News Release - GOVERNMENT RESPONDS TO CBO SUMMITS 

Ministerial Statement - Honourable Donna Harpauer
Government Responds to CBO Summits - November 3, 2008

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, when our Government was elected, we made a promise to host a summit for Saskatchewan's community-based organizations. CBOs play an important role in providing a variety of human services to some of the most vulnerable citizens in our province. These CBOs operate shelters, group homes, daycares and crisis units and many other needed services.

Our goal in hosting these summits was to listen to what our CBOs had to say about how we could better serve Saskatchewan people. Mr. Speaker, our government has once again kept our promise. 

Approximately 800 CBO representatives attended the five events spread across our province. I want to thank everyone who attended, for their thoughts and ideas, and their enthusiasm, honesty and passion. They provided us with a great deal of feedback, Mr. Speaker. 

The unedited feedback, comments and evaluations we received at each of the summits is available on the Government of Saskatchewan, Ministry of Social Services website.  And, Mr. Speaker, they challenged us to respond, not with shiny reports to sit on a shelf but rather with concrete actions.

Today I am pleased to report that our government has already begun to respond. The recent announcement of a major initiative to address the waitlist faced by people with disabilities for services and our commitment to create a new income support program for people with disabilities were two recommendations heard loud and clear at the summits. 

Participants at the CBO summits stressed the need to support Saskatchewan's most vulnerable residents in dealing with some specific challenges currently being faced.

Mr. Speaker, as a result we are also pleased to announce that in response to the tax cuts announced by the Premier, any 2008 income tax refund and any tax credit received through the Saskatchewan Low-Income tax credit will be excluded from all income calculations used in the Saskatchewan Assistance Program, Transitional Employment Allowance and the income support program for people with disabilities.  As a result all social assistance recipients will keep any 2008 tax refund resulting from the recently announced historical tax cuts. 

Effective October 1, 2008, the mileage rate under the Saskatchewan Assistance Program increased five cents per kilometre to address rising fuel costs. In future, social assistance mileage rates will be reviewed semi-annually.

On October 1, 2008 clients of the Transitional Employment Allowance saw their home heating allowances increase by 20 per cent in response to higher utility rates. Effective November 1, 2008 they will see additional dollars to cover the basic monthly charge.  Recipients of the Saskatchewan Assistance Program will continue to see their full actual utility costs paid.

As a result of suggestions made at the summit, the Saskatoon United Way and The Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre have partnered in a proposal to complete a full business plan to develop this service. In response, the Province is contributing $30,000 to assist them to develop a strategy to bring a 211 phone service to Saskatchewan. This will help individuals and their families across our Province to access human services that are available in their communities.

A second element of their proposal is to develop a website directory of agencies and services in support of the call system. This project would afford significantly enhanced opportunities for CBO's to interact. It allows them to share best practices and work collaboratively in building stronger communities.

Mr. Speaker, a common theme at the summits was the need for longer term predictable funding for CBOs. In response, Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce today that our government is committing to begin entering in to long-term funding agreements with CBOs starting in the next budget year.

Mr. Speaker, as we discussed at the summits we will continue to work to review all of the feedback that we received, to find opportunities to make improvements to respond to good ideas and most of all to make things better for those most vulnerable in our province. Today's announcement is just the beginning.

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to creating a better life and to ensuring all people share in the Province's prosperity.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.