PREMIER OUTLINES PRIORITIES FOR NEXT 18 MONTHS

Government Working to Ensure Strong Economy, High Quality of Life for Everyone

Premier Brad Wall today released mandate letters recently sent to all of his cabinet ministers outlining the government's priorities for the next 18 months.

"Continuing to build a strong and growing economy is job number one for our government," Wall said. "But a strong economy is not an end in itself. A prosperous province provides a high quality of life and important government services like health and education for all Saskatchewan people."

Wall said his government has fulfilled almost all of the promises it made in the 2007 election campaign.

"We have a few more to complete, like further reductions to education property tax and fulfilling our commitment to Saskatchewan communities on revenue sharing," Wall said. "Beyond that, it's time for our government to set some new priorities and keep Saskatchewan moving forward, and that's what we are doing now."

Priorities outlined in the government mandate letters include:

• Improve educational outcomes for First Nations and Metis learners and expand First Nations and Metis participation in the workforce (Education/Advanced Education, Employment and Labour);
• Attract eight to 12 new corporate investments and at least two major head office expansions while increasing Saskatchewan's presence in key international markets like China and India (Enterprise Saskatchewan);
• Work with industry and other governments to enhance international opportunities for Saskatchewan's crop and livestock sectors (Agriculture);
• Improve housing availability and affordability by increasing the supply of rental housing and creating new affordable home ownership opportunities (Social Services);
• Reduce violent crime (Justice/Corrections, Public Safety and Policing);
• Reduce wait times for surgery to no more than three months by 2014 (Health);
• Establish a provincial addictions agency (Health);
• Develop and implement a province-wide multi-material recycling program (Environment); and
• Ensure that schoolchildren engage in 30 minutes of physical activity a day (Education).

"There's a new confidence in our province," Wall said. "I hear it from people in every part of our province who think Saskatchewan is the best place in Canada to work and to live. Our government's job is to keep our great province heading in the right direction."

To view all of the mandate letters, go to www.gov.sk.ca/cabinet and scroll down to "Related Documents."

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For more information, contact:

Kathy Young
Executive Council
Regina
Phone: 306-787-0425
Email: kathy.young@gov.sk.ca
Cell: 306-526-8927