Throne Speech Debate (2 November 2021)

From Hansard (2 November 2021)

Throne Speech Debate

Mr. McLeod: — — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Like my colleagues before me, I want to begin by recognizing that it is always an honour and a privilege to address this Assembly. I also want to acknowledge that I do so on Treaty 4 territory and the traditional homeland of the Métis people. We are all treaty people, Mr. Speaker, and the Speech from the Throne delivered last week contained several pieces that addressed that fact.

I will touch on some of those in a few moments, but first I would like to express a few words of thanks. Thanks and appreciation, Mr. Speaker, that’s where I would like to begin. Firstly, I thank my family — my wife, Tenielle, and our three children. The past year has brought about so many changes to our lives. First there was the pandemic restrictions that took away hockey seasons and musical theatre performances. They forced school classes online for a period of time and caused a number of self-isolations until the COVID vaccine became available.

There was also my new role as a member of this Assembly which changed the nature and hours of my work such that I could no longer coach any of their activities. This will be the first year that I haven’t coached at least one of my kids while they do what they love, Mr. Speaker.

Then there was our sitting of the Assembly that kept us all in Regina for the duration of the spring session which meant I, like so many of my colleagues, wasn’t home for Mother’s Day. And it meant I wasn’t there to celebrate with my youngest son on his birthday. That was also a first for our family, Mr. Speaker.

So when I say I owe thanks to my family, these are just some of the reasons why. Not only because they tolerated the inconveniences, but because they truly understood why I couldn’t be there. They appreciated the circumstances and they supported me through it. They continue to love me and support me, Mr. Speaker, and I want to thank them for that.

I also want to thank my parents, Mike and Shirley, who continue to be there for me at any hour on any given day. As elected officials we take our fair share of criticisms, so it’s important that we all find a safe place filled with unconditional love and support to help us through whatever we might be facing. My parents have always offered me that place, and so I sincerely thank them for that.

And to my constituency assistant, Jacqui. Mr. Speaker, last week we heard from the member from Arm River and he boldly declared that he has the best constituency assistants, not only in this province but in all of Canada. Those are awfully brave words in this crowd, Mr. Speaker.

While I have no doubt his CAs are absolutely fantastic and that they manage his office better than most could, I question how challenging their jobs could really be given the simple fact that they work for one of the most kind-hearted and likeable people ever elected to public office. Their member is just a truly nice guy.

Now my CA on the other hand, Mr. Speaker, her job’s a little tougher. Jacqui is much more than just a fantastic CA; she is also a loyal friend. Jacqui appreciates the struggles I have faced in my transition from a full-time law practice into the life of a politician. I couldn’t have navigated that transition without her, and so I owe her my sincere thanks as well.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I once again thank the people of Moose Jaw North who have entrusted me with the responsibility of representing them in this Chamber. I remain humbled and grateful for this opportunity, and I sincerely thank them for the privilege to be here on their behalf.

I appreciate that they are not all like-minded, particularly on recent issues; however I truly enjoy hearing from each of them as they share their thoughts and perspectives. If I am able to understand how they feel and why they feel that way, and in turn they can better appreciate the reasons behind the government’s decisions, I think we are all the better for it. So again I thank the people of Moose Jaw North, and I appreciate the opportunity to represent their diverse thoughts and opinions in this Assembly.

Mr. Speaker, the Throne Speech highlighted that the goal of this government through the session and in the years ahead is to make Saskatchewan stronger, safer, healthier, better educated, and more independent. One of the opening statements in the Throne Speech that has resonated with me since I first heard it was this: “we live in a big-hearted province where no problem is insurmountable, where no challenge can’t be overcome, where optimism and hope prevail over fear and pessimism.”

As I began writing this speech, Mr. Speaker, I struggled to find a place to begin because there is so much good content in the Throne Speech to draw from and to talk about. But I guess that’s it. That quote inspires me with positivity, and it gives me an overwhelming sense of thanks and appreciation. When I say appreciation, I don’t necessarily mean in the congratulatory sense of the word, but also in the way that we use that term to express understanding and empathy, to appreciate what someone else might be going through.

This past year has been incredibly difficult, Mr. Speaker. We all know that. There are many people in this province who are deserving of our thanks — everyone in this Chamber has said as much on several occasions — our health care workers, our first responders, and our partners in education just to name a few. We thank them all. And with the commitments made in this Speech from the Throne, our government is also showing appreciation for them as well. For example, the government is showing appreciation for our health care workers by taking steps to make Saskatchewan a healthier place to live, work, and raise our families.

