CONTACT:
Constituency Office:904D 22nd Street West
Saskatoon, SK S7M 0S1
Phone: 244-3555
Fax: 244-3602
Legislative Office:
Room 140
Legislative Building
Regina, SK S4S 0B3
Phone: 787-0975
Fax: 787-7905
Saskatoon Centre Constituency - David Forbes MLA
Welcome – thanks for stopping in at my website. The legislative session has now wound down and so over the course of the next few weeks I will be updating my web site but in the mean time, I want to you give a quick update.
NDP Opposition Leader Lorne Calvert wrapped up the spring session of the Legislature by voicing his frustration at the lack of openness, accountability and transparency of the Sask Party government. I agree with Lorne in that in far too many instances this session serious concerns of Saskatchewan people were dismissed by the government in favour of secrecy, spin, and partisan sniping.
A number of legitimate concerns were raised by the NDP surrounding issues of affordability, utility rates, Crown privatization, nuclear power discussions, tuition hikes, and a broken promise on climate change to name but a few. Jobs are being shed in our province, the cost of living continues to rise, and the future of our energy resources need to be more fully discussed.
We remain hopeful, though, on behalf of the people of Saskatchewan who continue to struggle to meet their needs, who are tired of partisan political rhetoric, and who have legitimate questions about how their government operates, that the Sask Party will finally begin to address these concerns. However, given what we’ve seen from this government to date, that would seem unlikely.
I criticized the Sask Party for ignoring a recent report on Health Disparities in Saskatoon which calls for the introduction of a Provincial Anti-Poverty Strategy. I note that other provinces have made significant strides in combating poverty such as Alberta which announced a $3.3 billion commitment to eliminate homelessness. Ontario has also unveiled a Poverty Reduction Strategy aimed at providing quality of life opportunities for all residents.
Other provinces are clearly moving in this direction while the Sask Party refuses to support community programs like Station 20 West or the West Side Clinic and operates only through ad hoc responses to crises and photo-ops.
Once again, it is an honour for me to serve the constituents of Saskatoon Centre – please check back again. I appreciate any comments you might have or further questions.
Yours
David Forbes, MLA
Saskatoon Centre
