FIRST SESSION - TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan ____________ DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS ____________ (HANSARD) Published under the authority of The Honourable Dan D’Autremont Speaker N.S. VOL. 54 NO. 22B TUESDAY, MARCH 27, 2012, 7 p.m. MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF SASKATCHEWAN Speaker — Hon. Dan D’Autremont Premier — Hon. Brad Wall Leader of the Opposition — John Nilson Name of Member Political Affiliation Constituency Belanger, Buckley NDP Athabasca Bjornerud, Hon. Bob SP Melville-Saltcoats Boyd, Hon. Bill SP Kindersley Bradshaw, Fred SP Carrot River Valley Brkich, Greg SP Arm River-Watrous Broten, Cam NDP Saskatoon Massey Place Campeau, Jennifer SP Saskatoon Fairview Chartier, Danielle NDP Saskatoon Riversdale Cheveldayoff, Hon. Ken SP Saskatoon Silver Springs Cox, Herb SP The Battlefords D’Autremont, Hon. Dan SP Cannington Docherty, Mark SP Regina Coronation Park Doherty, Kevin SP Regina Northeast Doke, Larry SP Cut Knife-Turtleford Draude, Hon. June SP Kelvington-Wadena Duncan, Hon. Dustin SP Weyburn-Big Muddy Eagles, Doreen SP Estevan Elhard, Hon. Wayne SP Cypress Hills Forbes, David NDP Saskatoon Centre Harpauer, Hon. Donna SP Humboldt Harrison, Hon. Jeremy SP Meadow Lake Hart, Glen SP Last Mountain-Touchwood Heppner, Nancy SP Martensville Hickie, Hon. Darryl SP Prince Albert Carlton Hutchinson, Hon. Bill SP Regina South Huyghebaert, Hon. D.F. (Yogi) SP Wood River Jurgens, Victoria SP Prince Albert Northcote Kirsch, Delbert SP Batoche Krawetz, Hon. Ken SP Canora-Pelly Lawrence, Greg SP Moose Jaw Wakamow Makowsky, Gene SP Regina Dewdney Marchuk, Russ SP Regina Douglas Park McCall, Warren NDP Regina Elphinstone-Centre McMillan, Hon. Tim SP Lloydminster McMorris, Hon. Don SP Indian Head-Milestone Merriman, Paul SP Saskatoon Sutherland Michelson, Warren SP Moose Jaw North Moe, Scott SP Rosthern-Shellbrook Morgan, Hon. Don SP Saskatoon Southeast Nilson, John NDP Regina Lakeview Norris, Hon. Rob SP Saskatoon Greystone Ottenbreit, Greg SP Yorkton Parent, Roger SP Saskatoon Meewasin Phillips, Kevin SP Melfort Reiter, Hon. Jim SP Rosetown-Elrose Ross, Hon. Laura SP Regina Qu’Appelle Valley Sproule, Cathy NDP Saskatoon Nutana Steinley, Warren SP Regina Walsh Acres Stewart, Lyle SP Thunder Creek Tell, Christine SP Regina Wascana Plains Tochor, Corey SP Saskatoon Eastview Toth, Don SP Moosomin Vermette, Doyle NDP Cumberland Wall, Hon. Brad SP Swift Current Weekes, Randy SP Biggar Wilson, Nadine SP Saskatchewan Rivers Wotherspoon, Trent NDP Regina Rosemont Wyant, Gordon SP Saskatoon Northwest LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF SASKATCHEWAN 809 March 27, 2012 [The Assembly resumed at 19:00.] But if I had to boil it down to one word, if austerity and prosperity, Mr. Speaker, are too much to handle, it would be EVENING SITTING responsible. This is a responsible, balanced budget, Mr. Speaker, and not just responsible to those that are paying tax, The Speaker: — It now being 7 o’clock, the day’s session will paying PST [provincial sales tax] because that’s almost continue. I recognize the Minister for Crown Investments everyone in Saskatchewan, Mr. Speaker, and it is very Corporation. responsible to those people. But it’s also very responsible to those that have a need for the services provided by government, SPECIAL ORDER Mr. Speaker. And again that is almost everyone in Saskatchewan. I would say that is everyone in Saskatchewan, ADJOURNED DEBATES Mr. Speaker. MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF BUDGETARY POLICY The government has made decisions to ensure that programs are (BUDGET DEBATE) sustainable, that the drug plan, Mr. Speaker, the seniors’ drug plan have increased by $5 a prescription in this budget, and that [The Assembly resumed the adjourned debate on the proposed ensures that this drug plan is on a solid financial footing and motion by the Hon. Mr. Krawetz that the Assembly approves in going forward it can maintain its record of ensuring that general the budgetary policy of the government, and the appropriate drugs are in the formulary and serve the people proposed amendment to the main motion moved by Mr. appropriately. And I just had a town hall meeting in northern Wotherspoon.] Saskatchewan in Pierceland on Friday, and that was brought to my attention, Mr. Speaker. The strength of the drug plan is Hon. Mr. McMillan: — Well thank you, Mr. Speaker. I something that was very important to the people there. appreciate the support of the colleagues on this side now. Just before we adjourned for the supper hour, I had about 10 Mr. Speaker, the member from Athabasca made a comment seconds on my feet, Mr. Speaker, and my colleagues said that when he was giving his speech about a week ago about and was the best speech I’ve ever given