Throne Speech Debate (2 December 2020)

From Hansard (2 December 2020)

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Throne Speech Debate

Mr. Keisig: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is truly an honour to stand before you in this illustrious and storied Chamber to debate the Speech from the Throne. Congratulations, Mr. Speaker, on being elected. I’m looking forward to working with you over the next four years.

Walking into the legislature this morning, I paused outside this grand building, Mr. Speaker, and took a moment. In that moment, I thought of all the people who had come before me and I thought of all the people who will come after me, all with a vision for this province and a desire to make all things better for constituents and our children.

I’d like to use this opportunity, Mr. Speaker, and thank all the constituents for their support in the election. I told each and every one of them that the work ethic that I learned and used on my family farm will now be applied to my duties as an elected member of the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly for Last Mountain-Touchwood.

Mr. Speaker, hard work alone will never get you to this place. It takes a team. And I’ve had the support of an amazing group of volunteers and supporters. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to first thank Ed and Irma Ivey. Their tireless work hours included installing signs, scrutineering, and always being a sounding board that I found invaluable. I’d also like to thank Bob Huber, Elton Fiege, Jay Dixon, Dennis Spilchak, Bill Huber, Richard Barnsley, Chelsea Manz, Lisa Grudnzki, Leigh and Marlene Bishop, and the list goes on and on, Mr. Speaker. I really appreciated all of the effort they put in my campaign. Their support and time given will never be forgotten.

Mr. Speaker, this campaign was unprecedented. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting constituents along the way and I had the good fortune of meeting a constituent, Mr. Speaker, who used to sit in your chair. Arnold Tusa, a former MLA and Speaker of the House, became one of my best door knockers and somebody that I’d really like to call a friend, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I also want to recognize my predecessor, Glen Hart. Glen served the constituency for 21 years and he left very large shoes to fill. And I hope to fill those shoes for all the people of Last Mountain-Touchwood. I want to recognize my opponent, the NDP [New Democratic Party] candidate, Thera Nordal. I want to thank her for a very respectful and dignified campaign.

I want to take this opportunity, Mr. Speaker, and thank my new constituency assistant, Tina Knowles. She has a broad range of knowledge and a great work ethic that is crucial for helping me perform my duties as an MLA. I trust and have the confidence that the constituents of Last Mountain-Touchwood will be well looked after as she has proved herself absolutely invaluable during the campaign and all the work following. She used to work in this House as a Page years ago so she’s very well versed.

I want to thank my business manager, Mr. Speaker, Susan Stettner. Her attention to detail and her fearless attitude kept me focused throughout the election cycle.

I would be remiss if I do not acknowledge the most important people in my life. I have to give a shout-out to my mother and father. My dad, Frederick Keisig, passed away in 2013, Mr. Speaker, but I know he’s watching. His wisdom and guidance gives me comfort every day. My mom, Diane Keisig, is a huge supporter and my biggest cheerleader. My sister Melanie was always willing to help in any way needed and is always willing to provide insight into our health care system, having worked as a nurse for over 20 years. I also want to thank my mother- and father-in-law, Grant and Marilyn Hale. Their guidance and enthusiasm always kept a person motivated during the writ and they always enjoyed hearing tales from the campaign trail.

As I stand here today, Mr. Speaker, and I look at my colleagues, I look at the members across the aisle, I see a very large group of very talented individuals, Mr. Speaker. Myself, Mr. Speaker, I’m not that talented except for one. My greatest talent, Mr. Speaker, was my ability to marry out of my league. My wife, Sheila Keisig, was my campaign manager, she was my organizer, and she is my rock. She’s incredibly hard-working and the mother of our two beautiful daughters, Shannara and Sharlize. Everyone in this House knows that this is not a 9-to-5 job and consequently can take a large toll on family life. I’m very fortunate, Mr. Speaker, to have all of my family members being my biggest and best supporters.

If I can, Mr. Speaker, I’d like to tell you a personal story from this fall’s election. I received a call from the Premier’s office to say that he’d be travelling through my constituency the next day; he’d like to stop by and visit myself and some of my supporters. During these unprecedented times we’re always cognizant about crowd sizes and social distancing, so I hurriedly organized 15 supporters, and a local agricultural parts supply house allowed us to use their parking lot to keep everything outside and safe, Mr. Speaker. I asked the business if any employees were interested in coming to hear what our Premier and myself had to speak and several of them jumped at the chance.

The next morning our Premier announced an increased support for people living with diabetes. The increased funding for insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitoring is fantastic news for all families dealing with this severe but treatable disease. Diabetes can be debilitating, life-altering, and life-threatening. The support from this government will help ease the burden of the costs associated with the disease. I’m very fortunate, Mr. Speaker; no one in my family is directly affected by diabetes. But I know many people across the constituency and around the province who are.

Fast forward. Later that day the Premier shows up. Our Premier gave a fantastic talk about his vision for the province. He talked about agriculture and he talked about the perennial favourite topic in rural Saskatchewan, highway repair. Then the Premier opened up the floor for questions. A constituent of mine who I haven’t quite yet met spoke up from the back and told the Premier that this diabetes support announcement is fantastic news for her family. And also at this business, four employees there all had diabetes. This program is going to help each of them and their families.

