Policies
When elected the progressive conservative party of Saskatchewan will immediately form a stakeholder board of various groups (ex: SARM, APAS, Rural Municipalities, Producer Interest Groups) to review the business of Saskatchewan agriculture in general .
Progressive Conservative party of Saskatchewan supports the reduction of tax barriers to intergenerational farm transfers. Progressive Conservative party of Saskatchewan believes that farm family operations should be able to transfer privately owned farmland to family members without triggering excessive and unfair taxes.
Plant Breeders’ Rights
Progressive Conservative party of Saskatchewan believes farmers must have the right to retain seeds from a protected variety for their own use without paying additional royalties. Protected varieties must be available to researchers for further varietal development.
The Progressive Conservative party of Saskatchewan believes in maintaining the port of Churchill and Hudson Bay rail line as a cost effective shipping alternative for Saskatchewan producers and will work to promote as another source of exporting products to markets abroad.
The Progressive Conservative party of Saskatchewan supports the development of standardized grain contracts to improve commercial accountability between producers and grain buyers. Progressive Conservative party of Saskatchewan believes these contracts should follow a standardized format to clarify the obligations and responsibilities agreed between the two parties. A standardized contract should also include reciprocal penalties for non performance.
Grain Grade Assessment & Quality
Progressive Conservative party of Saskatchewan supports the development and introduction of new grading techniques that reduce industries reliance on the use of subjective methods of assessing quality. Progressive Conservative party of Saskatchewan believes that new technologies can provide a more accurate and fair grading system for grain producers. Progressive conservative party of Saskatchewan Believes in the rules of the Canadian grain Commission.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan respects the right and duty of parents to raise their own children responsibly according to their own conscience and beliefs. No person, government or agency has the right to interfere in the exercise of that duty except through due process of law.
A Progressive Conservative government recognizes that parents are in the best position to determine the care needs of their children, and that they should be able to do so in an environment that encourages as many options as possible, and in a manner that does not discriminate against parents who opt to raise their children in the family, social, linguistic, and religious environment that they judge to be best for their own families.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan affirms the federal and provincial governments’ role in the preservation of Canada’s and Saskatchewan’s natural and historical heritage (such as national parks, museums, historic sites, statues, and name dedications) for the benefit and enjoyment of all Canadians, and as an enduring reminder of our common inheritance.
A Progressive Conservative government will lobby the federal government to enact legislation which will fully eliminate birthright citizenship in Canada unless one of the parents of the child born in Canada is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan believes parental consent for abortion will protect the health and welfare of minors as well as foster family unity. It will protect the constitutional rights of parents to raise their children and be involved in all the steps of that process.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan recognizes the need for women to understand all the risks involved in surgical and chemical abortions that may occur during and after the procedure, including the long-term effects.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan supports legislation to ensure that any child born alive shall receive the full benefits of life-saving care, and neo-natal intensive care to give every opportunity possible for the child to sustain life.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan supports working with the federal government, other provinces and territories, and professional medical groups to develop a National Palliative Care Strategy and to adopt appropriate legislation to provide timely and equitable access to palliative care which affirms life, regards dying as a normal process and excludes euthanasia and assisted suicide (MAID).
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan supports conscience rights for doctors, nurses, and others to refuse to participate in, or to refer their patients for abortion, assisted suicide, or euthanasia.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan supports and promotes the Sustainable Communities Initiative allowing for further growth and development into Saskatchewan.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan will, upon forming government, remove the PST from used vehicles and boats originally purchased within the province of Saskatchewan.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan will upon forming Government remove the PST on Children’s clothing.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan will upon forming Government undertake a complete review of all third Party Grants with a resolve to abolish all Grants that are not essential.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan believes the government should continue to pay down the provincial debt, thus reducing the interest payment. We support the introduction of a debt repayment plan with the main part of budget surplus being allocated to debt repayment.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan believes the government should enact balanced budget legislation, which includes overrides for declared provincial emergencies or other defined, and presumably rare, circumstances.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan supports both immediate and long-term broad-based tax relief
Saskatchewan’s conservatives support the concept that all taxation must be reasonable. The government should work to eliminate instances of taxation on taxation.
We encourage the implementation of a personal flat tax rate.
We encourage the government to reduce business taxes.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan believes:
I. That it is the responsibility of government to create an economic climate in which Saskatchewan residents can thrive and prosper, and with their success create quality job opportunities for Saskatchewanians;
II. In the principle of maximizing value-added processing in Saskatchewan, and that the government should create an economic environment that encourages Saskatchewan businesses to export products in addition to raw materials;
III. That a dollar in the hand of a Saskatchewan resident is better than a dollar in the hand of a government bureaucracy. Saskatchewanians should be enjoying a higher standard of living, a more competitive economy and greater productivity;
IV. That lower taxes and reduced government interference in the economy will result in more purchasing power in the hands of the people of Saskatchewan, which leads to a more competitive economy, greater productivity, more quality job opportunities, and a higher standard of living, making Saskatchewan an attractive province to live in.
