The leader of the Saskatchewan Party visited Lloydminster while in the middle of a campaign tour across the province.
Scott Moe joined Lloydminster Sask. Party candidate Colleen Young at her campaign office. He has been travelling across the province informing residents of the party’s policies and platform as they head into an election later this month.
The Saskatchewan Party’s latest announcement would be to implement three new initiatives to benefit seniors in the province if elected. They include a 50 per cent reduction in the maximum ambulance costs, an increase in the Seniors’ Income Plan to $360 per month over the next four years and hiring 300 new continuing care aides throughout the province.
Of those 300, 180 will be dedicated to long-term care facilities while 120 will provide home care services.
“That will help with higher level of care and also help with some of the easing some of the load that we know that many of our CCAs have on a daily basis, but also ensuring that we’re able to continue with our cohorting of staff and so we don’t have staff that are in multiple facilities. We understand how that can be somewhat problematic now, and we’ve seen some challenges in other provinces, with the spread of COVID-19, from one long term care facility to another.”
The total cost for the three initiatives would be $35.8 million with $8.4 million a year dedicated to the ambulance initiative, $9 million a year for the income plan and $18.4 million a year for the continuing care aides. Moe says the possible addition of the new care aides will also help in medical professional retention in communities.
“With 900 more physicians working in the province, we have 3,600 more nurses of all designations working in the province of Saskatchewan, we’re in a much better place when it comes to medical professional recruitment and retention. But I understand there’s still more work to do.”
In terms of mental health care, Moe mentioned they’ve increased funding in the health budget to about $430 million over the past few years. He says they will increase the continuum of immediate care for mental health crisis and addictions.
“I would say that it’s more it’s been more relevant each and every year, as we’ve went through the last number of years. And it’s going to be even more relevant as we find ourselves what is hopefully on the backside of this COVID-19.”
Moe also spoke about the energy industry and the challenges the provinces faces in terms of federal policy and international pricing. He says investments in thermal innovation has created sustainability in the industry, but the province is also looking at other avenues in the energy sector.
“We also have an energy industry that’s looking at the potential for adding some value add to the products that they have. For example, extracting some of the lithium that’s in waste product, wastewater and brine water. There is some opportunities for us to add some values and other areas.”
When speaking about economic diversification, Moe says they will continue to export agrifood, energy and mining products as well as support innovation in the larger centres of the province.
“We continue to be economic drivers for this nation and it would do the federal government well to recognize not only the sustainability of the products that we are providing for the world, but the investments that are being made in diversifying the industries that we have here and extracting more value out of the industries that are already offering.”
Saskatchewan voters will head to the polls on October 26th.