Registry of Lobbyists
Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities
| Subject matters | Details | Categories |
|---|---|---|
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Agriculture, Immigration, Labour
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Ag Labour- Focus on timeliness and efficiency of immigration applications and reduce barriers so employers can access readily available employees. Federal government to constantly evaluate its processes and the requirements for newcomers to get proper permits to enter the Canadian workforce.
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Regulation
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Agriculture, Labour
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Ag Labour – Incentivize employment and employee retention programs in rural areas of the country to aid in stabilizing much needed labourers.
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Policies or Program
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Agriculture, Labour
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Ag Labour - Provide agricultural operations with the eligibility to apply for the Class 1A licensing for their employees through a grant funding program. Provide grants for employment training opportunities or programs to assist in gaining skills prior to busy times in the ag industry.
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Grant, Contribution or Other Financial Benefit
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Agriculture
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Agriculture: Business Risk Management Program suite under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership. In particular requesting changes that will enhance support for producers under the AgriStability Program.
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Policies or Program
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Agriculture
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AgriStability- ensuring that it serves to maintain and increase the competitiveness of the agricultural sector.
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Policies or Program
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Transportation
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Amendments to update the Navigable Waters Act so it reflects the current use of navigable waters and is less cumbersome.
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Regulation
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Agriculture, Health
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Animal Health as it relates to the Bovine TB testing process and compensation to the livestock owner. Enhancements in the process are needed especially around communication and transparency to all stakeholders.
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Regulation
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Natural Resources
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Aquatic Invasive Species - Requesting federal government lead the fight to prevent spread of aquatic invasive species throughout Canada and Saskatchewan’s waters.
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Regulation
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Infrastructure
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Bridge and Road Funding – Supply chain impacts Canada’s economy which shows the importance of maintaining strong transportation infrastructure. Rural Saskatchewan needs more funding for maintaining bridges and roads in order to carry agriculture, mining and forestry products to market.
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Grant, Contribution or Other Financial Benefit, Policies or Program
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Telecommunications
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Broadband – continue the investments in rural broadband and meet the CRTC’s targets of download speeds of 50 megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of at least 10 Mbps
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Policies or Program
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Telecommunications
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Broadband - Requesting government investment to enhance services in rural Saskatchewan. “Use it or lose it” provisions in spectrum allocation and unused spectrum.
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Policies or Program
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Telecommunications
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Broadband - SARM's key focus is to assist with addressing long-standing issues affective broadband connectivity; and, advise and direct actions leading to a shared strategy, investment, and vision. The SARM Broadband Action Committee is committed to achieving broadband infrastructure parity by 2024, and exceed the CRTC standard by 2027, for all of Saskatchewan residents, regardless of location.
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Policies or Program
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Telecommunications
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Broadband – The Rural Broadband Action Committee is moving forward with bringing entities together that will help bring affordable, reliable broadband connectivity to rural Saskatchewan
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Policies or Program
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Infrastructure, Municipalities
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Canada Community Building Fund; eligibility requirements and thresholds. Requests to maintain a this Fund and to reduce related administrative requirements for RMs.
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Regulation
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Agriculture
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Canadian Agriculture Partnership - Canadian Agriculture Partnership; ensuring that it serves to maintain and increase the competitiveness of the agricultural sector.
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Policies or Program
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Taxation and Finance
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Capital Gains Inclusion Rate - The number of farms could dwindle and plans for succession may be hindered by the introduction of this new tax policy change. Also it could negatively affect the unemployment rates in this country and scare away future investors and entrepreneurs.
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Regulation
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Industry
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Carbon tax; impact of carbon tax on Saskatchewan’s agricultural producers and municipalities.
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Legislative Proposal, Bill or Resolution
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Industry
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Carbon Tax/Offset – Requesting Canada follow the EU and remove carbon tax from natural gas bill. Carbon credits would help balance between environmental protection and economic growth. SARM participating in development of provincial offset program that is meaningful for agriculture producers and equivalent to a federal program.
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Policies or Program
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Animal Welfare
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Chronic wasting disease; policies to prevent the spread of chronic wasting disease.
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Policies or Program
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Agriculture
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Control of Richardson Ground Squirrels with regard to research and control methods, including the use of Strychnine.
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Policies or Program
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Municipalities
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Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA) with respect to increasing the compensation for use of municipally owned equipment
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Policies or Program
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Agriculture
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Drought Impact - Business risk management tools will have to be maintained and possibly enhanced if drought conditions continue
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Policies or Program
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Economic Development
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Economic Development – SARM seeks to find ways to expand the rural workforce, explore ideas that foster innovation, be a catalyst for economic investments, and provide rural municipalities with the much-needed tools to ensure that Saskatchewan can continue to support Canada’s economic growth and development
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Policies or Program
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Taxation and Finance
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Emergency response fund; the establishment of an emergency response fund will give fire departments the resources they need to continue providing essential services without risk of non-payment.
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Policies or Program
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Energy
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Emissions regulations – industries are heavily dependent on fossil fuels to produce energy, food, fertilizer, products and commodities needed around the world. Efforts to reduce greenhouse gases should not disadvantage one region of Canada more than another
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Regulation
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Infrastructure
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Energy Infrastructure - Advancing the notion that pipelines are safer mode of transportation than rail to the Canadian Energy Regulator.
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Regulation
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Justice and Law Enforcement
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Enhancements to the Criminal Code: review penalties for repeat offenders.
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Legislative Proposal, Bill or Resolution
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Agriculture
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Federal fertilizer emission reduction targets: SARM is concerned with the impact this will have on the agricultural sector.
