The keeping of Sask. Party election promises was among the highlights for the MLA for Cut Knife-Turtleford during the legislative session that just ended.
Larry Doke, who was first elected last fall in the constituency, noted it was a busy session that required a full time commitment on his part.
"As a new MLA it was long. There was lots of hours," said Doke.
He noted his involvement with economy committee required long hours that extended far into the night. Doke said many bills introduced last fall came into fruition during the spring session.
A highlight was the budget - the "only balanced budget in Canada," said Doke. "It something we pride ourselves on. We campaigned on balanced budgets."
He did acknowledge, "sometimes you have to make cuts in certain areas, but add in other areas."
"Our finances are sound and we're on the right track. The economy has allowed our government to keep, for the most part, all of its election promises," said Doke.
Highlights for the Sask. Party included a new Saskatchewan Advantage Scholarship that provides up to $2,000 over four years to new high school graduates to reduce the cost of post-secondary education; expanding the active families benefit and the PST exemption on clothing to include all children under 18, the addition of 500 new child care spaces, a new $10,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers and introduction of the STARS emergency helicopter service.
He says those policies have "gone over very well" and called addressing the child care spaces a "great thing."
Doke said he attended a meeting in Lloydminster recently for a first briefing there about the STARS program, which is in Alberta and reaches as far as Lloydminster there. STARS has been going 26 years now in Alberta, Doke said.
He says with resource and agriculture sectors as strong as they are, "this is a service that is truly needed."
STARS will be launching two more helicopters this year and next year. One of them will be located in Saskatoon, which should benefit this region, said Doke.
Other policies Doke pointed to from the spring session include forgiveness of $120,000 in student loans for doctors and up to $20,000 for new nurses and nurse practitioners who practice in rural and remote communities; increasing benefits under the Saskatchewan Assured Income for Disability program, increasing the Seniors' Income Plan benefit by $600 annually and a first-year commitment by the government of $2.2 billion to repair and maintain Saskatchewan highways.
"The total spending on highways this year, $788 million," said Doke, calling those "big numbers."
Doke does add the government is playing catch up on infrastructure needs due to the flooding in the south as well as in Cumberland House and Hudson Bay.
"Hopefully, we don't have any more flooding this year and we will catch up," said Doke.
Doke also pointed to several other achievements on the education side and in general credits the government for having delivered on its promises during this spring session.
"It's very unusual to have fulfilled all the campaign promises within seven months," said Doke.
Even though the spring session of the legislature is over, the summer promises to be a busy one for Doke and the other Saskatchewan Party MLAs. Doke says Premier Brad Wall has directed MLAs to consult with the public, stakeholders and elected bodies on how the province should grow.
MLAs plan to report to the caucus retreat the party plans in August on what the issues are and what they would like to see happen down the road.
He says there are issues to deal with in Cut Knife-Turtleford. Those issues deal with the extremely busy resource sector on the west side of the riding, strong farming and ranching, issues in the lumbering sector. The resort villages also have assessment issues.
Doke says he is excited to deal with those issues over the coming months, as well as 100th anniversary celebrations coming up in Edam and Cut Knife, among other functions.
"There's no holiday by any stretch of the imagination," said Doke.
