For Souris-Moose Mountain MP Dr. Robert Kitchen, one of his biggest highlights over the past 12 months has been his job itself. In a year-end interview with Discover Weyburn, he noted getting out to be with his constituents has been at the top of his list.  

“That to me is the number one thing,” Kitchen said. “To be able to communicate throughout the whole riding, whether that’s in Weyburn, whether that’s in Estevan, whether that’s in Coronach, whether that’s in Radville, in Bengough, or going all the way to Moosomin and Rocanville, into those areas. Getting out to talk with people and hear what they have to say, whether something that’s positive and then something that’s negative, because it tells me what’s going on and what’s going through their minds.” 

As a member of the opposition Conservatives, Kitchen explained he is the one who has to take the frustrations his constituents have with the federal Liberal government to Ottawa. Many of those frustrations have to do with inflation, the cost of living and government spending.  

“Those are probably three quick aspects of what started in the spring, or basically, I guess, back in February, and it’s transpired all the way to where we are today,” Kitchen added. “Then there have been a number of offshoots on that, but those have been the big things.” 

The federal carbon levy in Saskatchewan, otherwise known as the carbon tax, has been something else he has been hearing about a lot within the Souris-Moose Mountain constituency.  

“You look at aspects of the carbon tax, which is where we’ 've been doing everything we can to try and defeat that carbon tax and get it taken off; it’s something that when we become government we will do and get rid of that, and we’ll axe that carbon tax because that puts money back in your pocket, and then you can decide what you believe is best for you to spend.” 

The federal government’s spending is something else Kitchen was also keen to point out as a major concern for himself, and those he is hearing from in his riding.  

“This is a government that, since this Prime Minister has been in power, he basically has spent more in the last eight years than the 22 Prime Ministers’ total amount before him, and that’s over $650 billion,” Kitchen explained, pointing out the national debt is now over $1.22 trillion.  

“That’s a huge amount of money that has to be paid back, and the interest on that alone is just going to continue to escalate as we see interest rates going higher.” 

With those economic concerns in mind, Kitchen is looking ahead to the possibility of a federal election in 2024. If there is one, if it is held after April 22nd, there will be some changes to the riding he represents.  

“The riding will increase in size, and Assiniboia will become part of our riding,” Kitchen remarked. “We add basically another 10,000 square kilometres to the size of the rising, so I will truly love that opportunity to get out into those areas and again meet new constituents and talk to them.” 

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