FIRST SESSION - TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan ____________ DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS ____________ (HANSARD) Published under the authority of The Hon. Corey Tochor Speaker N.S. VOL. 58 NO. 4B TUESDAY, MAY 24, 2016, 19:00 MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF SASKATCHEWAN 1st Session — 28th Legislature Speaker — Hon. Corey Tochor Premier — Hon. Brad Wall Leader of the Opposition — Trent Wotherspoon Beaudry-Mellor, Tina — Regina University (SP) Makowsky, Gene — Regina Gardiner Park (SP) Beck, Carla — Regina Lakeview (NDP) Marit, David — Wood River (SP) Belanger, Buckley — Athabasca (NDP) McCall, Warren — Regina Elphinstone-Centre (NDP) Bonk, Steven — Moosomin (SP) McMorris, Hon. Don — Indian Head-Milestone (SP) Boyd, Hon. Bill — Kindersley (SP) Merriman, Paul — Saskatoon Silverspring-Sutherland (SP) Bradshaw, Fred — Carrot River Valley (SP) Michelson, Warren — Moose Jaw North (SP) Brkich, Greg — Arm River (SP) Moe, Hon. Scott — Rosthern-Shellbrook (SP) Buckingham, David — Saskatoon Westview (SP) Morgan, Hon. Don — Saskatoon Southeast (SP) Campeau, Hon. Jennifer — Saskatoon Fairview (SP) Nerlien, Hugh — Kelvington-Wadena (SP) Carr, Lori — Estevan (SP) Olauson, Eric — Saskatoon University (SP) Chartier, Danielle — Saskatoon Riversdale (NDP) Ottenbreit, Hon. Greg — Yorkton (SP) Cheveldayoff, Hon. Ken — Saskatoon Willowgrove (SP) Parent, Roger — Saskatoon Meewasin (SP) Cox, Hon. Herb — The Battlefords (SP) Phillips, Kevin — Melfort (SP) D’Autremont, Dan — Cannington (SP) Rancourt, Nicole — Prince Albert Northcote (NDP) Dennis, Terry — Canora-Pelly (SP) Reiter, Hon. Jim — Rosetown-Elrose (SP) Docherty, Hon. Mark — Regina Coronation Park (SP) Ross, Laura — Regina Rochdale (SP) Doherty, Hon. Kevin — Regina Northeast (SP) Sarauer, Nicole — Regina Douglas Park (NDP) Doke, Larry — Cut Knife-Turtleford (SP) Sproule, Cathy — Saskatoon Nutana (NDP) Duncan, Hon. Dustin — Weyburn-Big Muddy (SP) Steele, Doug — Cypress Hills (SP) Eyre, Bronwyn — Saskatoon Stonebridge-Dakota (SP) Steinley, Warren — Regina Walsh Acres (SP) Fiaz, Muhammad — Regina Pasqua (SP) Stewart, Hon. Lyle — Lumsden-Morse (SP) Forbes, David — Saskatoon Centre (NDP) Tell, Hon. Christine — Regina Wascana Plains (SP) Hargrave, Joe — Prince Albert Carlton (SP) Tochor, Hon. Corey — Saskatoon Eastview (SP) Harpauer, Hon. Donna — Humboldt-Watrous (SP) Vermette, Doyle — Cumberland (NDP) Harrison, Hon. Jeremy — Meadow Lake (SP) Wall, Hon. Brad — Swift Current (SP) Hart, Glen — Last Mountain-Touchwood (SP) Weekes, Randy — Biggar-Sask Valley (SP) Heppner, Hon. Nancy — Martensville-Warman (SP) Wilson, Hon. Nadine — Saskatchewan Rivers (SP) Kaeding, Warren — Melville-Saltcoats (SP) Wotherspoon, Trent — Regina Rosemont (NDP) Kirsch, Delbert — Batoche (SP) Wyant, Hon. Gordon — Saskatoon Northwest (SP) Lambert, Lisa — Saskatoon Churchill-Wildwood (SP) Young, Colleen — Lloydminster (SP) Lawrence, Greg — Moose Jaw Wakamow (SP) Party Standings: Saskatchewan Party (SP) — 51; New Democratic Party (NDP) — 10 Clerks-at-the-Table Clerk — Gregory A. Putz Law Clerk & Parliamentary Counsel — Kenneth S. Ring, Q.C. Hansard on the Internet Principal Clerk — Iris Lang Hansard and other documents of the Clerk Assistant — Kathy Burianyk Legislative Assembly are available within hours after each sitting. Sergeant-at-Arms — Maurice Riou http://www.legassembly.sk.ca/legislative-business/legislative-calendar LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF SASKATCHEWAN 103 May 24, 2016 [The Assembly resumed at 19:00.] I want to thank my door knocking team and my campaign team. They were absolutely outstanding. There was a lot of weird EVENING SITTING days out there in Saskatoon Silverspring-Sutherland. There was snow. There was rain. There was wind. My team was out there The Deputy Speaker: — It now being 7 o’clock, I will call the with cleats on their feet sometimes to get through the ice, Mr. Assembly to order. Resumption of the debate and reply to the Deputy Speaker, to be able to go out and door knock five days a Throne Speech. I recognize the member from Saskatoon week. It was a very difficult time. We were into a new area, Mr. Silverspring-Sutherland. Deputy Speaker, due to the redrawing of the boundaries. There was a new area that I had taken over from the member from SPECIAL ORDER Saskatoon Silver Springs, who is now the current member for Saskatoon Willowgrove, and I had to do a lot of new door ADJOURNED DEBATES knocking to introduce myself to the community. But my team was out there helping me, Mr. Deputy Speaker, and I very much ADDRESS IN REPLY appreciate that. [The Assembly resumed the adjourned debate on the address in Mr. Deputy Speaker, I want to talk a little bit about the Speech reply which was moved by Mr. Buckingham, seconded