The continued strength of the Saskatchewan economy, and what that means to the people of the province, stands out as a key aspect of 2010 in the mind of Yorkton 小蓝视频 Greg Ottenbreit.
Ottenbreit said the resiliency and growth of the economy "right through the end of the recession," has been very encouraging, because it has created a new vibrancy in Saskatchewan.
Ottenbreit said economic indicators put Saskatchewan at the top, or near the top, among "all provinces with our economy Its best overall and the economy is still going strong. There's still lots of investment coming to the province."
The strength of the economy has allowed the government to remain fiscally responsible, noted Ottenbreit, adding that means "小蓝视频 able to deliver a balanced budget by definition."
While the estimates in the 2009 budget were off, leaving the province dipping into the rainy day reserve, Ottenbreit said in 2010 the year-end numbers are coming in better than anticipated in the budget released in the spring.
Ottenbreit said the oil and gas sector has been strong again through 2010, and land lease/sales "are stronger" too.
Retail sales are showing good strength too, and that means more Provincial Sales Tax revenue. Ottenbreit said when you look at the numbers for key retail indicators such as new vehicle sales, Saskatchewan is near the top in Canada, reflecting consumer confidence.
While the numbers in 2010 are supportive of an economy which is strong, Ottenbreit said it is equally important that independent sources are suggesting Saskatchewan has the potential to have the greatest growth in its economy among Canadian provinces in 2011.
A strong economy translates into jobs, and Ottenbreit said Saskatchewan has the "lowest unemployment" which is especially significant when you factor in the province has also experienced "the largest population growth," in the last year.
Ottenbreit said ultimately a strong economy is the best way to ensure the province can supply the level of services residents want and expect.
"Keep in mind a strong economy allows the government to supply services to the people," he said. " The end result is a better quality of life for as many people as possible."
That impact includes work to improve areas such as health care.
Ottenbreit said in some key areas "we're ahead of schedule," in terms of government initiatives to improve services. That includes areas such as nurse recruitment and additional training spots.
"Some of the things we've been working toward are starting to pay off," he said.
However, Ottenbreit agreed too that additional work is required, adding the government is dedicated to improving areas such as surgical wait times, and the number of doctors across the province."There's lot more work to be done," he said.
In some areas that work has already been started, for example, Ottenbreit said "the money for the (planned) Children's Hospital has flowed out It's in the region's hands now."
Similarly, money for research trials on a new MS therapy are in the system.
"I think it was a really good decision to take the first step and go through those trials," he said, adding the Yukon Territory has since shown interest in 小蓝视频 involved in the effort.
Ottenbreit said there were also two major happenings in the province in 2010 "that happened outside our control we had to deal with."
The first was a series of heavy rain events which caused extensive damage in communities across the province.
Ottenbreit said while there were issues surrounding how the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program worked, he said it was a program which was generally effective in dealing with a record number of claims.
The plan by BHP Billinton to take over PCS Potash became a major issue, which eventually had the province moving to block the deal.
Ottenbreit said the deal might have been seen as a strictly business transaction but the government had to look at the overall "effects of the takeover."
"It was obvious we had to pay close attention to it."
As for the year ahead, Ottenbreit said 2011, "should be an interesting year," especially as a provincial election is scheduled for the fall. From the Spring Session of the Legislature forward, he expects there to be an election-campaign feel to things.
"The Spring Session 小蓝视频 the last one before the election it's likely to be pretty heated," he said.The 2011 budget of course will be a major element of the session. Ottenbreit said some of what will be contained in the document is already known as additional relieve on the education portion of property tax, and a 0.1 per cent hike in the municipal share of the PST were to be part of the 2010 budget, but were delayed until 2011.
"They'll both be followed through with this year (2011)," he said.
