Each week in the run-up to the election, we are asking the candidates two questions.
One answer is published in The Reminder, the other on the SK Election page at www.thereminder.ca,
where you will also find profiles of all candidates and previous weeks’ questions.
Question: What is the single most important thing the provincial government could do for Creighton and Denare Beach?
Answer: Doyle Vermette
NDP
Senior care in the Creighton and Denare Beach area is a very important issue that I have raised during my time as an MLA.
If seniors in the area today need to move into a long-term care facility, they need to relocate across the border to Flin Flon. The health region is looking at a new facility in La Ronge, but that’s hours away.
In the last session of the legislature, I presented a petition urging the Sask. Party government to build a long term care facility in the area, but when it comes to seniors’ care, they just haven’t delivered. They’ve made cuts to healthcare while spending wastefully on pricy consultants and a bloated healthcare administration.
The NDP will introduce minimum care standards to deliver quality care to residents of our long-term care homes and expand home care services to seniors. We need to look at solutions like these so that we can keep our seniors here at home.
Answer: Thomas Sierzycki
Saskatchewan Party
Health care is an issue that I know is important to Creighton and Denare residents. There are some cross-border jurisdictional issues that we can work with the Manitoba government to improve services in the region.
The Saskatchewan Party recently signed an historic agreement with the Alberta government to improve services in Lloydminster, and Creighton faces many of the same challenges as a cross-border community.
I have also heard the need for seniors care in the communities. The Saskatchewan Party has been committed to improving seniors care since 2007, including investments of $250 million to build 15 new long-term care facilities. It’s an area that I believe the Saskatchewan Party can also continue to work with the Manitoba government on.
Community supports for individuals with cognitive challenges is another area that I will work to improve if elected on April 4. These are the people in our communities whose lives we must work to continue to improve.
Liberal candidate George Morin was not able to be reached to participate in this week’s question.
He will be included in next week’s election forum. Green Party candidate Adam Josephson did not respond.