V. That tax policies should work to encourage entrepreneurship for the prosperity of all of its citizens, and that these policies should be substantive enough to provide them the opportunity to secure financial independence.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan believes that global warming theories, buried in the title “Climate Change”, should be open to valid science, discussion and debate.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan acknowledges that climate change has been happening since the beginning of the Earth’s creation and is acknowledged by our party.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan believes that in order to have a strong economy and maintain good health, Saskatchewan must have strong, coordinated and achievable environmental policies. Saskatchewan’s conservatives believe that responsible exploration, development, conservation and renewal of our environment are vital to our continued well-being as a province and as individuals.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan support as a priority the construction of pipeline to tidewater.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan supports as a priority to discover re usability and/or neutralization of our own nuclear waste (ie. spent rods), and that of other jurisdictions’ if nuclear materials originated from Saskatchewan.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan will support placing caps on classroom size.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan promotes supports and sponsors the land-learning curriculum in Saskatchewan as an elective. Grants will be provided for schools that use the program. Focus to be given to multi-cultured schools offering land-based learning to all students.
Civilian firearms ownership is a Canadian Heritage, and that any level of Canadian Government should not deprive Canadian Citizens of legally owned firearms.
A conservative Saskatchewan government will recognize the legitimacy of private ownership of firearms and will resist any domestic or international pressure to the contrary.
Saskatchewan’s conservatives support a cost-effective program designed to keep guns out of the hands of criminals while respecting the rights of law-abiding Canadian Citizens to own and use firearms responsibly.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan recognizes that peaceful public protests are a protected right of Canadian citizens to assembly and expression, however, we oppose non-Canadian residents protesting on our sovereign soil, especially against our energy sector. A Progressive Conservative government would prohibit non-Canadian residents from protesting or counter-protesting in Saskatchewan.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan recognizes that counter-protests lead to disturbances, altercations, and eventually crimes being committed. A Progressive Conservative government would seek to prohibit counter-protests within a certain distance from legal protests in order to maintain the peace and to avoid violence. A breech of these regulations would constitute an “unlawful assembly” and comes under Canada’s Criminal Code.
We support strict adherence to the section of Canada’s Criminal Code titled “Preventing Persons from Concealing Their Identity during Riots and Unlawful Assemblies Act”.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan encourages the Saskatchewan government to ensure that the early identification and intervention strategies for youth at risk continue to work. We expect the justice system for young people to provide effective punishment that deters criminal behavior and instills a sense of responsibility in young offenders for their behavior. We support better opportunities for rehabilitation of young people.
A Progressive Conservative Party government would introduce measures to hold young lawbreakers accountable to their victims and the community at large.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan rejects the concept of legalizing the purchase of sex. We declare that human beings are not objects to be enslaved, bought or sold.
We shall develop a Saskatchewan specific plan to target human trafficking markets and any third party attempting to profit from the purchase of sex.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan will upon forming Government allow its MLAs to freely vote their conscience on all Legislation presented to the Legislature without the fear of sanction or discipline.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan upon forming Government will immediately conduct an Audit of all Senior Bureaucratic Management Positions of all Crown Corporations and Government Departments with a minimum goal of reducing the costs to the taxpayer of Saskatchewan and reducing duplication in high level management positions. Additionally, future growth of government departments/ bureaucracy must be rationalized.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan expects that good and responsible government is attentive to the people it represents and has representatives who at all times conduct themselves in an ethical manner and display integrity, honesty, and concern for the best interest of Saskatchewan residents.
Saskatchewan’s conservatives believe the electorate should have access to a process that will enable them to hold their elected Member of Legislature accountable between general election cycles. The establishment of a recall method in the form of a bi-election will ensure that an elected representative will act in the best interests of his/her constituency and will conduct themselves in an ethical manner.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan recognizes that open dialogue is vital to resolving conflicts. For this reason a conservative Saskatchewan government will support freedom of speech for all Saskatchewan residents, and will promote policies and legislation designed to protect freedom of speech and freedom of expression in Saskatchewan.
