|
CHRISTINE
TELL MLA – Provincial Update – August 5, 2011 White
City Receives $8,000 for Splash Park The provincial Community
Initiatives Fund recently announced that the White City Parks and
Recreation Board received $8,000 for playground equipment to create a
Splash Park.
RETAIL
SALES IN MAY ALMOST DOUBLE NATIONAL AVERAGE
Saskatchewan consumers were
ringing up sales in May as retail trade in the province almost doubled the
national average. "With Saskatchewan's
healthy economy and lower taxes, people are seeing their family budget go
further than it did before, and that means they can make that extra trip
to the store," Enterprise Minister Jeremy Harrison said. "With
average weekly earnings up, unemployment down, and more jobs in our
communities, the stage is set for good economic news this summer." Retail sales were up 7.6 per
cent in May 2011 (seasonally adjusted) when compared with the previous
year. That is almost double the national average of 4.0 per cent for the
same period, and just below the 7.8 per cent recorded by Alberta. YANKE
LATEST TENANT AT THE GLOBAL TRANSPORTATION HUB On
July 12, I attended the announcement of the Global Transportation Hub’s
newest tenant, Yanke Group of Companies.
(From
Left): Ron Dedman – Board Member (GTH); Lionel LaBelle – Board
Member (GTH); Hon. Jim Reiter – Minister Responsible (GTH); Russell
Marcoux – President & CEO Yanke Group of Companies; Hon. Laura Ross
– Minister Government Services; Andrew Scheer – MP Regina Qu’Appelle;
Wayne Elhard – Board Chair (GTH), MLA Cypress Hills; Christine
Tell – MLA Regina Wascana Plains; and Doug Moen – Deputy Minister to
Premier Brad Wall. FIRST
QUARTER FINANCIAL REPORT SHOWS THE BUDGET REMAINS ON TRACK The
First Quarter financial report released today by Deputy Premier and
Finance Minister Ken Krawetz shows the province remains on track for a
balanced budget in spite of significant flood relief costs. Overall
expenses are expected to be up $107 million from budget, mainly because of
flooding costs and an anticipated wage settlement with teachers, while
revenues are expected to be up $64 million, mainly on the strength of
higher federal transfers earmarked for flood relief and own-source
revenue. "We
won't know the full costs of this year's flooding for some time yet, but
thankfully our financial position is strong enough to handle the
additional expense," Krawetz said. Overall,
costs associated with flooding and extreme weather are expected to be
about $60 million. A wage settlement along the lines of a recent
mediator's report should result in increased costs to Education of
approximately $51 million. Both
tax revenue and non-renewable resource revenue remain stable and the
Growth and Financial Security Fund (GFSF) is expected to finish the year
with a balance of $717 million, up slightly from budget. The
GFSF balance includes a debt reduction payment of $325 million, which
reduces General Revenue Fund debt to $3.8 billion, down from $6.8 billion
three years ago and the lowest debt level in Saskatchewan since 1987/1988. In
spite of the challenges created by a second year in a row of severe
flooding, Saskatchewan's prospects are good, Krawetz said. "Our
economy remains strong and we are on the right track. Average weekly
earnings are up, we still have the lowest unemployment rate in the country
and our taxes are down. In spite of the severe flooding, Saskatchewan's
strong financial position has allowed us to meet the needs of the
Saskatchewan people."
Speaking at the
Wascana Country Club’s 100th Anniversary – Women’s Golf
Tournament- June 28th
_______________________________________________________________________________ Staying
in Touch I
appreciate the many opportunities to make a positive difference in our
constituency. Your phone calls, letters and emails make a big difference
in keeping me informed on the issues that matter to you. If
you would like to recognize anyone or have your event mentioned in this
newsletter, please don’t hesitate to contact me. _______________________________________________________________________________ This
newsletter is produced with the assistance of the Saskatchewan Party Caucus
Office. |
||
 |
 |
|
