Upon returning to Moose Jaw following the end of the fall legislative session, I had time to reflect on what our government has achieved over the past six weeks and look ahead to what 2010 will bring.

We announced legislation to protect and improve the lives of Saskatchewan citizens. We introduced legislation to eliminate the use of cell phones during the operation of a vehicle. We have imposed a ban on smoking in vehicles with passengers under the age of 16. And we are implementing the most aggressive physician recruitment strategy this province has ever seen. The Physician Recruitment Agency will be operational by spring 2010, and will act as a one-stop point of contact for physicians seeking to set up practice in Saskatchewan. The Agency will also enhance and co-ordinate recruitment efforts across the province, working closely with health regions and communities to address their need for physicians. The recruitment of physicians is critical in ensure that people all across Saskatchewan have access to quality healthcare.

According to most financial forecasters, Saskatchewan is going to lead the country in economic growth in 2010. The budget will be balanced, due to a combination of our commitment to hold the line on spending and rebounding resource revenues. Our government will be looking for savings in all areas of government. That said, we will continue to ensure quality health and education for Saskatchewan families and to protect the most vulnerable people in our society. Our government has doubled the benefit for low-income seniors, and thanks to our tax cuts, 80,000 low income people no longer pay any income tax.

Our government released the Mid-Year Financial update last week. The Mid-Year update reflected the challenge created by lower potash revenue to the province. Our government has taking action to address that challenge. The end result is this: we still have a balanced budget, the historic tax cuts we made remain in place, as do initiatives to support and protect Saskatchewan’s most vulnerable people.

Potash is the one single element that is a short fall in the 2009-10 revenue predictions; however Saskatchewan continues to do well in comparison with other jurisdictions throughout Canada and North America. Saskatchewan’s economy is performing well and we will continue to lead the nation in growth in the upcoming year. Good things are going on in Saskatchewan right now, such as:

o The fact we have the lowest unemployment rate in all of Canada;
o Saskatoon has the lowest unemployment rate of any city in the country; Regina is second;
o According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), 5 of the top 10 most business-friendly cities in Canada are right here in Saskatchewan (Saskatoon, Moose Jaw, Lloydminster, Regina and Prince Albert). The CFIB says, quote: “We’ve gone from worst to first.”
o Our population is growing faster than it has in over 50 years;
o The Conference Board of Canada says our economy will experience the second-highest growth in the country; The Royal Bank says our economy experience the highest growth in Canada;
o Average weekly earnings are now at an all-time high of 808 dollars a week – third best in all of Canada;
o Construction is booming – partly because of private investment, and partly because of the biggest government investment in infrastructure in Saskatchewan history;

The health of Saskatchewan people comes first, which is why our government’s H1N1 vaccination strategy is being used as a model across Canada. Because we are vaccinating people according to risk group, we have avoided the huge lineups and lengthy waits being experienced in Alberta and Ontario. As a matter of fact, both Alberta and Ontario are moving to adopt our strategy.

We have expanded H1N1 vaccinations to include another small risk group: primary caregivers of children under six-months old, in most cases parents. Immunizations continue for people under 35 with underlying health conditions and people of all ages who are immune compromised, children from six-months to Grade 6, healthcare workers and pregnant and post-partum women. Clinics for the general public are expected to be announced in the coming weeks. For more information, including the locations and dates of H1N1 vaccination clinics, please contact the Five Hills Health Region at 691-1500.

Our government has also started taking action in response to the Patient First review. We have set up a surgical care working group that will soon start considering options to address our surgical wait list challenges. We promised to cut wait times to no more than three months within four years, and we intend to keep that promise. One of the options being considered as part of the mix is sending people out of province to receive surgery. This is not two-tiered healthcare. It is about putting the needs of Saskatchewan families first .