It was an active second week back at the legislature in Regina last week, as debate resumed on a number of pieces of legislation.
Those included the MRI Facilities Licensing Act, the Saskatchewan Employment Essential Services Act, the Automobile Accident Insurance Act, the Traffic Safety Amendment Act, the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act and the Saskatchewan Farm Security Act.
Topics raised in Question Period included wait times for surgeries — an issue that saw a back and forth between Premier Brad Wall and opposition leader Cam Broten Thursday — as well as the Regina Bypass project.
Members rose to speak in debate on that latter topic and Cut Knife-Turtleford MLA Larry Doke provided some remarks Thursday morning. Here are some of his extensive remarks as recorded in Hansard.
Mr. Doke: Mr. Speaker, this project started some 20 years ago. It was started by the NDP but, as usual, no action. In fact it was started so long ago that the member from Carrot River had hair. So it has been a long time in the making.
A Saskatchewan Party government will finish this project. It will not study it anymore. It will not engineer it anymore. They will carry on with the project. This is Saskatchewan’s largest infrastructure project and will be completed by a Sask Party government. This project is backed by solid engineering, not myths like members opposite. For instance, the member from Athabasca last year went for a ride and after his ride he was convinced that that is the route that the bypass should take. But I see now that he has changed his position in life. After yesterday, he is the new self-endorsed Ag critic. And so maybe he has moved on from that, so that’s good.
Mr. Speaker, the project has transparency and consultations. The member from Rosemont talked about there was no consultation. Well 24 separate open houses and consultation events; one-on-one meetings with businesses, impacted landowners and other stakeholders; municipal governments actively involved in all steering committees; unredacted engineering studies available on Ministry of Highways website. And, Mr. Speaker, from the Provincial Auditor 2014 report volume 2, the auditor had this to say:
“We found that the ministry actively sought input from the public and stakeholders throughout the process . . . We did not find evidence of undue influence or third parties (e.g., landowners) during this selection process.”
So, Mr. Speaker, once again just to correct the facts, even the Provincial Auditor supports this initiative.
... Mr. Speaker, I hear more and more all the time, from the member from Rosemont especially, about no local companies under P3s. Totally false again.
Mr. Speaker, I’d just like to report that on the Regina bypass, so far, five local companies. On the multi-school project, 24 local companies. On the Saskatchewan Hospital in the Battlefords, something that they talked about for years and years and years and did nothing about it except when it came to the election all of a sudden they threw out … I believe it was Mr. Taylor at that point threw out a number of 58 million and he was going to build a new hospital for that. But there’s eight local companies involved in that project at this point. And, Mr. Speaker, in Swift Current at the long-term care facility, 26 local companies. So that kind of sets the stage for all of that.
Some of the companies on this bypass project in Regina here: Broda Construction, Clifton Associates, Urban Systems, Graham. Now these aren’t companies that are from France. These are local companies, and they are doing the job and they will do it well.
Mr. Speaker, the member from Rosemont, I don’t know where he’s coming from sometimes when he talks about the P3s and maintenance and whatever. It’s very obvious what that government did when they were in power. The first thing they cut in every budget was maintenance. They had no maintenance on highways, schools, hospitals. It was all gone. They did nothing, absolutely nothing. But we can assure you on this project alone, just this project, 34 years of full maintenance.
So, Mr. Speaker, I look forward … I’m sure I’ll be getting lots of questions from the members opposite, and I look forward to those questions. I will gladly talk about this project any day of the week.
Mr. Speaker, in closing I would like to congratulate the Ministry of Highways and all the engineering companies that have brought this project to fruition. And I look forward to the question period. Thank you.
Tuesday, members rose to give statements in the legislature and those included some recognition of local residents of the Battlefords and area.
NDP member Cathy Sproule spoke about an event celebrating the late actor Gordon Tootoosis of Poundmaker First Nation.
Ms. Sproule: — Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this time to speak about the Gordon Tootoosis gala which I attended, along with the member from Saskatoon Centre, on Friday, October 2nd. The Saskatchewan Native Theatre Company hosted the gala and celebrated the legacy of Gordon Tootoosis. Throughout the night, eight new bursaries and scholarships were announced, and the theatre company unveiled their new name.
Over the past year and a half, the theatre company consulted with members of the community regarding future directions of their organization. In consultation with the Tootoosis family and through ceremony, the Saskatchewan Native Theatre Company changed their name to the Gordon Tootoosis Nīkānīwin Theatre. The name honours Gordon Tootoosis, a Cree icon and one of the founding members of the theatre company.
Nīkānīwin is a Plains Cree expression for leadership, which appropriately describes Tootoosis’s lifetime of work. When Gordon Tootoosis from Poundmaker First Nation began working in theatre, there was an incredible void of indigenous actors. He set out to fill that void and create supports for the development of young, aspiring indigenous actors. In doing so, he has had a profound impact on both the indigenous and wider theatre community in Saskatoon and across the province and country.
Mr. Speaker, this is an exciting time for the Gordon Tootoosis Nīkānīwin Theatre as they move forward into the future as a company grounded in culture, language and history. I ask all members of the Assembly to join me in congratulating the Gordon Tootoosis Nīkānīwin Theatre and wish them all the best for a bright future of indigenous theatre. Thank you.
After Spoule finished, Battlefords MLA Herb Cox rose to pay some recognition to an act of heroism by a local RCMP constable.
Hon. Mr. Cox: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to speak about an RCMP [Royal Canadian Mounted Police] officer in my home constituency of the Battlefords.
Mr. Speaker, on July 17th, 2014, Constable Jan Indenbosch responded with another officer to a call about an intoxicated man on a roof. Constable Indenbosch pursued the suspect, eventually following him up on to the roof to arrest him. Once on top of the building, Constable Indenbosch pursued him by foot. However the suspect made an almost fatal mistake by jumping over the edge of the building. With the suspect barely holding on to the side of the building, Constable Indenbosch risked his own life by grabbing the suspect’s hands, saving him from a nearly 45-foot fall.
Mr. Speaker, for his act of bravery, last night the Lieutenant Governor presented Constable Indenbosch with a bronze medal from the Royal Canadian Humane Association. I ask all members to join me in thanking Constable Jan Indenbosch for his bravery and for going above and beyond to ensure that North Battleford is a safe and healthy community.
I’d also like to thank all RCMP and municipal police force members across this province who risk their lives every day to make this province a safe place for all of us. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