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Regulation
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Agriculture
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Fertilizer reduction – focus on an absolute emissions reduction, rather than an intensity-based target, is misplaced and will likely cause severe economic harm & more emissions can be reduced through increased uptake of the 4R Nutrient Stewardship program while improving the competitiveness and profit of farmers
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Policies or Program
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Agriculture
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Financial assistance programs for agricultural producers; ensuring that they serve to maintain and increase the competitiveness of the agricultural sector.
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Policies or Program
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Justice and Law Enforcement
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Firearms: Participating in consultations on reducing violent crime; consultation on Canada's gun laws.
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Legislative Proposal, Bill or Resolution
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Environment, Infrastructure
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Fisheries Act; ensure it effectively balances the need for habitat protection with the need for municipal infrastructure development.
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Regulation
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Agriculture, Municipalities
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Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act and Clean Fuel Regulations; in regard to the impact it will have on Western Canada's agricultural producers and municipalities.
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Regulation
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Infrastructure, Municipalities
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Infrastructure funding programs for municipalities with regard to the need for continued and increased levels of funding.
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Policies or Program, Grant, Contribution or Other Financial Benefit
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International Trade
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International Trade, with respect to Canola exports.
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Regulation
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Justice and Law Enforcement
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Justice and Law Enforcement with regard to amending acts and regulations relative to the possession and acquisition of firearms.
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Legislative Proposal, Bill or Resolution
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Agriculture
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Landownership - concerns over regulating out-of-province landownership in regards to land use and management in ways that interest the local community. Stricter regulations on land purchases.
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Regulation
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Agriculture, Environment
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Liberal Fertilizer reduction plan and the need for a balanced approach between the environment and agriculture industry as it relates to food security.
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Regulation
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Infrastructure, Municipalities
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Municipal access to Canada-Saskatchewan Job Grant for class 1A driver training.
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Policies or Program, Regulation
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Municipalities, National Security/Security
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Mutual aid agreements; formalizing mutual aid agreements is important because rural municipalities (RM) need assurance that they will be reimbursed for providing emergency services to neighbouring municipalities and First Nations.
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Regulation
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National Security/Security
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National Disaster Mitigation Program; to ensure mitigation projects and strategically and effectively undertaken.
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Policies or Program
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Municipalities
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Navigation Protection Act; placed administrative and financial burdens on municipal infrastructure projects.
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Legislative Proposal, Bill or Resolution
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Health
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Pesticide regulations: strongly support maintaining a science based and evidence based approach to pesticide management. The regulation of pesticides needs to consider the importance of food security.
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Regulation
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Industry
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Pipeline: The pipeline as a greener alternative to shipping oil and gas and the positive effect on Saskatchewan
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Regulation
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Agriculture, Immigration, Labour
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Provide comments on the need for improvements to the Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW) program.
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Policies or Program
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Transportation
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Rail Safety - Transporting dangerous goods by rail. Grade crossing improvements.
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Regulation
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Transportation
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Railway/supply chain concerns especially around being able to move the crop from harvest to ports. Declare railways as an essential service.
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Regulation
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Municipalities, National Security/Security
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RCMP costs - related costs coupled with rising policing costs overall could result in significant financial burdens for municipalities
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Regulation
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National Security/Security
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RCMP – given the economic increase/market adjustments in the collective agreement, pay increases total more than 23 per cent over the six years, retroactive to 2017 & SARM is calling on the federal government to fully absorb all retroactive pay increases that the federal government negotiated
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Regulation
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National Security/Security
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RCMP presence in rural Saskatchewan. Preventing rural crime.
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Policies or Program
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Fisheries
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Road and Bridge Projects and the projects near water review process. Timely approval of these reviews is a concern as this impacts project construction timelines that are time sensitive.
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Regulation
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Justice and Law Enforcement
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Rural Crime; in regard to a provincial police force
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Policies or Program
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Health
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Rural Healthcare & Recruitment - funding for increase recruitment and retention of healthcare workers in remote rural areas of Saskatchewan
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Grant, Contribution or Other Financial Benefit
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Environment
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Species at Risk Act (SARA); mitigating negative effects of SARA.
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Legislative Proposal, Bill or Resolution
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Agriculture, Infrastructure
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The Canada Infrastructure Bank Program - Irrigation infrastructure for agriculture in Saskatchewan. Need a joint infrastructure agreement with Saskatchewan.
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Policies or Program
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Aboriginal Affairs
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The Rural Municipal (RM) Tax Loss Compensation Trust Fund tied to Treaty Land Entitlement agreements continues to decrease and appears to be unsustainable without municipalities absorbing significant reduction in monies from the fund. The agreements need to be updated.
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Policies or Program
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International Trade
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Trade Agreements; including Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) and the North American Free Trade Agreement, our request is to better international trade for agriculture producers.
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Legislative Proposal, Bill or Resolution
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Transportation
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Transportation policy and regulation with regard to grain and grain products, and the products of agriculture generally.
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Regulation, Policies or Program
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Health
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Vaccine Development: resulting from the COVID-19, SARM would like to see vaccine development in SK and throughout the Country - SARM supports VIDO's initiatives
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Regulation
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Agriculture, Economic Development, Natural Resources
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Water management – A balanced Water Stewardship Policy is needed in Saskatchewan to promote sustainable agriculture, protect resources, and drive economic growth.
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Policies or Program
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Environment, Science and Technology
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Water treatment systems; alternative water treatment technologies continue to be explored and, where feasible, applicable regulations and guidelines be updated to allow for the most efficient use of those technologies.
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Regulation
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