I felt something right then, Mr. Speaker. I felt pride. I feel even more of that pride being part of this government today. Our government is bringing forth practical, immediate programs that will be helpful to so many Saskatchewan families. I feel proud to be part of a team that is always listening and bringing real, meaningful aid to Saskatchewan families. We weren’t talking about policies. We’re acting on what we hear from the constituents.

Another support system that I feel is important to note is the support for our veterans and veteran service clubs, Mr. Speaker. These clubs are incredibly vital to our community, as they provide a space for our veterans to keep their memories alive. Without these memories, we do not have the opportunity to educate our youth on the sacrifices our veterans made to protect our country and our democracy. History must be taught, Mr. Speaker; otherwise we are doomed to repeat it.

The increase in the budget from 100,000 to one and a half million a year will allow for some much-needed repairs for many Legion halls throughout Saskatchewan and allow for a higher degree of support for families. I’m proud to be part of a government that invests in its veterans, their families, and remembering the importance of history.

Mr. Speaker, the steps that are being taken by this government in restarting the community rink affordability program is excellent news for rinks in rural Saskatchewan, providing $2,500 a year to assist in operating, covering costs for rural areas that desperately need it. Rinks are often the hub of small towns across Saskatchewan. Not only does it provide a place for socializing, but it also encourages a healthy lifestyle for many young people and even adults. The tricky part, Mr. Speaker, is resisting those homemade perogies.

I’m proud to be part of a government that has a plan for growing our exports, our agricultural products, our oil, gas, our natural resource economy, Mr. Speaker. Saskatchewan is changing. It is changing because of the opportunities that are being created and promoted. As noted in the Throne Speech, Saskatchewan has an international trade office in Shanghai, China. I’m delighted that three more offices will be opening in India, Singapore, and Japan. This expansion is excellent news for Saskatchewan businesses, and an overall win for Saskatchewan to be seen on the global stage.

Mr. Speaker, this growth is going to do great things for the people of Saskatchewan. It will allow us to showcase to the international community what our industries have to offer. This includes the provision of food and energy for the ever-expanding world that we live in today. I’m looking forward to seeing industries that are critical to Saskatchewan businesses continue in their efforts for economic growth.

I have a strong connection to Saskatchewan and its agriculture sector. When one describes Saskatchewan, agriculture is one of the first things that come to mind. I believe that agriculture helped to perfect who we are as citizens of this province. The people of Saskatchewan are unique in our values and customs.

Often rural areas are overlooked and believed to be less desirable due to the lack of opportunity. I think that these negative connotations to rural areas are untrue. Living in rural Saskatchewan offers a way of life and values that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. To fully understand the opportunities of rural living, one must live in a rural setting.

Farmers like myself are some of the hardest working people I know. Farmers work every day, long hours, with no complaints. There are no standard work hours for farmers. We love what we do. We go out to work in the warmest and the coldest without complaint. We do what we do because we have people around the world who depend on us to feed them. While the country around us is hunkering down due to COVID, farmers still went to work every day. This work-hard mentality is ingrained in the residents of rural and urban Saskatchewan people, Mr. Speaker.

Thomas Jefferson once wisely said, “Agriculture is our wisest pursuit because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals, and happiness.” I agree with this quote because I believe this province and its people are wealthy in their morals and their happiness. We are a unique group of people who are willing at any moment to lend a helping hand. That is one of the many things I value significantly about Saskatchewan and the great constituents of Last Mountain-Touchwood.

Fourteen new long-term care homes have been built, Mr. Speaker, and a 15th is being built in Meadow Lake. That just reaffirms this government’s support for our senior citizens. We will be hiring 300 new continuing care aids, and I know there’s many going to be ready to be hired because there’s a class graduating in April from Sask Polytechnic, Mr. Speaker, and my daughter’s among them. She’s looking forward to a rewarding career in the health care field, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it’s projected 8,000 students will benefit from opportunities like the Saskatchewan Advantage Scholarship every year, which is being increased by 50 per cent. I believe this is a very wise investment for our students and for Saskatchewan’s future.

For years our young people left this province for better opportunities, which the former NDP government failed to offer or provide. Thankfully, Mr. Speaker, under this government we are providing for our students so that we do not have to see our young people leaving. The graduate retention program, which provides up to $20,000 in income tax credits to post-secondary graduates, is excellent help for all graduates who remain in Saskatchewan. I’ve personally seen high school graduates move to Regina and Saskatoon, Mr. Speaker, further their studies, and return back to their constituency of Last Mountain-Touchwood. They move back to rural Saskatchewan with the ability to find jobs in their field, Mr. Speaker. Our young people do not want to leave and I am delighted that this government provides reasons for them to stay.

I just want to add, Mr. Speaker, I’ve worked many jobs in my career. I’ve belonged to many boards, I’ve served on numerous community committees, and I have never had the privilege of working with such an inclusive and welcoming group as this government of today. I really want to thank all my colleagues for that. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure . . . [inaudible interjection] . . . Thanks, Fred.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I offer my full support to the Speech from the Throne, moved by the member from Kindersley, seconded by the member from Saskatoon Riversdale, but I do not support the amendment.

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