in the House. So, Mr. trying to take some credit for the in-migration into Speaker, I’m very pleased to have the opportunity to add a few Saskatchewan. And he was trying to make the point, and I more remarks to the comments I was able to make then. would argue how successfully, that their government should get some of the credit. And I think that politicians don’t do The first, Mr. Speaker, is this is a terrific balanced budget. It’s themselves a service when they start taking credit for things, the fourth, the fifth, Mr. Speaker, put forward by the Mr. Speaker. I think that the people of Saskatchewan deserve Saskatchewan Party since 2007. But before I get into these the credit for the success we see today. comments, I would just like to mention the three ladies that work in the Lloydminster constituency office, Mr. Speaker: But, Mr. Speaker, I would like to quote from the member from Caren, Marilyn and Rachelle. They do a terrific job. We Athabasca’s speech on the 5th of March. It’s page 295 of provide the government’s face in Lloydminster and the Hansard. And in this portion of his speech he’s trying to profile Lloydminster riding, and we deal with a lot of very serious what happened after the election, and he’s trying to say it isn’t issues, and I have nothing but confidence and faith that these true. But this is how he profiles it, the member from Athabasca ladies represent our government and represent it well. says: Mr. Speaker, this budget has been profiled as austerity and . November 7th, 2007, there was 60,000 people waiting prosperity. The members on the opposite side of the floor, Mr. along the Lloydminster border and on the Manitoba Speaker, have struggled a great deal with how you can have border, and as soon as they declared the Saskatchewan both, and, Mr. Speaker, I can’t imagine why that is difficult. If Party victorious in their election bid, they all moved in. you look at a business, Mr. Speaker — I came from a small They all moved in. Now we got more people thanks to business before I got elected — small businesses have times of these guys, Mr. Speaker. prosperity. They have times where they have to watch their costs very closely. And the best small businesses, Mr. Speaker, Now, Mr. Speaker, the member was being sarcastic and saying watch their costs very closely even in times of prosperity. And that that wasn’t true. And the reality is, Mr. Speaker, there you’ll see very often that you’ll have businesses that overreach, wasn’t a lineup of cars at Lloydminster — I was in overspend, buy infrastructure or products they don’t necessarily Lloydminster that night — but there was a terrific feeling of need when times are good. And when there’s a downturn in the optimism, Mr. Speaker, absolutely was. economy, Mr. Speaker, they are overleveraged, and often the businesses end with a really good auction sale. And people in Saskatchewan, people in Canada, Mr. Speaker, they make decisions based on the environment that they have in I know looking around our community in Lloydminster, there’s front of them. And Lloydminster is the perfect example. It’s a some terrific business people that have been there a long time. city right on the border of Alberta and Saskatchewan. When the The oil industry is certainly one that sees many cycles. And the city was formed or the two towns, one on each side, formed business people that have been successful, are those that have together, Saskatchewan was by far the biggest. Through the been very prudent with their funds through good and bad times, years, through many years of NDP [New Democratic Party], Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, governments, we saw that the Alberta side grew very quickly. Lloydminster had one of the fastest growing 810 Saskatchewan Hansard March 27, 2012 communities in the country. And through the ’90s, through the Well, Mr. Speaker, we didn’t see eye to eye that night. But I early 2000s, we saw anemic growth on the Saskatchewan side know many of my friends and many people from around home of Lloydminster. And the Alberta side was one of the fastest that had to leave Saskatchewan to find careers and opportunities growing communities in the country. to earn a living and raise their family in a manner that they thought was acceptable, and now they are so grateful that I don’t know if they have a good explanation as to why that Saskatchewan is leading the country. They’re proud of their might have been, but I do have a couple of thoughts, Mr. province, and they want to come home and be close to family Speaker, because following 2007, Mr. Speaker, we’ve seen a and friends and be a part of the prosperity. They feel invested reversal. We’ve seen that income taxes were reduced and here, and they want to work hard, to work together to make this reduced dramatically, Mr.