Province starting to fill its potential

This year's Yorkton Chamber Business Dinner had a definite pre-election flavour as Premier Brad Wall focused his presentation on why his Saskatchewan Party deserves a second term come November.

Wall said the election will be a time for voters to think about yesterday, today and tomorrow, with the decision coming down "a choice between where we were yesterday. Where we are today. And, competing visions of tomorrow."

Wall painted a picture of yesterday as a time in Saskatchewan where the province was not fulfilling its potential.

"It wasn't very many yesterdays ago (when Saskatchewan youth) "made their future in some other province," he said, adding in terms of job creation and gross domestic product the province was among the poorest in Canada.

"It wasn't so many yesterdays ago Saskatchewan was a have not province," he said, adding that led to the closure of 52 rural hospitals, the loss of 1200 long-term care beds, and poor retention of doctors and nurses.

Taxes were high in the past as well, said Wall, adding the then New Democrat government was often investing those dollars in businesses, adding governments have an uncanny knack of choosing poorly when making such investments.

"Yesterday in Saskatchewan we were not living up to our God-given ability," he said.

With a look to yesterday Wall reiterated, "the choice that is before us is about that. It's about today, and about where we want to go tomorrow."

The Premier said his party has made a difference in its first term.

"Today things are different in Saskatchewan," he said, adding it goes beyond politics to include an "attitudinal change."

The change has manifested itself in a more vibrant economy, said Wall.

"Today in Saskatchewan more people call this province home than ever before in history," he said, adding that more people "wake up" and go to full-time jobs than ever before as well.

Wall said RBC has picked Saskatchewan to lead the country in terms of GDP growth both this year, and next.

The strong economy has helped the government adjust revenue sharing to municipalities with a formula that is both predictable, and provides more dollars -- $2.8 million to the City of Yorkton, he said.

The government has also invested $2.2 billion in highways over its first four year term, 57 per cent higher than the investment the previous four years.

Wall also listed investment in infrastructure (including $1.8 million in Yorkton schools), adding 3,400 child care spaces provincially, and cutting health care wait list times, as government achievements.

In terms of taxes, Wall reminded 114,000 low and middle income wage earners "pay no provincial income tax at all."

Looking forward, Wall said a change could send the province backward.

"Do we want to risk going back?" he asked.

By comparison he said, "the Saskatchewan Party government will work very hard to keep the province growing."

Wall said his party will work to further trim health care wait times, and to retain and recruit more doctors.
The Premier also said we'll be there for farmers and smaller communities.

"We're going to be there if rural Saskatchewan needs us," he said.

In the end Wall said the vote will be about where Saskatchewan goes in the future.

"Do you want to keep this province moving forward Or, do you want to risk something else?" he questioned.

Wall said voting for the Saskatchewan Party will mean endorsing a vision "looking forward to the future with optimism and hope."