Thank you, Mr. Chair. I don't mind sharing my time with my colleague.
I'm a little bit under the weather, so hopefully my voice will be able to be heard well.
Mr. Chair, thank you for the opportunity to present to this committee on the Saskatchewan redistribution report. I'd like to let you know why I oppose the final report and why these changes go against the best interests of my constituents and mayors who are affected.
Taking population, geography, and communities of interest into account, the commission attempted to rejig the boundaries. David Marit, one of the commissioners, as well as the mayors of the affected areas believe the Saskatchewan boundary commission missed the mark. So before I explain the objections.... One-third of the commission and the vast majority of the public object to the proposed changes of the report.
I will begin by pointing out that Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River is almost two-thirds of the land mass of the province of Saskatchewan. In a riding with enormous travel challenges for any MP and the constituents, this plan has further disadvantaged some of the constituents by decreasing their access to representation. If you'll notice on the map I submitted, part of the riding in the southeast corner includes the towns of Shoal Lake, Red Earth, and Cumberland House. Because of the changes of the riding, I would have to travel through other ridings to reach these constituents. In addition, as a former councillor has pointed out to me, a company such as Cameco cannot access the northern development moneys for this area since it is not considered to be far enough north. These reserves and towns are not included in northern development planning. This just comes down to northern development. In fact, these have greater proximity and affinity with either Nipawin or Yorkton or Melville.
Not only has the final report diminished voter access, it has also left my riding well below the population criterion. My riding has an 11% deficit compared to Prince Albert. The proposed maps have the towns of Choiceland, Love, Smeaton, and White Fox removed from the riding and transferred to Prince Albert with no exchange—I have to point out—of population being made.
Here are the population facts. The combined population of Choiceland, Love, Smeaton, and White Fox is 991 people. The riding population criterion is 73,813. In Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, under the new boundaries, the population now would be at 69,471, or 5.9% under the population criterion.
With the retention of the four towns of Choiceland, Smeaton, White Fox, and Love, the population would be at 70,462, or 95.5% of the population criterion—a small improvement in numbers, the 4.5%, under the population criterion.
What makes the least sense for the people of Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River is for their member of Parliament, or any other member who has to travel through the riding, having to access northern remote highways. By “remote” I mean roads that are either covered in snow and/or mud or are inaccessible during other times of the year.
Thank you, Mr. Chair, for the opportunity to testify here today.