It has been an action packed year in 2017 says Yorkton MLA Greg Ottenbreit. The government had to face down low commodity prices, a tough budget and a change in leadership as Premier Brad Wall stepped down.
Looking back at the year, Ottenbreit views it through an optimistic lens. The budget shortfall faced by the provincial government he viewed as an opportunity to look at government operations and finding ways to do things better and more efficiently. While government income was low, he argues that the economy is still doing well, and they want to make the province a place where people want to invest.
“The provincial goverment is likely going to have some revenue challenges that we’re going to continue to have to face, but the stronger economy will likely give us a little bit of an opportunity to not make so many difficult decisions when it comes to balancing the budget. We are committed to balancing the budget over the next three years.”
The amalgamation of the health regions has been one of the most prominent things in Ottenbreit’s portfolio. The change officially happened on December 4, and Ottenbreit believes it has been a success, with a streamlined executive management. One advantage of the new system is taking down boundaries between regions, as Ottenbreit notes that some people might have to go to a care home further away from home, for example, due to where they live on the map.
“The intent is to stabilize and strengthen rural and remote health care, as well as strengthen the whole provincial system that serves the people of the province.”
The next step is getting the technology that runs the health regions amalgamated as well.
“We see right now that the existing 12 regions had 82 or 83 different types of IT systems. Now the work is moving to get those talking to each other as best as possible, but move towards a single IT system across the province, which ends up sharing information and helps to make that seamless healthcare system for the people of the province.”
One issue in the province is how it’s going to handle greenhouse gas emissions, and Ottenbreit stands firm in the belief that a carbon tax is not a choice that works for the province. He believes having a fund to develop technology, paid for by heavy emitters, is the solution, one that could have effects beyond provincial borders, and criticizes other places who increase costs for individuals in their efforts to combat carbon emissions. He notes that the Boundary Dam carbon capture and sequestration project has faced criticism, but places elsewhere have expressed interest in the technology for their own needs.
It’s going to be the end of an era for the provincial government, as Premier Brad Wall stepped down at the end of the year. Ottenbreit calls it bittersweet, but he’s happy for Wall, and says he appreciates him as a friend and a leader. While he will miss Wall’s leadership, he has hope for his successor.
“He will be missed, although I am encouraged by the candidates that we do have running for the leadership. That’s one of the things I’ve found over the past number of years. Premier Wall, although he doesn’t ask for the attention, because of his skill set he does get a lot of the attention. People don’t realize the leadership qualities of the people behind him.”
While being the Minister of Rural and Remote Health means that Ottenbreit would naturally have health at the forefront of his mind, 2017 saw his personal health become news, as he battled colorectal cancer. Ottenbreit began radiation treatment in February, had surgery in May and completed chemotherapy in October. He says his goal is to get back in shape and keep working.
“All indications are that things are going well.”
Ottenbreit says that the next year will see the government continuing down the path they have for the previous ten years, and argues that they have found a good balance in serving the people of the province. He says they want to run the government as a business, investing when things go well and tightening the belt when times are tougher.
“I think it’s going to serve the people in the province very well.”
