New column day

Here, on the Saskatchewan Party's decision to try to make up for its gross mismanagement by squeezing benefits out of people with disabilities.

For further reading...
- This year's provincial budget spin from the Ministry of Social Services is here, featuring the following:

Government’s next steps on the Saskatchewan Disability Strategy will focus on the Where to Start actions identified in the strategy, as well as six priority areas identified by community members:

• accessible and safe transportation so people can participate in their communities;
• respite to help families and caregivers get a break from their caregiving role;
• accessibility legislation to create more inclusive communities;
• residential services to help people live in their homes and communities;
• service co-ordination and navigation so people can find disability services when they need them; and
• awareness and understanding of the rights of people experiencing disabilities so all citizens have a greater understanding of and respect for their rights.

These initiatives have begun, and efforts are under way to establish measures, targets and public reporting on progress.

- Jonathan Charlton and Peter Mills are among those who have reported on the cuts to disability benefit recipients, including individual stories as to how little people already have to survive on. (Speaking of which, a summary of the existing SAID benefits is here (PDF).)
- Finally, I'll once again point to the Advisory Group on Poverty Reduction's report (PDF) as an example of the type of compassionate and thoughtful policy which are utterly lacking from the Wall government.