Nicole Sarauer
2213 Broad St S4P 1Y7 Regina, SK, Canada

Today I attended an outdoor rally at the Regina Provincial Correctional Centre (RPCC). The rally was organized by a group of mothers that are concerned for the health and safety of their loved ones. These concerns come following reports of high rates of positive Covid-19 cases in the facilities and a lack of an adequate response from the Ministry of Corrections and Policing. I heard concerned mothers worried not just for the health of their loved ones but also a lack of conne...ction to them as access to communication has been lessened. We continue to hear of inhumane conditions. Conditions that are impacting the physical and mental health of staff and inmates. During a time that families are less connected than ever, loved ones want to know that their family members are safe. https://globalnews.ca//covid-19-regina-correctional-centr/

Yesterday I received two messages, one from a friend and one from a constituent, which said the same thing - why can I visit my family at a restaurant but not at my home for Christmas? Yesterday's announcement was disappointing and upsetting for a number of reasons. The half-measures leave questions that go unanswered. We are being told two contradictory things - go out and shop, spend money, but limit your contacts and don't visit any friends or family indoors. Those that ha...ve been following the rules are frustrated that we can't gather in small numbers for the holidays. Small businesses continue to bleed revenue while being unable to access any federal support money. A few solid facts remain. Our COVID-19 cases continue to grow and the death toll is rising. Our hospitals and ICU's are reaching capacity and our health care system cannot support this continued rate of COVID-19 cases. There are devastating outbreaks in long term care facilities, which have already resulted in deaths. For our health care workers, for our frontline workers, for our seniors, please don't try to find the loopholes in these new restrictions. Wear a mask, stay home if you can, stay safe.

Shared by friends of mine who work in an OR in Regina. Wear a mask, limit your contacts, stay safe.

I’m hiring a Constituency Assistant! Check out here for more details and how to apply: https://ik.imagekit.io//CA_Job_Posting_-_Regina_Douglas_Pa

Yesterday was the start of the new Legislative session, beginning with the Government's Throne Speech, where they outline their plan for the year. In short, the Throne Speech was a disappointment and a missed opportunity. It seemed completely out of touch with the reality and stress we are facing today around COVID-19. This afternoon, I had the opportunity to respond to the Throne Speech. I spoke about the outbreaks in long term care and the stress of small, local businesses ...trying to address dwindling business with little support from the provincial Government. I spoke about families and friends who are under self-isolation orders because they are close contacts or are COVID-19 positive themselves, and how this number keeps growing the longer the Government drags their heels in enacting real measures that could help to contain the spread. I also took the time to speak particularly about the outbreak in the jails, and the emotional and physical toll this is having on staff, inmates, and their loved ones. The Government is ignoring so much of what is going on right now, and it would make me angry if it didn't make me so sad. Like you, I have loved ones who are in health care and teach in schools and are in the service industry and are exposing themselves every day to this health risk. I have local businesses in my life that I really care about, and I'm really afraid for what Regina will look like if more of them have to close permanently. I worry about the health and safety of my family, and I too am having tough discussions about what Christmas is going to look like for us, conversations that are more and more bleak every day that the Sask Party stalls on taking real action. These are the things that aren't addressed in the Throne Speech, but these are the issues we will continue to fight in the Legislature.

The concern about the COVID-19 outbreak in Sask's jails is growing. Most inmates are immunocompromised. Staff are worried about their safety and the safety of their families. This is the inevitable result of jails being overcrowded and the Government's inaction dealing with the skyrocketing number of COVID-19 cases in the community. Today I called for the Minister of Corrections to no longer be a Minister. She hasn't done her job and shouldn't be allowed to continue to in her role.

I'm honoured to again be chosen to represent the people of Regina Douglas Park. Thank you for your support and your encouragement, for all of the conversations on the door steps, and I'm looking forward to continuing to work for the community for another four years. I'd like to thank all of the volunteers who gave their time to help make the campaign possible. There are so many different things that need to be done in a campaign and so many people need to step in to lend a ha...nd. I couldn't be more grateful and I hope to thank each and every one of you personally in the near future. I'd like to especially thank the campaign team: Rick, Taylor, and Jonah. They all worked so hard to make this happen, working incredibly long hours while at the same time sharing some laughs and jokes along the way. It's been an honour for me to work with you three. I feel very lucky, and I couldn't have asked for a better team. While we are happy with the results locally, I am not here to celebrate. The results are not what we wanted provincially, and my heart breaks for every one of our amazing candidates who worked so hard and came up short. They fought for smaller class sizes, for affordable child care, for a $15/hr minimum wage, and for local projects for local workers. They fought for their communities, and I want to thank all of them. My heart breaks for my incumbent colleagues who fought hard but won’t be joining us again. My heart breaks for my fellow mama, campaign office roommate, and good pal Aleana Young who is still awaiting the final results of the mail-in ballots for Regina University. We will all heal, we will regroup, we will listen, and with humility we will continue to do the work that needs to be done to help make Saskatchewan a better place for everyone.

My campaign has amazing volunteers. Through the course of this campaign, we have introduced you to some of them. Meet Andy D'Entremont. Andy is a prosthetist who worked for 30 years for the Wascana Rehabilitation Centre. Andy has been one of our stalwart phone volunteers, making calls several times a week to voters in Douglas Park from the safety of his own home. Today, he and some other volunteers are making calls to remind supporters to vote. If you want to make Andy's job... easier, vote early. ( The polls are open until 8 pm). Andy got involved in our campaign because he supports affordable and accessible housing and because he cares about marginalized people. He is also disgusted with how the Sask Party blocked testimony into the Global Transportation Hub scandal, and how they get so much of their funding from donors out of province. Thank you, Andy! We couldn't do this without you.