SaskForward

WTF Saskatchewan? As COVID cases have risen in recent weeks, the Saskatchewan Health Authority is hearing from an increasing number of front-line staff, particularly contact tracers, that they are experiencing disrespectful behaviour and verbal abuse from members of the public in the execution of their duties.

No doubt there is a sizeable constituency that just wants to return to the old normal, replaying the same arguments and bromides of the past. They may even be rewarded, as they were on election night. But sooner than we think, we may find that what we seemed so sure of in the past doesn’t have much of a future.

A grown-up conversation about reducing harm from addictions is past due, don't you think?

It is easy for those of us who do not currently experience or depend on this system to look away. If any good comes out of the pandemic, it will be a new sense of how connected we are. It will lead us to re-evaluate our priorities when it comes to seniors’ care.

Until legislative steps are taken to seriously combat poverty in Saskatchewan, we will continue to see a decline in our province’s human rights record and in the quality of life for all of us. As it stands, poverty remains legislated in Saskatchewan and our society will judged by those it leaves behind.

Harm reduction saves lives. And money. But you had me at lives.