|
CHRISTINE TELL MLA – Provincial Update – June 8, 2010 New
Priorities Since
2007, our government has a proven record of debt reduction, fixed election
dates and the largest-ever tax cuts in the province’s history.
However, there is still more to do, including further reductions to
education property tax and fulfilling our commitment to Saskatchewan
communities on revenue sharing. Coming out of the Spring Session of
the Legislature, the Premier felt it was an important time to refocus our
priorities so that we can continue moving our province forward this summer We
will continue to make building a strong and growing economy our top
priority. By growing the economy, we can continue to invest in
services that are important to you and your family, such as education,
health and social programming. These are some of our government’s
top priorities between now and the next election. Premier Brad Wall
further explained the priorities in mandate letters he recently gave to
his Cabinet Ministers. Important
priorities outlined in the letters include:
Wheelchair
Accessible Podium On
May 6th, Premier Wall and I unveiled a new wheelchair
accessible podium in Saskatoon. The idea for the podium came from Ms.
Heather Kuttai, a three-time paralympic medalist, who met the Premier at a
function earlier in the year and was also on hand to help unveil the
podium. Several tradesmen from the Ministry of Government Services made
the idea of a wheelchair accessible podium a reality. "People with
disabilities often struggle with looking and feeling different from
others," Kuttai said. "The best thing about this podium is that
it doesn't look any different than a standard podium. It's quiet and
doesn't draw a lot of attention, and it's simple to use." There are
now two podiums available for groups to use, located in Saskatoon and
Regina, with a third being constructed.
Premier Wall and Christine Tell observe Heather Kuttai at the new wheelchair accessible podium CFIB
Releases Monthly Business Barometer for May 2010 Saskatchewan
Small Business Optimism Continues to Lead the Way The
Saskatchewan May 2010 Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB)
Monthly Business Barometer®, reveals that optimism for the year ahead
among small business owners in Saskatchewan decreased slightly in May to
73.8 from 74.4 in April, but is well ahead of the national index of 67.3. Nationally,
the month of May saw a modest increase in Canada’s small business
confidence. Following a somewhat gloomy April, CFIB’s Business Barometer
index posted a reading of 67.3 – about a point above its previous level,
and in line with its average since late summer of 2009. This level of
optimism signals the economy is growing at a subdued, but sustainable
annualized rate of about 3 per cent. More details can be found at: http://www.cfib-fcei.ca/english/barometer Once
again, business owners in Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Labrador, and
British Columbia are the most optimistic – each pushing index scores
above 70. Alberta and New Brunswick businesses also have
higher-than-average performance expectations. At the other side of the
scale, businesses in Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island are
the least optimistic – with indexes under 65. Business optimism is just
under the national average in Ontario and Quebec. Provincial
highlights include: Ø
53
per cent of businesses in Saskatchewan say the overall state of business
is good (37 per cent nationally); 41 per cent say it is satisfactory (46
per cent nationally). Ø
11
per cent of Saskatchewan businesses plan to increase full-time employment
in the next 3-4 months (15 per cent nationally) and only five per cent
plan to decrease (12 per cent nationally). Ø
The
shortage of skilled labour (41 per cent) is identified as the main
business constraint. Ø
Major
cost concerns causing difficulties for small business include: wage costs
(60 per cent), tax/regulatory costs (58 per cent), and fuel/energy costs
(51 per cent) _______________________________________________________________________________ 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. |
||
 |
 |
|
