00:02:54.840Another longstanding position of the Saskatchewan NDP, going back to the 90s with the long gun
00:03:01.300registry, not something that we have ever supported or been on side with here in Saskatchewan.
00:03:06.000When it comes to the federal buyback program, that is not something that we have ever supported.
00:03:11.600You know, I grew up in a farming community, grew up with guns back, you know, before changes, you know, the shotgun was always present in the truck for coyotes or pests.
00:03:30.160My mom and dad have owned an outfitting business for over 25 years now.
00:03:35.720I understand that guns are part of the way of life here in Saskatchewan, part of the culture.
00:03:43.000And, again, this is a point of difference, I wouldn't say just with New Democrats.
00:03:49.880I think with prairie folks who are comfortable and understand the importance of gun safety and, you know, larger urban centers like Toronto where, you know, they don't have that culture or that understanding.
00:04:04.440Instead of putting money into registries and buybacks, we should be fighting crime with the people who are committing crime in this country.
00:04:15.940So, again, that's a well-established position, not one that I took on my own, but certainly one that I support.
00:04:23.040Also, you brought up some trade issues with the U.S. and also with China.
00:04:28.280You've mentioned in the past that you wanted to go with Scott Mullen trade missions.
00:04:34.440What do you feel you could have brought to the table if you were at the table with Scott Mullen and other representatives from the Saskatchewan government?
00:04:42.220You know, and I've said this on different issues at different times.
00:04:47.560There's a time for political differences.
00:04:50.060There's a time for discourse and, you know, and fights.
00:04:53.200And I like a good debate as much as anyone else.
00:04:55.700Sometimes when you need to show strength and solidarity, it's important to say, hey, look, not only the government is in favor, but the opposition as well.
00:05:07.740This is a position setting partisan politics aside that we both agree on.
00:05:13.240And I'm hearing from people that they want to see that, not on every issue.
00:05:18.120There's a need for a strong opposition.
00:05:19.820I hope we get to switch roles very soon, but that need is there.
00:05:26.420But on issues as important as the unity, the economic future of this country and this province, sometimes I think people want to see across the aisle support.
00:05:44.940You know, there have been some times when we've been able to put differences aside because we know that we are both working in the interests of Saskatchewan people.
00:05:55.360I think that this would have been one of those instances.
00:06:00.340I also, yeah, you know, the more resources, the more people who are bringing that same message, I think the more effective we can be.
00:06:10.740Again, not on every issue, but on this one.
00:06:14.160We're now seeing Kearney also is now going to go to China.
00:06:41.520Well, let's look at the root of the imposition of these tariffs.
00:06:46.720It followed the measures against Chinese EVs.
00:06:52.360And, you know, looking at removing those tariffs on Chinese EVs has to be part of the discussion.
00:07:03.920This is a point of difference between myself and the federal conservative leader, for example.
00:07:14.600Again, I think it's important, regardless of political stripe here in this province, as someone who wants to be the premier of this province, that that has to be consistent, no matter who is in power or who is taking those positions in Ottawa.
00:07:28.840Certainly, we've been clear about that from the very beginning, and we've made that clear with all three federal parties.
00:07:37.180So that would be an important first step would be to be talking about taking those EV tariffs off Chinese cars.
00:07:51.300I think, you know, Prime Minister Carney going to China is an important step.
00:07:57.920I think using all the diplomatic channels that we have available to us is incredibly important.
00:08:03.880I've heard from producers, you know, this year we saw a suppression of prices, it had an impact.
00:08:11.200I'm very worried about what this means going into next year, because if these tariffs continue, all indications are that it is going to be very devastating into the next year.
00:08:23.900So I think I'm in support of all efforts to get those tariffs removed and make sure that we've got, you know, I'm sure a lot of nervous producers, farmers out there right now thinking about what's going to go in the ground in the spring.
00:08:43.220It would be great to be able to say that those tariffs are removed and they don't have that worry on top of all the others.
00:08:50.140Speaking of crises, health care obviously is a major issue in the province.
00:08:58.680Just here in Regina, we're seeing some ICU doctors leaving, like half the ICU doctors between the two hospitals were either fired, quit or leaving in the next few months.
