Herb Cox, Saskatchewan Party candidate in the Battlefords, has been kept busy recently.
Last Friday he welcomed Highways Minister Jim Reiter for a party event at the Tropical Inn, but this week marks another important visit - that of Premier Brad Wall to the Battlefords.
The plan was for Wall to speak to students at the Living Sky School Division Student Hall of Fame ceremony Thursday night. Wall also was scheduled to visit Connaught School in the afternoon, as well as visit Saskatchewan Hospital alongside other local officials. The latter visit is one Cox said he had particularly been pushing the premier on.
"I had been requesting him to come here, and certainly a high priority was to tour Saskatchewan Hospital, and that's what I had been asking him to do," said Cox.
Cox called it a "positive sign" that the premier would tour the hospital. The health minister and finance minister from the Wall government toured the facility previously, but Cox said having Wall come through was an important way to keep the issue in front of ministers in the government.
"The more people we get through there, the more chance we'll have of a favorable announcement," said Cox, who nevertheless was not prepared to speculate on when such an announcement might be made about the replacement of Saskatchewan Hospital.
Progress on building of a new Saskatchewan Hospital has been in limbo for some time. The latest proposal from Prairie North Health Region calls for a new 188-space hospital to be built on the current grounds, with an additional 120 beds set up throughout the province.
Prairie North Health Region CEO David Fan outlined details of that proposal at a meeting of North Battleford city council earlier this year, with the mayor and council all on board with the efforts.
Cox also said he was happy to see Wall at area schools working on education issues. Cox said education was also a high priority for the government and is happy to see talks resume between the province and the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation. A mediator has been appointed to help resolve that dispute.
"Hopefully that will be settled in the next few weeks as well," said Cox.
As for the coming months, Cox said he is already getting started with electioneering as the Nov. 7, 2011 election approaches. He has been out doing some door knocking, he said, and asking for input.
Right now the provincial party is in a consultative phase leading up to the fall vote, Cox said, putting together ideas and priorities and considering what the local issues might be in each riding. Cox said his own priority list includes Saskatchewan Hospital and the highways.
The fall election promises to involve similar players in the Battlefords with NDP incumbent Len Taylor already nominated to run again and with Saskatchewan Liberal leader Ryan Bater expected to run as well. Both ran in the riding last time, but Cox believes there is going to be a difference.
"I think the difference is going to be this time our party is now in government and has done an excellent job in the last three-and-a-half years," said Cox. He pointed to the number of promises the government kept on issues such as recruiting doctors and nurses and in spending on highways as examples.
"I don't think the fear tactic can be used, as it has been used in previous elections," said Cox, adding, "I think Brad has done what he has said he is going to do."
