REGINA – Premier Scott Moe plans a focus on affordability, health care, education and safer communities during the upcoming session of the Legislature that begins this Wednesday.
Moe was in Saskatoon as a keynote speaker at the Canadian Nuclear Association – West conference. In speaking to reporters Moe gave broad hints of some familiar themes to be expected when the Speech from the Throne is presented.
“I think what you'll see is really an extension of the commitments that we made,” Moe told the scrum of reporters. “Not only in the election about a year ago, but in our Speech from the Throne last year.”
He spoke of Saskatchewan being the “most affordable province in Canada. You're going to see a renewed focus on ensuring that's the case in the future.”
Moe said there is going to be a focus on health care, and “ensuring people have access to a primary health care provider and surgery in a reasonable amount of time.”
On education, Moe pledges a focus on “our K-3 outcomes based plan, investing in those K-3 classes. And measuring so that a student, when they complete grade three, has every opportunity to be able to read right now at a grade three level. That really improves their opportunities, I would say in grades four through 12.”
Moe also talked about what the government's plans are on what is likely to be the most contentious and most talked about issue this fall in the Legislature: their efforts towards making communities safer and addressing addictions issues.
Moe spoke of providing recovery opportunities for those who “unfortunately succumbed to a life of addiction and maybe a life of crime to support that addictive habit,” as well as building out recovery opportunities and access to recovery beds.
Moe also pledged an “investment in enforcement in ensuring that those individuals that are using and are dealing more particularly with those poisonous drugs in our communities, that the full weight of the law is being applied to them. We've seen the Street Weapons Act and other tools that are there to make that enforcement.”
Premier Moe also confirmed that we will see in this session what is “very much a significant step into the space of compassion and care" — something that critics have described as forcing those with addictions issues into treatment. Moe explained what they are planning.
“To ensure that those that unfortunately have lived (or) living a life of addictions and maybe living in our streets and causing harm to themselves or others, we are going to provide them, at the direction of our enforcement officers and a panel, the opportunity to enter… a life of recovery." He said compassionate care is "an Act that I think you are going to see in this session.”
As for what that care will look like, Moe said that “often we see people that are not in a space where they can even make the responsible decision to enter a life of recovery.”
“And that's our goal is for everyone to have that opportunity to enter a recovery opportunity. And to enter their journey of recovery. That's the goal. The goal is to not in any way extend their life of addictions. The goal is to not in any way extend their life by living on the streets without a home. The goal is to open up avenues and opportunities for them to enter a life of recovery. So they can actually aspire to maybe some of the things they were aspiring to prior to entering that addictive state.”
When asked about the tone that he plans to set for this Session, Moe said it is to “deliver on what we have heard from Saskatchewan people."
"They want access to a primary health care provider. They want to ensure that their education system is performing for their children and grandchildren. And they want a safe community so they can go with their family to the park and not feel threatened in any way. If you want a safe community you need to have recovery based opportunities and building that capacity. But you also need our enforcement officers to enforce the law. When there are those that succumb to a life of addictions and also that succumb to a life of some degree of criminal activity… I think the law needs to be enforced and it most certainly will. We are making those investments to ensure that is the case.”
Canola still a hot issue
One issue expected to continue to be a hot topic in the upcoming session is tariffs, and particularly on canola.
On Tuesday, NDP leader Carla Beck had called on Moe to “immediately — and, for a change, clearly,” according to an NDP news release, call for an end to tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles that could put a stop to Chinese tariffs on canola seed, oil and meal.
In speaking to reporters Tuesday, Moe pointed to his trip to China and the subsequent meetings in Ottawa with Minister of Trade Maninder Sidhu, Minister of Agriculture Heath MacDonald, as well as Prime Minister Mark Carney, alongside those in the canola industry.
He said there had been “some good discussions on what the steps forward might be in that space. And I would just note that Trade Minister Anita Anand most recently has been in China. That is a step in the follow-up to our visit.”
Moe said he would look to the federal Ag Minister MacDonald and Trade Minister Sidhu as well, to be “talking to their counterparts” all in an effort for Prime Minister Carney “to actually sit down and… chart a path forward with President Xi of China, all the while understanding that international trade today is connected.”