by Ms. from the Throne because I’ve heard a lot of things in question Carr, and the proposed amendment to the main motion moved period, and there’s only been a couple of question periods, and by Ms. Sproule.] in some of the maiden speeches from the opposition about things that they aren’t quite aware of and the history of what’s Mr. Merriman: — Thank you very much, Mr. Deputy happened in this Chamber. And I think they’re very unaware of Speaker, and thank you to my team for all of the support, for what happened prior to 2007; they don’t want to talk about their coming back to listening to me tonight. I was told by a couple history. So I’m prepared to give them a little bit of a history of my colleagues that I was speaking a little too quickly this lesson, Mr. Deputy Speaker, on exactly what has happened afternoon, so I’ll try to slow things down a bit, especially for when they were in power and what has happened when we some of the older people in the crowd here to make sure that formed government over here. And that’ll lead up to why we they understand what I’m saying. have continued to form government and the people of Saskatchewan have put their faith in us to be able to make sure I’d like to start off by thanking my wife and my kids — Leane, that we keep Saskatchewan moving in the right direction. who’s been at home, and I thanked her already this afternoon, Mr. Deputy Speaker. But I have to thank my family for putting The most important number, Mr. Deputy Speaker, and I up with me, especially while I’m gone in the campaign, during apologize if this isn’t the last current number, but the most the four weeks and the 12 months leading up to the campaign important number I think in here is 1.142 million souls living in that my team and I were out door knocking. I want to thank my Saskatchewan right now, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Under the family for understanding that it does take a lot to be able to be opposition, our population declined. here with my colleagues, forming the Government of Saskatchewan and hoping to continue to keep moving And you’ll get this theme of things going forward with our Saskatchewan forward, Mr. Deputy Speaker. government and the decline under the NDP [New Democratic Party], everything from doctors to education to infrastructure to I have to thank my constituency assistants, Michelle and going from a basic where they thought we would always be . Danielle, who keep things, everything going in the constituency As the former premier said, that we will always be in and out of office, especially when I’m out of town, Mr. Deputy Speaker. equalization, Mr. Deputy Speaker. We have gone from a And I would personally really right now like to thank the have-not province under them, with the worst job creation member from Walsh Acres for all of his supportive, kind words record, the worst record in the surgical wait-list — record after as he’s sitting in behind me. I very much appreciate that. As we record of the bad things that they did while they were in all know in this Chamber, Mr. Deputy Speaker, his voice Saskatchewan. And then what they do, Mr. Deputy Speaker . carries, so I’m sure whatever he’s saying is being picked up on And all the improvements that we’ve done over here — and yes Hansard, so I really appreciate that. there is still more work to be done, Mr. Deputy Speaker — but what they fail to notice is, they fail to look at what they did not One of the things that I think we’ve been a little bit remiss in accomplish. They let things go. saying, Mr. Deputy Speaker, is we haven’t thanked the staff at the Saskatchewan Party office. Patrick Bundrock, who certainly We have everything from the 440 wait-list where people with broke ground for me in Saskatoon Sutherland in 2003 running disabilities were left for years and years and years. And myself as a candidate, has since taken over as the general manager of and a lot of my colleagues have been able to go to some of our party. Patrick and his staff did a huge effort leading up to these homes that are now being opened that eliminated the 440 the election and during the election in the war room to be able wait-list, and we’ve gone further than that, Mr. Deputy Speaker. to make sure that we formed government, not just formed We keep moving Saskatchewan forward. government, that we increased our seat count. So to Patrick and his staff, I want to say thank you very much for everything that The new members over there don’t understand that they are you’ve done in the background over the years to be able to answering for the record of the New Democratic Party since its move Saskatchewan forward from the background. So again I formation. And we are very clear in reminding the general want to thank Patrick and his staff for that.