Throne Speech Debate (8 December 2020)

From Hansard (8 December 2020)

 

Mr. McLeod: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let me begin by saying what a great honour it is to have this opportunity to address this Assembly today. And I want to acknowledge that I do so on Treaty 4 territory and the traditional homeland of the Métis people. I would also like to join my colleagues in congratulating you on your new role, Mr. Speaker. And similarly I want to congratulate the member from Saskatchewan Rivers in her new capacity as Madam Deputy Speaker. I have every confidence that you will both serve this Assembly well.

Mr. Speaker, as I stand before you today, I am challenged, but I am also honoured and excited. Obviously as a new member to this Assembly I am faced with several challenges associated with the learning curve that this new role offers. But my most immediate challenge is the fact that my experience of delivering speeches like this one has generally occurred in courts of law in front of judges who, not unlike yourself, Mr. Speaker, preside over those chambers from a dais and hear all matters before them with the utmost professionalism and wisdom.

However you see my challenge is that in court I was rarely, if ever, able to hold the attention of my audience for 20 uninterrupted minutes. So while I hope I can get through this, my maiden speech, without continual interruptions, perhaps my fellow members will give me the same looks of confusion and disinterest that I have become accustomed to when I speak in these types of settings, and that might help to make me feel a little more comfortable today.

Secondly, Mr. Speaker, I am honoured because the people of Moose Jaw North have entrusted me with the responsibility of representing them in this Chamber. That is not a responsibility I take lightly. And I want to put on the record very early in this, my first address, how much I truly appreciate the support of those fine people. My sincere thanks goes out to them all. I am humbled and I am grateful and I will do my very best to ensure that the interests of Moose Jaw North are advanced and clearly articulated here. It is my privilege to be here on their behalf.

Finally, I am excited, Mr. Speaker. I’m excited because once again I got to come to work today in this beautiful, historic building, to work with a diverse collection of talented colleagues on behalf of the truly amazing people of Saskatchewan. And make no mistake about it, Mr. Speaker, the people of this province are nothing short of amazing. I hope to identify a few of those people throughout this address.

But before I do, I want to begin by saying, when I think about how amazing the people of Saskatchewan are, I think about the resilience that all the people of this province have demonstrated time and time again, but most recently through the COVID-19 pandemic. And that brings to mind the words of Rocky Balboa when he said, it’s not about how hard you hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.

Mr. Speaker, our province, along with the rest of the world, has been hit hard by COVID-19. Without question this virus has knocked the wind out of us all. But Saskatchewan has taken that hit and continued to move forward better than most. As recognized in the Speech from the Throne, the people of Saskatchewan are tough and resilient. They are steadfast and determined, compassionate and generous, inclined to hope, and optimistic by nature. The Throne Speech reminds us that we have overcome adversity before, Mr. Speaker, and we will prevail again.

If I could take a moment now, I’d like to name a few of those closest to me who fit squarely into the category of amazing Saskatchewan people. Firstly, I need to recognize my wife, Tenielle. She is already the most amazing person I know, but she continues to raise the bar on an almost daily basis. Returning to my Rocky Balboa reference for a moment, I would have to admit that I am punching above my weight class being married to Tenielle. She has been the best partner and friend I could ever have dreamed of and there is no question I would not be where I am today without her by my side.

I’m sure my colleagues would agree that our spouses and partners are often left picking up the slack at home so that we can be here representing everyone else in our communities. And those efforts are often in addition to their own full-time work. So I want to thank Tenielle and all the rest of our significant others for those sacrifices that they make every day so that we can be here doing the work we do.

Next I want to acknowledge and thank my children, Presley, Kingston, and Lauchlan. Mr. Speaker, I did not always want to be in politics. I guess you could say my kids made me do it, not because they told me to, but because they inspired me to. In fact they are the inspiration for nearly everything I do.

My daughter Presley is a voracious reader and a young author. She’s also an incredibly talented singer and stage performer. She is not quite 14 years old, but she already possesses the maturity and insightfulness of someone twice her age. She is able to visit with me over a cup of tea and challenge my thoughts or views as well as any friend or colleague can and I love it when she does.

My son Kingston is 11 years old and has a truly competitive spirit. He may only be the size of the Minister of Advanced Education’s left arm, but I think the two of them would get along well because they both share the belief that competition makes everything better. Kingston’s playful nature and competitive drive remind me to have a little fun no matter what I’m doing but still strive to do my best.

