Kindersley hosts Premier's Dinner

Scott Moe was in Kindersley on Thursday night for the Saskatchewan Party's latest Premier's Dinner. 

Current Kindersley MLA Ken Francis was the Master of Ceremonies, and Kim Gartner, the Saskatchewan Party Candidate for Kindersley-Biggar in the upcoming election was tasked with introducing the keynote speaker in Premier Moe. Several MLA's from around the province, including cabinet ministers, were also on hand for the evening in Kindersley.

Kindersley MLA Ken Francis taking the stage to open the program portion of the evening

After a reception to begin the night, Francis took to the stage to begin the program side of things.

The member for Kindersley opened with a recall to the previous Premier's Dinner in 2019. Happy to be able to hold the event again in 2024, the night was extra special for Francis who made the decision back in May 2023 to not run in the next provincial election.

Francis started off by introducing a few of his colleagues from the legislature. One introduction of note was for the Honourable Donna Harpauer, who is also set to step away from politics. Several other members, including Rosetown-Elrose MLA Jim Reiter, were introduced to the crowd as well.

The next set of introductions were for local representatives. Town officials from Kindersley, and Kerrobert, joined representatives from the RM's of Kindersley, Chesterfield, Newcombe, Hopedale, St. Andrews, Pleasant Valley, Marriott, and Mountain View. Members of the Sun West School Division board were in attendance as well.

Francis ended his opening address with thanks to his constituency staff, before introducing Kim Gartner for his speech. Gartner won the contested nomination for Kindersley-Biggar back in December, saying he was "humbled" by the result.

Gartner started his time on the stage with comments about the areas agriculture, and energy prowess. Supporting the Sask. Party prior to his nomination, Gartner commended Premier Scott Moe in his fight against the carbon tax, and then introduced the leader to the stage.

Premier Scott Moe took the stage

The Premier opened things by referencing Francis' tenure with the party, and how much he will be missed when the next government forms. Quick to point out an elected life doesn't just affect the person in the seat, Moe applauded Francis' family and thanked them for all of their support during the past six years of Ken serving the constituency. 

Coming to Kindersley one day after the province's budget came down, much of the conversation was dominated by the material that came out Wednesday. Moe used the budget highlights of increased revenue sharing, increased healthcare, and education funding to tout the strong future for Saskatchewan.

Premier Moe talked about the provinces growing population, and how they are "welcoming challenges of growth." One of those challenges relates to Saskatchewan schools, as Moe referenced a school in Prince Albert with over 3500 students. The government is attacking the problem with the new education budget, Moe sharing that new schools being built will feature newly introduced pilot programs as well to help keep up to Saskatchewan's fast-growing population.

Talking about healthcare, and being in a rural setting, Moe shared a few updates on healthcare recruitment in the province. The province has added over 1000 Canadian nurses, and approximately 170 from the Philippines. They are also looking to add more nurse practitioners to the province, similar to the success story seen in Macklin back at the end of 2023.

Near the end of his time on stage Moe brought up the federal government. Moe believes that, "Saskatchewan has what the world needs", and seemingly constant troubles with the federal government are hampering the province's potential. One example coming from Moe was federal Minister of Environment Steven Guilbeault stating that their government would not help facilitate new roads, something the Liberal member has slightly backtracked on in recent comments. 

When it comes to the economy, and specifically inflation, Moe said that Saskatchewan has been well below the federal government's target number when it comes to CPI (consumer price index). With a benchmark of around 2 per cent set out by the federal government, Saskatchewan represents one of only three provinces under that target at 1.7 per cent.

The Premier's Dinner in Kindersley was well-attended by people from all around west-central Saskatchewan 

With the budget release, and 2024 being an election year, the dinner was a good way to start the campaign trail.