00:09:08.800Alberta has floated the idea and is starting to go down the path of having both public and private, private like in the evenings and on weekends, public during the day.
00:09:21.680What do you think can be done here in Saskatchewan on a fairly short time frame that we could do to improve health care in the province?
00:09:32.120Number one is listen to those doctors who are saying and have been saying for years now, this system needs change, that those who are making decisions often, unfortunately, in small rooms here in the legislature and here in Regina need to listen to those communities,
00:09:58.840those frontline physicians, nurses, healthcare providers, because that's something that hasn't been happening.
00:10:04.760And we are losing more healthcare providers in this province at a faster rate than any other province in the country.
00:11:27.100You know, the number one issue, again, healthcare, a strong second, but the number one issue I'm hearing from people is a growing sense that they are falling further and further behind financially.
00:11:41.060Something to address the cost of living that is frankly, for most people or many people in this province, getting to the point where it's out of control,
00:11:50.220where people are putting their groceries on their credit cards.
00:11:53.840And I'm talking about people who have worked their whole lives, who have never struggled before, all of a sudden are looking at the price of turkey and thinking,
00:12:01.080hmm, maybe we'll have sausage for Christmas this year.
00:12:04.320One of the things that we've brought forward is a rent control bill.
00:12:09.740You know, had we been building housing, had we had a housing plan and we're building that housing out, maybe we're not here.
00:12:18.140But right now, we've had 40 months of steady rent increases for people in this province.
00:12:48.200If I was going to be guaranteed it was going to pass, maybe I'd look at the taxes and the other ways that this government has increased costs for people
00:12:56.040and maybe throw some of those in, some relief for people.
00:12:59.320Number two has to be something around health care.
00:13:01.280You know, as I just said, the first idea, the first most impactful immediate thing we could do doesn't even require legislation, doesn't cost us a dime.
00:13:14.320But, you know, looking at those first three things that we need to do to stabilize the existing workforce,
00:13:21.860make sure that we are, we have a plan to have everyone in this province to have a family doctor.
00:13:28.500Right now we're going in the wrong direction.
00:13:31.840That would be the second bill, something around health care.
00:13:34.900Number three has to be, you know, looking at the budget numbers and how much we're paying to service debt in this province again.
00:13:47.200Something that I heard a lot about when I was a young person in this province.
00:13:53.080We're starting to hear, you know, a billion dollars.
00:13:56.160We sent a big check at Christmas time to draw attention to the fact we're sending a billion dollars to bankers in Toronto right now to service the debt in this province.
00:14:09.980We don't have a revenue problem in this province as much as we have a mismanagement and a waste problem.
00:14:15.800When it comes to this government, there has to be some accountability.
00:14:19.160People have to understand and believe that they are getting value for those dollars that we are spending.
00:14:24.540And certainly, I would much rather be spending a billion dollars here in this province delivering affordability relief or delivering better health care for people in this province than sending that check to, you know, bankers on Bay Street or even down to Wall Street.
00:14:46.060I could fill in a lot of details with some time if I'm guaranteed it's going to be passed, but we'll see.
00:14:52.300Where do you see the government waste?
00:14:54.460Like, where would you look first for that?
00:14:56.360Oh, man, I mean, sometimes I realize when I'm giving a list to people, even in the time that I've been here, I've forgotten some of the ones that were a little further back.
00:15:16.000I mean, I still think that there are a lot of questions to answer around how much we spent on the bypass.
00:15:21.200I think of, you know, paying 10 times what it costs in the public system to send women to Calgary, for example.
00:15:33.000Plus, those people are paying out of pocket.
00:15:36.900I look at some of the decisions around P3 schools, for example.
00:15:41.080Something when I was a school board trustee that certainly had me very concerned about those costs and how those decisions were made.
00:15:51.820But I think you only have to look at the ballooning of the debt in this province.
00:15:58.700You know, we're now projected over $40 billion in debt going past 50 in this province.
00:16:06.180I think, you know, there's a long list of the ways that this government has spent and not received value.
00:16:14.800This government is very good at spending money.
00:16:17.820What they're not so good at is ensuring that when they spend those dollars, that Saskatchewan people are benefiting from those dollars.
00:16:24.720And I think that's the number one way that they have failed, both on the economic side, but when it comes to delivering value for people in this province.