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As campaign promises continue to roll in ahead of the Oct. 28 election, advocacy groups are getting vocal about what they want to see prioritized by a newly elected government.
In a trio of news releases issued this week, the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) called for stronger supports for front-line police by modernizing the Police Act and for officers to be trained to enforce bylaws.
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The organization is also asking for the province to stop “downloading” responsibility around social services, housing supports, mental health and addictions care. The release goes on to call for more funding for “preventative and recovery-oriented care,” including harm reduction and stability for income assistance programs.
Further, SUMA is looking for more support for municipalities to maintain infrastructure, like improvements to the property tax assessment system that would provide cities with more responsive revenues.
The organization also took aim at the Saskatchewan Party’s removal of the PST exemption on construction labour in 2017. As a result of the change, SUMA estimates mid-sized cities in Saskatchewan returned between 24 and 39 per cent of their annual revenue-sharing grants to the province by way of PST in 2021.
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An educational campaign from the Qu’Appelle Valley Environmental Association (QVEA) was also launched this week, aiming to fact-check the province’s “mishandling and misinformation” regarding climate change and renewable energy.
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The group wants to see a change in messaging around meeting federal net-zero targets, according to a news release issued this week, and a pause on a costly irrigation expansion at Lake Diefenbaker in order to conduct “serious, evidence-based public discussion.”
The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) is also asking for a modernization of provincial crop and livestock insurance programs and the Agricultural Implements Act, which addresses right-to-repair and consumer protections.
APAS also wants to see revisions to PST affecting farmers’ bottom lines and financial supports for young farmers to balance market volatilities.
The one-week voting period for the provincial election begins Oct. 22 and concludes Oct. 28 (there is no voting on Sunday, Oct. 27).
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