Saskatchewan’s conservatives recognize freedom of speech is a hallmark of a free society. Compelled speech in any form is a violation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Individual freedoms of thought, belief, opinion, and expression supersede all compelled speech.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan supports the goal of strengthening Canada, but not at the expense of Saskatchewan residents and our own provincial growth and prosperity. Saskatchewan enjoys our own unique culture and values; we believe that other regions of Canada should not impose their culture or values upon us. We believe that a conservative Saskatchewan government can determine what is best for Saskatchewan and will work toward more freedom from federal controls.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan recognizes that in addition to the value of having a balanced governance approach by addressing the five dimensions of human wellness (emotional, intellectual, physical, social, and spiritual), Saskatchewan’s conservatives recognize four foundation pillars for a prosperous province: freedom, family, faith, and life.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan recognizes that humans have five dimensions of wellness: emotional, intellectual, physical, social, and spiritual, and that each of these five dimensions act and interact in a way that contributes to quality of life. A balanced conservative government will apply equal importance to each of these five areas when governing, and will educate and promote balanced living for residents of Saskatchewan to achieve a higher quality of life.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan recognizes that it is unethical and wrong to require applicants for government- funded programs to sign a values test attestation endorsing government ideology in order to be eligible to receive government funding.
SASKATCHEWAN FIRST – EDUCATING OUR FUTURE
CREATION OF AN EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
Saskatchewan’s abundant natural resources and a world wanting those resources means that our provincial economy should continue to grow with good management. Part of that good management is ensuring that Saskatchewan families have the ability to ensure that their children have the best educational opportunities available to them.
Part of the responsibility for that belongs to the taxpayers of Saskatchewan. It is very evident that we still have a lot of our students not attending post-secondary education of whatever type because of financial constraints. We believe that it is incumbent upon government to provide tools to parents and young people leaving high school with the opportunity to help fund their education.
Therefore a P.C. Party government would implement a Saskatchewan First Education Plan. Parents or mature students could contribute to an education fund and receive provincial tax credits at the same rate as the current provincial political tax credit plan.
The contribution would be capped at a maximum of $1275 contribution for a tax credit of $625 off tax payable. The program would be capped at $25,000 total contribution per child or at 18 years of age for the recipient. The funds would be administered by the Saskatchewan Pension Plan and could be used at any post-secondary institution in the province of Saskatchewan with provincial accreditation.
Many current plans discriminate against those wishing to enter the trades or apprenticeship programming. This would allow Saskatchewan students and their families to plan for our growing economy of the future. If these tax credits are good enough for our political parties and politicians, they should work for our children’s education.
They are our future.
Short line railroads are a benefit to all residents of Saskatchewan. Moving grain, oilseeds and resources via rail reduces the amount of heavy truck traffic on our highways and grid roads. They also support rural communities and businesses.
The PC Party and PC MLAs will work for the following improvements to the short line system.
1. PC MLAs would pressure the Federal Government to create a more co-operative system between short line railroads and the national rail companies.
2. Short line railroads must be part of the discussion during the CTA review process outlined by the Emerson report.
3. A full costing review of National Railroads costs must be a starting point of that review.
4. Short line railroads should be consulted during the development of reciprocal penalty agreements between shippers and carriers.
5. The PC Party will propose a 10 year transportation strategy for Saskatchewan in the Legislature which the Sask Party has failed to announce along with production goals.
We must be able to ship in a timely manner what we produce. Short line railroads must be part of that strategy.
6. A 10 year transportation strategy should include the option of rebuilding closed rail line between existing short line railroads which would allow shortlines to pass cars to the next line. This would be more cost effective for shippers if they did not have to go to a national line first.
7. PC Party will fight to protect the Legislated rights of short lines to receive timely car delivery.
Crop Insurance has not been meeting the needs of the farmers it’s supposed to serve. Crop Insurance needs to respect the work farmers do with regard to the market and the land.
We need crop insurance to make effective use of technology.
PC Party MLAs will bring the following proposed changes to the Crop Insurance legislation
- Farmers with flooded acres should be compensated for storing water on their land. This will also alleviate the drainage problem prevalent in some areas. If compensated for the land and creating viable wetlands, there is no need to pump water down the line eventually creating irreparable damage to property downstream or flooding lakes like those in the Qu’Appelle System.
- Crop insurance premiums are too high for what farmers receive. Farmers should receive break even payments in the event of lost crops. The farm families labour costs need to be included in this format.
- The PC Party will call for a Comprehensive Water Survey of the entire province as it relates to cultivated land so that proper benchmarking can be done in future years when determining flooded acres.
- Land in the Quill Lakes basin which is permanently flooded should be purchased by the Crown in a willing seller-buyer relationship.
Movie and television production brought people and prestige to our province. Saskatchewan has suffered many losses from the elimination of the Film Tax Credit. Many talented people have moved to places more accommodating to the film industry. We have lost millions of investment dollars as projects are filmed in places other than Saskatchewan.
The P.C. Party of Saskatchewan would restore a Film Tax credit to bring back the creative talent and investment this province has lost, and encourage people with aspirations of a career in the film industry the opportunity to stay in the province.