FALL SITTING PRODUCES POSITIVE RESULTS FOR SASKATCHEWAN PEOPLE

The fall sitting of the current legislature saw the introduction of a number of important pieces of legislation and significant announcements affecting the people of the province.

During the 12-day Session that concluded on November 30th, the government passed the Crown Corporations Public Ownership Act that serves to protect the Crown Corporations and sets out a thorough review and public consultation process that must be followed prior to any proposed privatization. The government also passed the Public Works and Services Act, which transforms Saskatchewan Property Management Corporation from its current Treasury Board Crown structure to that of a department of Executive Government. Other key pieces of legislation introduced include new legislation governing municipalities, and better protection for whistleblowers under the Labour Standards Act. These and other bills introduced during the fall session will undergo consultation either through public meetings or in the Committees of the Legislature prior to and during the upcoming Spring sitting of the Legislature.

During the fall sitting, the government posted its 2004-05 Mid-Year Report, which outlined considerable improvement to the province's bottom line, with the General Revenue Fund (GRF) financial position improving almost $900 million relative to the budget.

"Our improved financial position was an opportunity for Saskatchewan to continue on our path of funding key priorities and managing the province's debt load," Premier Lorne Calvert said.

"When you've been able to see the economy grow and you've had a good result from negotiations with the federal government, additional dollars are available, and that's good news for the people of the province." Calvert said. "I am grateful for the support of groups such as the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities and the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association in our successful equalizations talks with Ottawa."

The additional revenue allowed the government to provide full inflation protection for Saskatchewan taxpayers, saving them about $13.6 million dollars next year by fully indexing Saskatchewan's income tax brackets and tax credits to the national rate of inflation, 1.7 per cent in 2005. The government also made good on its promise to deliver the lowest-cost bundle of basic utility services, by announcing a rebate of $137 in December to Saskatchewan families.

A number of significant capital expenditures were also announced during the fall sitting of the Legislature, largely a result of the additional revenues shown in the mid-year financial report. These included $40.7 million to replace the 1913 portion of the Regina Provincial Correctional Centre, $42 million over the next four years to modernize the forest firefighting fleet for northern Saskatchewan, $27 million for a new Provincial Laboratory to enhance testing capability and intervention in the event of public health crises such as SARS or an influenza epidemic, and $15 million to renovate and expand the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan.

"I look forward to continuing our progress on building and expanding the economy and providing important services to the citizens of our province," Calvert said.

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Jay Branch Media Services Regina Phone: (306) 787-6349