Meara Conway

For too long, Regina has not had a cold weather strategy. Great to see AWASIW stepping up to address the need. And very happy to see this important initiative take shape beside our *under-construction* constituency office. However, I am concerned to read that no provincial funding is being made available, despite they just recently receiving federal transfers for vulnerable populations. A meaningful housing-first initiative and a poverty reduction strategy need to be prioritized by all levels of government if we are to tackle these issues meaningfully. In the coming weeks and months, I hope to work with others across Regina Elphinstone Centre (and the province) to facilitate a forum on these important issues, particularly in light of the impacts of COVID. Stayed tuned! https://leaderpost.com//new-regina-warm-up-station-sees-do

Fun facts: Scott Moe told you not to travel and that you couldn’t visit loved ones this Christmas. Many of you canceled vacays and didn't see your loved ones. Often under very difficult circumstances. ... All Sk NDP MLAs respected the guidelines and stayed home over Christmas. The Premier gave Minister Hargrave the green light to travel to his fam's fave vacation spot in Palm Springs... Businesses are still shuddering, many frontline workers are still being paid next to nothing, evictions are up, LTC is terrifying, & the death toll in December was grim. The Sask Party is pretty much MIA on all fronts. At first I felt really angry because it seems the Sask Party government doesn't think the rules apply to them. Then I realized they actually don't. Few Sask Party MLAs are small business owners with struggling operations, none of them are minimum wage or frontline workers, missing rent isn't on your radar if you own 2+ homes, maybe they're mostly too privileged to think they'll need to rely on a LTC home for themselves or a loved one. The Sask Party has demonstrated again and again that it doesn't see government as a force to solve social problems, make life easier, or advance the collective. It mainly sees government as a tool to enrich itself, to help corporate donors by privatizing services and diverting public money to companies that donate and support its agenda. So... we're mad... but are we really all that surprised???

A highlight from my response to the Sask Party's Speech from the Throne earlier this month. The people of Saskatchewan are hurting now more than ever but the Sask Party continues to preach its stale gospel of strength. Let us draw on the strong community ties and deep bonds that COVID has tested in 2020 to demand better for ourselves, for our neighbours, and for future generations.

Merry Christmas & Joy to the World from us! Here’s to a holiday filled with happiness, family [via zoom or other], and love for the planet and for all people.