Below you'll find MLA Tim McLeod's Report from the Legislature for August 1, 2024.
The views expressed below are solely the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official stance of Golden West.
Saskatchewan’s economy is stable and our province remains one of the most affordable places in the nation to invest, live, work and raise a family. Saskatchewan saw a 12.9 per cent increase in building construction investments from May 2023 to May 2024, seasonally-adjusted. The province also ranked first in the nation for growth in retail trade, increasing by 6.1 per cent from May 2023 to May 2024. The total value of retail trade sales in May 2024 was $2.2 billion.
Morningstar DBRS recently affirmed the province’s AA (low) credit rating and stable outlook. Saskatchewan currently has the second-highest credit rating among the provinces when all three major rating agencies (Moody's, Morningstar DBRS, and S&P) are considered. In June 2024, S&P Global Ratings gave Saskatchewan the highest credit rating among Canadian provinces.
Statistics Canada's latest GDP numbers indicate that Saskatchewan's 2023 real GDP reached an all-time high of $77.9 billion, increasing by $1.2 billion, or 1.6 per cent. This places Saskatchewan second in the nation for real GDP growth, above the national average of 1.2 per cent.
A strong and growing economy allows us to invest in the programs and services that matter most to Saskatchewan people, such as healthcare. The province’s Health Human Resources (HHR) Action Plan to recruit, train, incentivize and retain health care workers continues to show strong results across the province.
The first of 27 new permanent Nurse Practitioner positions available across rural, remote and regional areas was filled in Maple Creek. The application and hiring process for the remaining positions is ongoing, and qualified NPs are encouraged to apply.
More than 330 hard-to-recruit positions have been filled through the Rural and Remote Recruitment Incentive program. Another 237 Internationally-Educated Health Professionals from the Philippines are now working throughout the province. In addition, applications are still being accepted for the Final Clinical Placement Bursaries. Ten new psychiatrists have accepted letters of offer and are moving through the onboarding process.
Our government, along with the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) are pleased to announce the successful recruitment of pediatric gastroenterologist Dr. Rabin Persad, who will begin practicing in the province on October 1, 2024. Children with gastrointestinal issues and their families will soon have local access to care in the province, reducing wait times and travel.
Details on health care opportunities, how to access them and information on Saskatchewan’s HHR Action Plan are available at www.Saskatchewan.ca/HHR.
Our government is committed to investing in Saskatchewan communities to ensure they remain the best place to live, work and raise a family. Under the Targeted Sector Support (TSS) initiative, $620,000 was recently invested in 22 projects to strengthen municipal service delivery and enhance governance and administrative capacity. Since inception, over $9 million has been allocated to the TSS Initiative.
Saskatchewan is grown through investment in projects that support the longevity and vibrancy of communities and improve the lives of residents. The specialized TSS funding provided in partnership with Saskatchewan's municipal associations supports municipalities to work together to better serve their citizens.
To further strengthen our province’s communities, Lotteries and Gaming Saskatchewan provided $1.16 million in charitable gaming grants in the first quarter of 2024-25, benefiting more than 750 groups and organizations across the province. The grants support hundreds of charitable and nonprofit groups throughout Saskatchewan, including those focused on amateur sport, culture, the arts, animal rescue, service clubs and much more.
Over the next two years, our government is providing $2 million to Food Banks of Saskatchewan to help Saskatchewan families and food banks with high food costs. Food Banks of Saskatchewan will receive $1 million in August and another $1 million in 2025-26.
As our government continues this work, we look forward to hearing from you. If you have questions, concerns or comments, you can reach out to my constituency office at 306-692-8884 or mjnorthmla@sasktel.net.