REGINA — An audience of 1,200 people at the Bunge International Trade Centre heard about the government’s plans for the new session at the Regina Premier’s Dinner on Thursday.
The dinner was put on as a fundraising event by the Saskatchewan Party and is one of five Premier’s Dinners around the province this fall. The Regina dinner also coincided with the start of the new session of the Legislature that same week.
At the Regina event, Premier Scott Moe outlined the main issues and policies his government was advancing during the fall sitting. He spoke of the focus in the Throne Speech on a stronger economy, safer communities, and securing the future by investing in education and health care.
Moe spoke of some of the challenges seen in the province with respect to tariffs and trade. Despite the economic uncertainty, Moe said the medium to long term outlook for his province was positive and he was “bullish” about the opportunities.
He pointed to the province doing well with the lowest unemployment in Canada, the lowest debt to GDP, and highest credit rating among the provinces.
“We are finding our way quite well in what is a tremendously uncertain time,” Moe said. “And we will do well in that medium to long term. You're going to see all of the challenges are well advertised and well talked about on the news each and every evening. And amongst those challenges are opportunities in your industry, in your community, and I ask you to find them, find those opportunities, and let's ensure we're working together to not let them pass us by as Saskatchewan people and as Canadians and as advocates on behalf of our industry and our community.”
The format for this Premier’s Dinner broke with tradition by taking on more of a town-hall type of format, with Premier Moe inviting onto the stage Minister of Justice and Attorney General Tim McLeod and Minister of Health Jeremy Cockrill to discuss issues in their ministries.
On health care the audience heard about the government plans to add more physicians and nurses and build more Urgent Care Centres including an additional one in Regina and two in Saskatoon, as well as in North Battleford and Prince Albert.
Minister McLeod spoke on the plans for compassionate care legislation and of offering more “access points” to provide recovery-oriented systems of care to those that need them.
“We meet them where they're at, but we don't leave them there,” said McLeod. “And I'll tell you what, Premier, I'm proud to be part of a government that when we find somebody in the throes of addiction, we don't give them another needle and a crack pipe. We give them a recovery bed and a future.”
This town-hall style of format, showcasing the work of different government ministers, has been adopted for all five of this year’s Premier’s Dinners. There is still one more Premier’s Dinner to come, happening in Estevan on Oct. 30.