And my youngest is Lauchlan. Lauchlan has a stubborn determination that my own mother claims she’s seen once before, although she won’t tell me where. But he is equally loving and thoughtful. He is the first to stand up for a friend in need and the first one to throw his arms around me at the end of a long day. He is also the best cuddle-buddy on family movie night. Lauchlan is my daily reminder to always show kindness to others because we often don’t know what they are going through.

Mr. Speaker, I also want to recognize my brothers, both of whom still reside in my hometown of Martensville. They are two of the people I admire most and I need to thank them for being important role models in my life. My older brother Ben is without question the hardest working person I know. No matter what he’s doing, the quality of Ben’s work is the closest thing to perfection you’re going to find. That combination of effort and quality of work sets a standard that I can only hope to duplicate. And my younger brother Peter is quite possibly the best communicator I’ve ever met. He can explain absolutely anything to me in a way that makes me understand it. Both my brothers possess qualities that I respect and admire, and I want to recognize and thank them for that, Mr. Speaker.

And of course I also need to recognize and thank my parents, Mike and Shirley, for their endless love, support, and guidance. I can’t imagine more shining examples of the balance between service and leadership, compassion and strength, and independence and faith. My parents both devoted their careers to the education system in our province and have positively shaped thousands of lives, including my brothers’ and my own. They have been my greatest cheerleaders, no matter what endeavour I have pursued in my life; and I thank them for their continued support in this latest one.

Mr. Speaker, there are so many examples of amazing Saskatchewan people, and a few more that I need to recognize include my colleagues, David and Tim, and all the staff and lawyers at Chow McLeod in Moose Jaw.

My legal assistant, Jacqui, who has graciously agreed to now become my constituency assistant. Jacqui has been more than just an employee. She has been a loyal friend and a teammate through this process. And I look forward to continuing to work together as we both learn our new roles.

Mr. Speaker, I was blessed to have an abundance of volunteers through my campaign, and I can’t possibly name them all here today. But I do want to recognize a few who went above and beyond, giving countless hours and even days out of their lives to support me.

To David and Lee, I thank them both for their hard work behind the scenes. Their expertise was invaluable, particularly for a first-time candidate like me.

Jodie, she was the first to agree to join my campaign team and likely the first to regret doing so. But she carried much more than the duties she signed on for, and I greatly appreciate that.

Eric was an absolute workhorse, and he motivated me to keep knocking doors, rain or shine, wind or snow. Eric was the only member of my campaign team who actually knocked more doors than I did.

Ron, Ron, and Roy, who took charge of my signs and billboards with military precision and efficiency. This was a piece of my campaign that I knew I never had to worry about because these gentlemen had it covered.

Cory and Dana, who were both already two of the busiest people I know, yet they both took on critical roles in my campaign. Neither had any idea what they were signing up for when they agreed to help, but they both knocked it out of the park. And both continue to be trusted friends who I know I can count on moving forward. I can’t thank them enough.

Laurie and Shelley each brought much-needed experience and wisdom to the team, so I want to thank them for that.

And last but not least, Mr. Speaker, I thank my predecessor, Warren Michelson, and his wife, Debbie. They both provided advice, encouragement, and countless hours of door knocking and support. I can’t thank them enough, Mr. Speaker.

There are so many wonderful folks who helped out, and although I can’t name them all, I do want to quickly mention Anshumann, Jack, Kathy, Tammie, Parker, Marla, and Rod. These volunteers were often out knocking doors and I didn’t even know it. They are yet a few more examples of amazing Saskatchewan people.

And finally, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues in this Assembly for the warm welcome that I have received thus far. As mentioned earlier, there is so much to learn when you first arrive here. But the more experienced members have been quick to offer assistance and been generous in their helpful tips and advice. For example, Mr. Speaker, the member from Melfort was kind enough to point out that there is an ideal parking spot very near my office at the back of the building. He assured me that I’m welcome to park in it anytime the black suburban that normally occupies that spot isn’t there. Alas, Mr. Speaker, I haven’t had the opportunity to do so yet because whoever that black suburban belongs to obviously works much longer hours than I do. It’s always here when I arrive in the morning and still here when I leave at the end of the day. Nonetheless, I thought that was a very thoughtful piece of advice from the member for Melfort. I think he’s going to be a good friend.

In all sincerity, Mr. Speaker, the welcome the new members have received thus far from both sides of the House has been great. I know that in the months and years ahead we will have many debates in this Chamber and those battles will frequently become impassioned. But it is my hope, Mr. Speaker, that they will remain respectful and dignified. Because we so often speak of the privilege and honour we feel to be a part of this Assembly, so I hope we never lose sight of that as we zealously represent those who sent us here. A place as grand and majestic as this calls for an Assembly of dignity and integrity, but also humility. I am so thankful for the opportunity to be here, Mr. Speaker, and I pray that I possess the strength of character to demonstrate each and every day that I belong here.

