The new MLA for the Battlefords has completed his first fall sitting at the Saskatchewan legislature.
The sitting lasted only a couple of weeks, but it was a memorable one for Jeremy Cockrill, who finally took his seat in the Legislative Assembly after several months of work trying to win the seat in the provincial election in October.
鈥淚t鈥檚 certainly an honour to walk in that building every day and get to go to work there,鈥� said Cockrill to the News-Optimist.
He called it 鈥減retty neat to be a part of the legislative process.鈥� But like all things in this COVID-19 year, things were different at the legislature than expected during his first legislative session.
鈥淚t certainly looked different than normal 鈥� we were at 50 per cent of members in the House at any one time and so even voting looked different. Question Period was probably a little less raucous than normal just because there was fewer people, and no guests in the gallery, but it was still pretty amazing to be there for the first time and to participate in that.鈥�
It meant some differences during the swearing in period as well.
鈥淚f you ask my wife, she鈥檇 be pretty upset that she wasn鈥檛 able to be there for the swearing in,鈥� said Cockrill.
Like most other things these days, there were fewer people and less pomp and circumstance for those ceremonies, but Cockrill was still excited to take his seat.
It was 鈥減retty neat to be able to be sworn in and take my seat there, and see 鈥楯. Cockrill - the Battlefords鈥� on my desk there in the legislature.鈥� It was a 鈥済ood reminder about the people who helped me get here and then the people that I鈥檓 trying to serve every day.鈥�
The prime piece of business during the fall sitting was the reading of the Speech from the Throne, which opened the new Legislature session. It allowed the Sask. Party government to be able to meet some campaign promises.
鈥淭he Speech from the Throne was really, from our perspective, it was an opportunity to just reiterate the commitments that we had made during the election campaign,鈥� said Cockrill.
鈥淎nd you know, even though we only sat for two weeks in this fall session, we were already able to deliver on a number of our commitments 鈥� the home renovation tax credit, reducing small business taxes, reducing SaskPower bills by 10 percent. So for us, that was an opportunity to show that we鈥檙e serious about doing the things that we promised the people in Saskatchewan that we would do.鈥�
There were also forward-looking aspects of the Throne Speech from his perspective.
鈥淟ooking forward in the Throne Speech, we also talked about things that we are going to be doing in the upcoming budget year, and so there鈥檚 some exciting things there in terms of the Sask. Advantage scholarship, continuing care aides in the province, new childcare spaces in the next couple years, as well as the Active Families benefit as another example.鈥�
A big highlight for Cockrill was his first speech in the legislature. It turned out to be a little different from what he was used to seeing on TV.
鈥淥ne thing that is a bit surprising is how many people are talking when you are talking,鈥� said Cockrill. 鈥淵ou have to be pretty focussed on what you want to say. So that was a great opportunity to just introduce myself to the other members, as well as the people in this province that I haven鈥檛 met. I thanked some people that were pretty key in the campaign over the last number of months. And I just talked about what I think our government is doing for the people of this province and how I hope to contribute to that.
鈥淚鈥檇 say that was almost a more special moment for me than even getting sworn in 鈥� just being called by the speaker to stand up and then be able to share some of my thoughts with the legislature.鈥�
Next up for the coming weeks and months is a return to the constituency while the legislature is on break.
鈥淚 believe the parliamentary calendar has us returning sometime in late March. We are adjourned to the call of the Speaker, so our government House leader and the NDP 鈥榮 opposition house leader and the Speaker, they鈥檒l figure out that calendar.
鈥淏ut I expect to be mostly here in the constituency over the next number of months. I do sit on one committee (Treasury Board) that meets quite regularly in Regina so I do have some back-and-forth on that.鈥�
Right now Cockrill is in the process of setting up his constituency office, which is located at the same location as Herb Cox鈥檚 old office at 1991 100th Street. Until that is set up, he can be reached at聽[email protected], or by phone at 306-445-5195.
Cockrill did some meeting with constituents last week and planned more meetings this week. He says constituency work and dealing with their issues and concerns will be a big part of what he will be focusing on in the near future.
鈥淐onstituency outreach is really going to be the priority in the next couple of months but obviously once we return to the spring session, then it will be pretty busy down in Regina again for a while.鈥�
