Trina Miller says she saw first hand how Saskatchewan Party policies are hurting rural residents, and that influenced her decision to run in the next provincial election.
Miller kicked off her campaign representing the NDP in Batoche on Oct. 10. The constituency south of Prince Albert has only elected Saskatchewan Party candidates since being created in 2003. However, Miller said Saskatchewan Party government has not been good for local residents.
“I’ve been hearing from people across the community saying they can’t keep up with the cost of living,” Miller said. “They can’t put food on the table or even save for a family vacation. They aren’t better off after 17 years of the Sask. Party governments. Life has only gotten more difficult.”
Miller said many of her own family members have faced challenges, and Saskatchewan Party policies have not helped. The biggest involved her now 25-year-old daughter, who suffers from severe developmental delays and functions at a pre-K level.
When her daughter was in Grade 10, Miller was startled to realize she would not have help from a full-time educational assistant at her school. Instead, the full-time slot was reduced to a one-third position.
Miller was worried about her daughter, and began a campaign to advocate for educational assistants. That campaign eventually led her to run for and win a spot on the Prairie Spirit School Division board of education. However, Miller said Prairie Spirt and other school boards were limited by Saskatchewan Party policies, and that helped spur her to run provincially.
“That is where I learned very clearly that the way things are setup right now, school boards are very restricted in what they can do in making decisions and really advocating for public education, so if I wanted to make a change, I needed to punch higher up,” she said.
“I personally felt and witnessed the total degeneration of our education system and how we support teachers in classrooms, and because of that lack of support, how it really hampers inclusive education.”
Miller also became frustrated with the province’s healthcare system after her mother had emergency triple bypass surgery, and was later diagnosed with cancer. Miller said she spent countless hours and days at St. Paul’s hospital with her mother. At one point, Miller said she was forced to sit on the floor if she wanted to be allowed to stay with her mother in the emergency room waiting area. She said the experience left her angry and upset.
“This isn’t sustainable,” Miller said. “This has affected every aspect of my life, but it’s not just a me thing. I advocate for inclusive education. I advocate for my mother. There are people who don’t have that. We are not alone in this, and unfortunately it’s become the norm in rural Saskatchewan.”
If elected, Miller said the NDP would make health and education a priority. She said the party would bring in a grow-your-own strategy to train more healthcare workers in Saskatchewan. She also said the party would focus on hard-to-recruit positions in northern and rural communities, and create more permanent full-time healthcare positions.
She also reiterated that the NDP would remove the PST on groceries and children’s clothing, and suspend the Gas Tax.
Miller said the Saskatchewan Party has had plenty of time to make life more affordable in Saskatchewan, and haven’t lived up to their promises.
“If they actually wanted to reduce the cost of living for everyday people, they could have done it long before now,” Miller said. “They have been in power for the last 17 years, and I’m sorry, but open your eyes and take a look around. This is not a new thing that’s happening. It’s becoming harder and harder and harder every day for people to cover the bare essentials.”
Miller said her experience as a school board trustee would help her as an MLA. She previously worked as a farmer, a commercial pilot, and is currently employed as a postal worker.
She also credited her family for inspiring her to get into politics.
“My life story … has given me a unique ability to see things from multiple angles and sides,” she said.
Incumbent Sask. Party MLA Delbert Kirsch is no seeking re-election. Instead, the Sask. Party has nominated former Saskatchewan Rivers School Board chair Darlene Rowden. Former Samuel McLeod Business Award winner Erin Nicole Spencer is running for the Saskatchewan United Party, while Hamish Graham is running for the Green Party.
The provincial election is scheduled for Oct. 28.
