April 17, 2014

NDP Would Scrap Lottery Funding to Community Sport, Culture, and Recreation Groups
Earlier this week during Committee meetings at the provincial Legislature, Cathy Sproule, NDP MLA or Saskatoon Nutana and the opposition critic or Parks, Culture and Sport suggested that current lottery und dollars should !e taken away rom thousands o community groups and instead diverted into the government"s general revenues# $% simply ind it ama&ing that the NDP !elieves government should control the unding to these groups,' said (arren Steinley, MLA or )egina (alsh Acres# $*his money should go to meet their speci ic needs, rather than politicians telling them#' Currently over +,,--- organi&ations that support sport, culture and recreation groups receive money rom lottery proceeds# *hese unds are administered through the Saskatchewan Lotteries *rust .und, via independent, arm"s length !odies Sask Sport, SaskCulture and the Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association, not !y government o icials# .or the year ending March /+ ,-+/, more than 01/ million was dispersed !y these !odies to directly support local groups across the province# During the %ntergovernmental A airs and 2ustice Committee meeting, the NDP MLA or Saskatoon Nutana said $3% guess the other thing or me is it"s always !een a concern that the lottery dollars go to culture, sport and rec# And why not have the lottery dollars go to the Ministry o Agriculture and have the culture, sport and rec !e supported !y ta4payers dollars rather than gam!ling dollars#' *he Minister o Parks, Culture and Sport 5evin Doherty is on record opposing this NDP policy saying it would deprive these groups o important unding# %n ,--6, our government signed an historic 1 year agreement that raised the percentage o lottery unds that these groups receive# *he new agreement lowered government ees to /#718 allowing 09 million more to !e invested in the sport, culture and recreation sectors# )ecently this agreement was e4tended to ,-+6# :ur government calls on NDP Leader Cam ;roten to come clean on his party"s position a!out scrapping lottery unding or sport, culture and recreation organi&ations in Saskatchewan# $*he NDP have !een talking a!out their <Common Sense Policies" lately,' added Steinley $!ut where"s the common sense in depriving +,,--- community organi&ations that support 1--,--- mem!ers rom unding=' 30

For more information, please contact Sean Osmar Saskatchewan Part !a"c"s #o$ernment !a"c"s Office (oom 203, )e*islati$e +"il,in* www-skca"c"s-com (e*ina, S. S4S 0+3 Phone% 30&-7'7-4300 Phone% 30&-70'-77'0 Fa/% 30&-7'7-3174