Recently elected the leader of the Saskatchewan NDP, and leader of the opposition Cam Broten spoke at the Yorkton Chamber of Commerce luncheon about his plans for his party in the coming term.
Broten says that the plan is not to oppose for the sake of opposition, but to focus on fighting for their vision of what Saskatchewan needs into the future.
The party is currently working on a plan, but Broten says they already have three areas that they want to focus on. One is central to their role as opposition, which is pushing for transparency and accountability for the Saskatchewan Party government.
To that end, Broten objects to the upcoming budget being advertised as an austerity budget, both the fact that it's being advertised at all and the austerity measures within. He says he believes that instead of money being spent on ads, it should be spent in areas that matter to the people of the province.
The other two areas of major interest for the party are focused on the very young and the very old, pushing for a better approach for K-12 education and more long term care options and higher standards for the province's elderly population.
"I'm concerned about cuts that hurt families, cuts that hurt our education system. Those that might bring larger classroom sizes or not bring the necessary improvements to buildings," Broten says.
Classroom size is a big concern for Broten and his party, and he says they are looking at ways to regulate it and ensure smaller classes for the province's students. He also says that cuts for educational assistants are a worry, due to the increased workload on teachers and the potential negative impact on students, especially those with special needs.
When it comes to long term care, Broten says it's a concern because it affects some of the most vulnerable people in society. It also has an impact that spreads through the health system.
"I believe we need better options and more options for families. It's also important to provide these options because there is a great benefit to the healthcare system. If we can free people up from having to be waiting in a hospital for a long term care bed, if we can provide more options and choices so people can stay in their home longer and a partner can provide for a husband or a wife longer through proper homecare or supports, that affects the entire healthcare system. It can reduce costs and frees them for people who need them the most."
He also notes that there needs to be increased regulation, in order to ensure that the long-term care options are viable and safe for their residents, noting that there are some in the provincial auditor's report that don't meet minimum standards.
Another consistent concern comes from the province's film industry, and Broten says that the Film Tax Credit is something that needs to be reinstated for the sake of both the film industry, and those businesses which help support that industry.
"The Saskatchewan Party's decision to eliminate the Film Tax Credit is a very short sighted one, and I know the people of the province recognize that, whether they are involved in the creative industries or whether they are a business person who benefitted from film crews and production here in the province," Broten says.
The party has seen a spike in the number of young people joining and taking larger roles, with the amount of youth membership going up 350 per cent. Broten says that this is a good thing, especially as the party is in a rebuilding phase, and they are excited to start work on a new plan and begin listening to the needs and desires of the people in Saskatchewan.
"It's a new generation of leadership and there are new people joining. It's very positive. Now, it's about coming together, working hard, and listening to Saskatchewan people," Broten says.
