Thank
You Wascana Plains!
I
want to thank everyone living in Regina Wascana Plains constituency
for your support during the 2011 election campaign. It is indeed an
honour to serve, once again in the Saskatchewan legislature.
Election
campaigns provide an opportunity to connect and re-connect with
people in a direct and personal way. I really enjoy door knocking
and a part of me was sad when the campaign was over. I listened to
concerns and comments expressed to me and have not forgotten. I will
continue to be a strong advocate for all residents and I embrace the
opportunity.
During
the fall session, our government laid out the steps we will take
over the next four years to continue to move Saskatchewan forward.
In the speech from the Throne, we re-affirmed our commitments
to responsibly manage the province’s historic growth, improve the
quality of life for all Saskatchewan people, and make life more
affordable and to be accountable to you: the electorate.
Over
the course of the legislative session, our government kept several
promises we made during the recent election campaign through the
introduction of several pieces of important legislation.
We
followed through on our promise to provide more support for people
with diabetes, by moving two long-acting insulins from Exception
Drug Status onto the provincial drug formulary and to expand the
Children’s Insulin Pump Program to cover residents up to the age
of 25.
We
also promised during the campaign to continue to improve the quality
of life for Saskatchewan people with disabilities through further
enhancements to the Saskatchewan Assured Income for Disability
(SAID) program. Starting
in January, more than 3,000 SAID recipients who live in residential
care settings will receive a $50 per month increase to their
benefits. Over the
next four years benefits for those living independently will
increase by $350 per month.
Legislation
was introduced to make a getting a university degree more
accessible. Currently,
only the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Regina can
issue degrees. Under
this new legislation, degree-granting status could be expanded to
other post-secondary institutions in the province.
With more and more of Saskatchewan’s young people choosing
to start careers and raise families here, it’s important they be
provided with every available educational opportunity.
We
kept our word on an important promises we made that will help
first-time home buyers and families.
Effective January 1st, the First-Time Homebuyers Tax Credit
comes into effect. It
will provide a $1,100 non-refundable tax credit by applying a
provincial tax credit of 11 per cent to the first $10,000 of an
eligible home purchase.
Also
becoming effective in the New Year is an expansion of the Active
Families Benefit. It has been expanded to include
all children under the age of 18.
The Active Families Benefit provides an income tax benefit of up to
$150 per child to help with the costs of cultural, recreational and
sports activities.
Please
contact me anytime should the need arise. I am accessible and want
to hear from you even if it’s just for a cup of coffee and a chat.
Thanks
again.
THRONE
SPEECH KEEPS ELECTION COMMITMENTS AND KEEPS SASKATCHEWAN MOVING
FORWARD
Fulfilling
its election commitments, living within its means and keeping the
province moving forward - those are the principles outlined by the
Saskatchewan government in the first Throne Speech of its second
term of office.
Premier
Brad Wall said the Throne Speech outlines the government's plan to
keep the commitments it made in the recent provincial election
campaign. These include:
-
continued
economic and population growth;
-
further
improvements to Saskatchewan's highways;
-
improving
the availability and affordability of housing;
-
introducing
a new Saskatchewan First-Time Homebuyers Tax Credit;
-
extending
the Active Families Benefit to all children under 18;
-
introducing
a new Saskatchewan Advantage Scholarship available to all new
high school graduates starting in 2012;
-
introducing
a new Saskatchewan Advantage Grant for Education Savings to
help parents save for their children's education;
-
increasing
support for low-income seniors through the Seniors Income Plan;
-
introducing
a new Seniors Personal Care Home Benefit to assist low-income
seniors with the cost of residing in a personal care home;
-
adding
2,000 new childcare spaces;
-
improving
support for persons with disabilities by increasing both support
levels and access to the Saskatchewan Assured Income for
Disability program;
-
increasing
support for autism;
-
continuing
to reduce surgical wait times;
-
improving
access to health care services in rural communities;
-
improving
services for persons with diabetes;
-
making
communities safer by hiring new police officers to closely
monitor repeat offenders;
-
continuing
to improve Saskatchewan's provincial parks; and
-
introducing
a new $2,500 per year Community Rinks Affordability Grant.
The
Throne Speech also outlined the government's legislative priorities,
which includes legislation to:
-
extend
notice periods for rent increases from one month to a year for
rental property owners who chose not to participate in the
tenant assistance initiative established by the Saskatchewan
Rental Housing Industry Association;
-
strengthen
the enforcement of maintenance orders;
-
increase
penalties for those who fail to pay fines;
-
strengthen
the ability of corrections officers to crack down on
drug-related, gang-related and other illegal activity within our
correctional institutions;
-
more
clearly define the powers and responsibilities of the Children's
Advocate;
-
introduce
degree granting legislation providing more opportunities for our
students while protecting the tradition of excellence associated
with Saskatchewan degrees;
-
streamline
the business registration process across the three western
provinces under the New West Partnership Trade Agreement; and
-
ensure
that any future provincial election campaigns do not overlap
with a federal election campaign.
Christine at the Constituency Office