Turning more specifically now to the Speech from the Throne, there are a few pieces I want to address. I’d like to begin by echoing the thanks in the speech directed at all those working on the front lines of this pandemic. We often speak of those heroes in our community in rather broad and generic terms, Mr. Speaker. But when I speak of heroes on the front line, I think specifically of my childhood best friend, Rick. Rick works at the Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon and he, like so many others, faces COVID up close and personal every day. And every day he puts all of our health and safety ahead of his own.

And we all know someone like Rick, Mr. Speaker. Maybe they’re a doctor or a nurse or maybe they’re one of the many brave members of the police service, fire department, or EMS [emergency medical services]. And quite possibly they are your child or your neighbour, or maybe they’re your best friend. They all put themselves at risk so that the rest of us can stay safe. And we can’t possibly thank them enough, Mr. Speaker, but we need to try in whatever ways we can. And I appreciate that this Throne Speech encourages us to do so.

I also appreciate and echo the acknowledgement and thanks that this Throne Speech aims at our teachers and staff in the education sector across the province. They have demonstrated remarkable adaptability and resilience by adjusting from their normal practices in order to keep our children and communities safe, all while continuing to deliver some of the finest education in the world.

Mr. Speaker, we have somewhere in the neighbourhood of 180,000 students attending our 744 schools across this province every day, and yet you can count on your fingers the number of in-school transmissions of COVID-19 that have occurred since school started in September. That is absolutely remarkable, Mr. Speaker. The flexibility of the teachers to deliver lessons in an environment filled with COVID restrictions, and the additional efforts from non-instructional staff to ensure that those facilities remain safe and clean are worthy of our highest praise, Mr. Speaker.

This Speech from the Throne also recognizes the commitments of our government to continue building a strong Saskatchewan by supporting the economic recovery and ensuring that life in our province remains affordable for everyone. As the member from Melfort noted in his reply to the Throne Speech last week, there is always more fence than paint, Mr. Speaker, and that is true. We can always find a need for more resources no matter where we look.

There is no shortage of ways to spend money but there are only so many dollars to go around. Yet that’s one of the remarkable things about Saskatchewan people, Mr. Speaker. We understand that even though our resources may have a limit, our resourcefulness does not. And that resourcefulness is clearly demonstrated in the Speech from the Throne, where it points to a variety of ways that this government is protecting both lives and livelihoods of Saskatchewan families.

To name just a few examples: this government is protecting lives by investing $435 million in mental health and addictions services, and by hiring 300 new continuing care aids, and by covering the cost of insulin pumps for everyone under the age of 25 who may need one, and also by covering the cost of continuous glucose monitoring for children and youth under the age of 18 living with diabetes. Mr. Speaker, my dear friends, Dustin and Aly can attest to the significant value of those continuous glucose monitors, one of which has without a doubt saved the life of their precious daughter Hartley. These commitments by our government will continue to save countless more lives for families across Saskatchewan moving forward.

But our government is also saving livelihoods, Mr. Speaker, by investing millions of dollars to support locally owned and operated small businesses affected by the pandemic; and by cutting the small-business tax rate; and further still, by making life more affordable for families through a 10 per cent reduction in everyone’s power bill; increasing the seniors’ income plan and lowering the cost of their ambulance rides; by increasing the Saskatchewan Advantage Scholarship; and by providing funding to families with an annual income under $60,000 so that their children can participate in sports, arts, and cultural activities. And let’s not forget, Mr. Speaker, that this government remains on track to return to a balanced budget by 2024.

We are only one week into the first session of this legislature and this government has already delivered on a number of those items that were promised in the recent election campaign. Promises made, promises kept, Mr. Speaker. During the recent election campaign, this government also spoke frequently about strength. Those were not just words, Mr. Speaker. Here in Saskatchewan we have incredible strength. As I said before, that strength is demonstrated in how well we can take a hit and keep moving forward.

Mr. Speaker, it doesn’t matter whether that hit is a straight jab from the downturn in the oil and gas industry, or a slap in the face from an ineffective, federally imposed carbon tax, or a solid body blow from the COVID-19 pandemic. The amazing people of this province can take that hit and we will continue to move forward, because we don’t just talk about strength, Mr. Speaker. We show it.

And that is what I take away from this Throne Speech, which is why I will be supporting the motion put forward by the member from Kindersley, seconded by the member from Saskatoon Riversdale. And I will not be supporting the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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