much longer and they’ll both be finished school and entering the workforce. There are thousands of other families like mine in this province, Mr. Speaker, and I think about what life will be like for them when they begin to have careers and families of their own. I don’t believe it’s fair to saddle future generations with staggering debt and crippling interest costs, as our federal counterparts have shown since 2015 that they are more than happy to do.

Our province’s strong finances are a pillar for this government and one that will guide us into the years ahead, Mr. Speaker. With a plan to reduce deficits in the next three years, combined with economic growth and improving our debt-to-GDP ratio even further, my kids, like so many others who are growing up here in Saskatchewan, will have a future here in Saskatchewan. They deserve to drive on roads that don’t resemble the planet Mars like I had to do. They deserve to have access to the best health care and education possible. And they surely deserve to lead their best life right here in this great province.

In order to achieve great things, Mr. Speaker, a plan is needed on how to accomplish them. Our government has a plan for growth into the year 2030 to guide us as we make investments and create the environment for success in our people and our industries. I’d like to touch on some of those actions and how they directly relate to this year’s budget, Mr. Speaker.

In order to grow our province and make life better for everyone, I’m proud that our government is implementing a strategy centred specifically on Indigenous inclusion in the economy. Mr. Speaker, a $475,000 investment doesn’t sound like much in the grand scheme of things, but it will be used to create the Saskatchewan Indigenous Investment Finance Corporation. This entity will provide up to $75 million in loan guarantees for private sector lending to Indigenous communities and organizations so that they can invest and create jobs in our natural resource sectors and value-added agriculture ventures — a $475,000 investment to create $75 million worth of economic activity. Mr. Speaker, while there is much more work to be done on this file, this is yet another step and commitment towards reconciliation with the Indigenous community.

And like so many members before me, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention this. To the people of Athabasca I’d just like to say, thank you for electing a true statesman, a gentleman who I’m proud to sit beside in this Assembly . . . [inaudible interjection] . . . Right? We’ve gotten to know each other a little better over the last few weeks, Mr. Speaker, and he’s already doing some great things on behalf of his constituents. He genuinely cares about people and is a great voice to have around the caucus table representing the northern part of our province.

Earlier today, Mr. Speaker, our Minister of Advanced Education announced the launch of the Saskatchewan student ambassador program that will allow post-secondary educational institutions to form partnerships around the world. More importantly, Mr. Speaker, this new program will provide support to our student ambassadors to wave the Saskatchewan flag and promote our province, our people, and the educational opportunities that we have to offer. Our province has a great story to tell, Mr. Speaker, especially to young people looking to further their education, and we need to take every advantage we have to ensure that the message is delivered. So I’m very happy that this announcement was made today.

And speaking of international initiatives, another one of the 20 actions in our growth plan to 2030, Mr. Speaker, is our government’s goal of engaging internationally to secure access and expand international markets for Saskatchewan products. And we’re pursuing that goal as we stand here today, Mr. Speaker. The Premier is in Europe this week meeting with investors and the banking community to tell that Saskatchewan story and attract more commerce and more investment. Trade missions are vital to our province’s export-based economy. And if we’ve learned anything over the last several years, Mr. Speaker, we’ve learned since 2015 that if you want the job done right, you sometimes need to do it yourself and not rely on the new leader of the federal NDP to mess things up like he quite often does on the international stage.

Saskatchewan has so much to offer the world, and now it’s more important than ever that we get in front of those customers and generate wealth from outside this nation and into Saskatchewan. Our newest four international trade offices are now up and running in key markets such as the United Kingdom, Mexico, Vietnam, and the United Arab Emirates, Mr. Speaker. And the work that is being done is important to our economy. And the exported raw goods, as well as value-added products, those provide good jobs and keep our communities strong right across this province.

Customers are looking for the things the people of our province produce, and it’s essential that those connections between producers and buyers are established and continued into the future. The people of our province have always been forwardlooking.

The one other thing in the budget that was very interesting was the film tax . . . or pardon me, the film . . .

An Hon. Member: — Creative Saskatchewan.

Mr. Jenson: — Right. We’ve been told through social media that it will take 10, 15, 20 years to rebuild this industry. It’s on social media. There’s different people, members opposite have been retweeting that. A quote from Ken Alecxe, the executive director of the Saskatchewan Media Production Industry Association, reads as follows, and I quote:

In the past two years, the COVID restrictions did not stop our Saskatchewan content creators from writing new scripts. Now as restrictions are lifting, multiple projects have been developed and are shovel ready to move into production. We are not going to wait to start producing content.

As I said, Mr. Speaker, the people of our province have always been forward-looking. Looking ahead to next year’s crop is always a favourite pastime on coffee row in our small towns. Or hoping for more success during the next football season, which I might add was very popular back in the late ’70s and early ’80s, when that look ahead usually began before Labour Day. And thank goodness we’ve got that turned around. Or, Mr. Speaker, just simply looking ahead and looking forward to the trees budding and the flowers blooming each spring like we are right now.

Mr. Speaker, I’ll be supporting the budget motion made by the Minister of Finance and seconded by the member from Moose Jaw North. And suffice to say, pedalling backwards would be foolish, so I will not be supporting the amendment made by the opposition. I’m proud to stand with my colleagues and all of Saskatchewan as we lay the groundwork for the year ahead, Mr. Speaker, and look forward to the best years that are before us for the people of our great province.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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