The opening of the Throne Speech recognizes that our most important and immediate task is dealing with the pandemic. To that end, we have invested more than $530 million already to support the battle against COVID. We have broadened our vaccination campaign and continue to see our vaccination rates climb. But, as the member from Regina Walsh Acres articulated so well yesterday afternoon, our investments in health care extend beyond the immediate threat of COVID. We are also looking further down the road, planning for what lies ahead of us by supporting operational and infrastructure needs across the health sector in our province.

An example of that that hits close to home for me is that we are replacing the roofs on Providence Place and the Dr. F.H. Wigmore Hospital in Moose Jaw. In Swift Current and Estevan, we’ve added more in-patient addiction treatment beds. And through partnerships with charitable organization and third-party providers, we aim to add another 150 long-term treatment spaces over the next three years.

But our government’s appreciation doesn’t end with health care, Mr. Speaker. We also very much appreciate our dedicated first responders and the important work they do to keep our communities safe.

We understand and appreciate the concern of our communities over recent increases in violent crime and property crimes. In response to those concerns, our government is working to build a safer Saskatchewan. Mr. Speaker, we will do this in a variety of ways.

We’ve already heard these points, but they’re worth repeating: (1) we are adding 16 police officers and reallocating some internal positions to create new crime reduction teams in Meadow Lake, La Ronge, Lloydminster, and Moose Jaw; (2) we are creating the Saskatchewan trafficking response team or STRT to target criminals who bring drugs and weapons into our province and to further combat human trafficking; (3) our government will also create a warrant enforcement suppression team, or WEST, that will specifically target dangerous offenders who have outstanding warrants before they commit any further crimes; and finally (4) in addition to all the police positions our government already funds for our communities across the province, we are now adding 60 new police positions and 11 civilian positions to create the new provincial protective services unit.

And again, Mr. Speaker, this government appreciates the concerns of our citizens and the work that our first responders do, so we are taking steps to help make Saskatchewan a safer place.

A moment ago I also mentioned our partners in education. We owe those partners our thanks too, but this government is committed to building a better-educated Saskatchewan. The pandemic has challenged our educators, especially our students. Shifts to online learning and periods of self-isolation to keep their fellow classmates safe were circumstances far more difficult than anything I ever had to experience in my school years. But the children and families across this province adapted and have showed unbelievable resiliency.

Our government is showing appreciation to those teachers, students, and their families by creating a new funding pool to enhance class supports for teachers working with large class sizes and funding to hire more educational assistants.

We are also continuing construction of 16 schools, including new schools in Carrot River, Regina, Saskatoon, La Loche, Blaine Lake, Lanigan, and of course the new joint-use school on South Hill in Moose Jaw that my colleague from Moose Jaw Wakamow and I are very excited to see coming to fruition. This government is also introducing a new parent-teacher home visit pilot project that will help strengthen relationships between our educators and their students and families.

Speaking of strengthening, Mr. Speaker, our government is building a stronger Saskatchewan. This might be the piece of the Throne Speech that gives me the greatest sense of optimism about the future of our province. Consider that over the past year, Saskatchewan has attracted $10 billion in new investments and job opportunities despite the fact that we were facing a global pandemic. Mr. Speaker, if we can attract that level of investment and inspire that degree of confidence from the business community during one of the most difficult periods of time we have ever experienced, our potential is nearly limitless and our future looks very bright indeed.

And speaking of bright, Mr. Speaker, that 350 megawatt Great Plains power station in Moose Jaw is coming along nicely. So too are the millions of dollars of upgrades and improvements that our government has invested in the Saskatchewan Polytech campus in Moose Jaw.

Mr. Speaker, they say tough situations build strong people. Our province has faced tough situations before, and we are an incredibly strong people because of it. We will get through this tough situation too, and we will emerge on the other side. We will be even stronger when we do.

By following our government’s plan as laid out in the Throne Speech, we will also be more independent. We will work towards meaningful reform to the equalization section of the Constitution. We believe Saskatchewan can further enhance our autonomy within Confederation and we have taken deliberate steps to achieve that goal. Those steps include the appointment of our province’s first Chief Firearms Officer, the creation of the provincial protective services unit, and our willingness to explore the creation of a provincial police force that would complement our municipal police services and the RCMP.

Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned earlier, that this Throne Speech recognizes we are all treaty people. I’d like to touch on a few points that highlight that fact. Perhaps the most obvious way we are acknowledging the treaties is by working together with the Office of the Treaty Commissioner to identify the boundaries between treaty territories and clearly marking those boundaries with signage. Those markers will provide awareness and educational opportunities for current and future generations alike.

Our government is committed to working towards reconciliation with our Indigenous people. We believe that work is advanced by co-operating with economic development opportunities within those communities. An example of that can be seen in the recent amendment to the government’s gaming agreement with FSIN [Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations] that will lead to the creation of an online gaming site to be developed and operated by the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority, with the revenues generated by that gaming site being shared between the province and the First Nations. FSIN chief Bobby Cameron called this agreement reconciliation at its finest.

We are also working closely with our Lieutenant Governor on the construction of a memorial honouring those who have been impacted by the residential school system. This memorial will be built on the grounds of Government House in Regina to recognize the significance of that impact. We do not build such a monument to celebrate the event, but rather to acknowledge its importance to our history and to teach future generations of harms done so that they do not repeat the mistakes of the past. Our children need to understand and appreciate why those events happened and what the people involved went through.

In much the same way, we as a society in general could all do better to appreciate each other’s differing perspectives. It is important that we understand more clearly why someone’s point of view might differ from our own.

This simple truth reminds me of a short but powerful quote from the movie Hoffa where Joe Pesci’s character invites Jimmy Hoffa to consider that he “might be demonstrating a failure to show appreciation.” Now his use of the word “appreciation” was meant in the sense of giving thanks.

But as I mentioned earlier, I think the term can be appropriately used in our current context by implying its empathetic meaning as well. It seems lately people are quick to judge others without first giving consideration to what they may be going through. In doing so, they are demonstrating a failure to show appreciation.

Mr. Speaker, I don’t want to fall into that trap. I want to demonstrate an understanding and an appreciation of the fact that others may be struggling in ways I don’t see or that I may have trouble relating to. I don’t want to find myself in a place where I am demonstrating a failure to show appreciation, which is why I am grateful for this Throne Speech and the numerous pieces within it that clearly demonstrate our government’s appreciation for the people of this province, for the circumstances we face today, and also for the promise of what tomorrow can bring.

Mr. Speaker, we have travelled a difficult road over the last 20 months. Each of us can point to hardships we have endured or pain we have experienced, even losses we may have suffered. But let us not demonstrate a failure to show appreciation.

Mr. Speaker, as I look back on my own community over the past year and a half, I think of the Moose Jaw and District Chamber of Commerce and how CEO [chief executive officer] Rob Clark helped our business community band together and find innovative ways to support each other despite the troubling times they were facing. It would not be an exaggeration to say that there are businesses in my home community that were saved by those efforts. So we need to thank and appreciate people like Rob Clark.

Mr. Speaker we also need to acknowledge and to try to truly appreciate the incredibly difficult work that has been done and continues to be done by our Premier and our Health ministers and the Minister of Trade and Export Development. Working together with the guidance of Dr. Shahab and his team, who also deserve our utmost thanks and appreciation, these ministers and our Premier have guided our province through the most challenging event we have faced in our lifetimes.

I’m told that former president Barack Obama was once quoted as saying that he hoped he would never have to lead through a pandemic because it is an untenable position for a leader to face. No matter what you do as the leader under such circumstances, you’ll be accused of doing too little and too much all at the same time.

Mr. Speaker, I can’t imagine a situation where our Ministries of Health and Economic Development would be more at odds than they have been over the last 20 months, yet our ministers of those portfolios have navigated us to a place where we are seeing case numbers and hospitalizations continue to fall while our economy continues to strengthen. That balance does not just happen on its own, Mr. Speaker. We need to be mindful that we are not taking that for granted or that we are not demonstrating a failure to show appreciation for that difficult work.

So I will take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to our leader, the Premier, to our cabinet ministers, who have worked collaboratively with Dr. Shahab to guide our province through these incredibly challenging times. We have better days ahead, Mr. Speaker. We know there is always more we can do, but our government is working hard to make Saskatchewan even better — stronger, healthier, safer, better educated, and more independent. That is what I take away from this Throne Speech, Mr. Speaker, which is why I will be supporting the motion put forward by the member from Prince Albert Northcote and seconded by the member from Arm River, and I will not be supporting the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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