REGINA — For Premier Scott Moe and his Sask Party government, the past year 2025 was a year turned upside down by the tariff and trade issue.
It was also a year marked by wildfires, ongoing health-care pressures and the sporting achievements of Saskatchewan’s Grey Cup-winning team, the Saskatchewan Roughriders, all of which dominated discussion at the legislature.
SaskToday had a chance to sit down and speak to Premier Scott Moe in a year-end interview, conducted in the cabinet room. SaskToday began by asking Premier Moe about some of the changes made just a week earlier in a cabinet shuffle.
On the cabinet shuffle
"We did have a shuffle, and it was really focused on building capacity across our governing caucus, not just in the cabinet room.
"A year out from the election, we now have five, maybe six, fairly newly-elected members that are going to have just that honour … to serve in the cabinet on behalf of the people of Saskatchewan. So it is going to allow us to build that capacity across government, and it's also, I think, going to, in many ways, allow us to bring a fresh perspective to this room, which is always a positive, as well as the honour truly is to serve as an elected member.
"That honour is increased if you have the opportunity to serve in government, and there's very few people over the history of this province that have had the opportunity to serve in this room. When you think of all the decisions that have been made in this room over the last 120 years, it truly is a special honour for a Saskatchewan resident to serve in here. So we're looking forward to convening with the new cabinet sooner rather than later, and moving forward on behalf of the people of the province."
On the Saskatchewan Roughriders winning the Grey Cup
"Each of us feel a degree of ownership and involvement in that team, win or lose, and this year we were fortunate enough to win and win it all in Winnipeg, which I think just makes it all the sweeter.
"You saw those emotions pour out from that team that was so dedicated to one another each and every day, all year long, to celebrate in those few days.
"They were here to cap off the Rider parade, the Grey Cup winning team parade, and it was … I think, a sweet day for the province of Saskatchewan. And I don't think it's a one and done when you see some of the players that are committing to come back and play. That commitment that they had to one another and to the people of the province this year, it looks to be like they're setting up to make that same commitment next year, so that's exciting."
On the tariff and trade issue
"Wherever you look, whether it's in the province, whether it's nationally, or whether it's with our international relations, there's been a lot going on the last number of months on the international space, where Saskatchewan is very much connected, exporting to over 160 countries each and every year. We're in that space in a big way with how we create wealth and jobs and opportunities in our community. We're faced now with a situation where our three largest markets, the United States, China and India, we have tariffs or market-related issues in each of those markets, and so we have some work to do.
"That's why I was in Washington, D.C. meeting with Secretary (Howard) Lutnick, Secretary Scott Bessent, as well as Ambassador (Jameson) Greer to further advance the opportunity for Canada and the U.S. to get back to the negotiating table, as we know they're not at that table as we speak. We did the same in China… just over a month ago, trying to bring Canada and China back to that negotiating table. A year ago, we did it in Mexico.
"If you'll remember, Mexico and Canada were not at that negotiating table, and we tried to bring that closer as well. … The role that Saskatchewan can play in the contacts … and the relationships that we have developed internationally from a provincial perspective is use those relationships to advance our Canadian opportunity at each of those, in each of those market-based relationships that we have, whether it be U.S., China, Mexico or India, or any other country around the world."
On the new tone from new Prime Minister Mark Carney since the federal election
"Let's talk about what the challenges were previous and post the change in prime minister in this country. So previous with he who should not be named, I would say that us as a province felt that often we were having unconsulted policy imposed on us that was having a negative impact on the industries that were employing people, creating wealth for families and communities, and we didn't like that very much. So we fought back in every way, whether it was the unconsulted carbon tax, whether it was environmental regulations that were hindering investment in the oil and mining industry in this province. Whatever it might be, we fought back against those unconsulted policies that were harmful to how we create jobs and wealth in Saskatchewan.
"You turn the table to today with a new leader, a new prime minister, and actually a very different challenge that we're facing, and we're facing it as Canadians, and that's international leaders that are talking about tariffs and restricting market access for Canadian products to places like the United States, China, India, and others.
"That is a very real threat, not just to the Saskatchewan economy, but the Canadian economy, and that's very different than what we had faced before with these unconsulted policies coming from the federal government. This is a time when we have to come together, use the resources that we have, the contacts, the relationships that we have as a province to advance Canada's interests, because if the current prime minister is able to have a successful trade deal with the United States, with China, with India, that's not only good for Canada, that's good for Saskatchewan, and that's what we need at the end of the day. A very different challenge, and I would say a very different person, one that is collaborating more with provinces rather than just instituting unconsulted policies, one that is focused on elevating Canada's stature and credibility in the international trade sphere, and we're very supportive of both of those things.
"We won't agree on everything with the new prime minister. However, the approach that he has brought to collaborating with provinces, elevating Canada's stature in the international space, that is certainly a cause for us to change our tone to some degree, and we have, and to work together on issues where we can agree, which are more than they used to be."
On what’s on the minds of agriculture producers
"It's market access. As I said earlier we have tariff and market-based challenges in our three largest market around the world and largely those are centered around agriculture products — U.S., India, China. Those are significant markets for us and for agricultural products and we have impositions in each of those markets as we look at it today. What is on the minds of the farmers in this province today is, one: what is their cost of production; and two: we're literally missing many many dollars off our bottom line because of the price that we are receiving because we don't have access to the markets that we normally enjoy.
"So we need to work with our federal government in negotiating some trade peace and some trade certainty moving forward… the Canadian economy and the ag economy is facing today those choppy waters I hope are temporary and they're short term, because in the long term Saskatchewan is poised to very much be a provider and a producer of what the world needs moving forward, and that's food, fuel and fertilizer and agriculture to be at the very center of it. But we have a short-term challenge, and that is I think most evident in the ag industry in this province today."
Highlights in terms of government policies including the removal of the provincial carbon tax
"[The] only carbon tax-free province in the nation of Canada is the province of Saskatchewan.
"Now we're continuing to work with and negotiate with the federal government on what our electricity future looks like and how we can maybe find some common ground in this space, but today we've taken what is a pretty drastic policy decision in removing that carbon tax from everyone's electricity bills and virtually any mark of it being charged across the province.
"There are many things that have happened over the course of the last year that have caused not just our government but other provincial governments to be reactive in many cases, but we've also, I think, been proactive in many cases as well and worked alongside other provinces, whether it be aligning, I guess you'd say, our investments in health care so that we can actually build out our human resources and health care across Canada, not just in one province or the other. So there's much in the way of challenges and much in the way of policy development that provinces need to be looking at, and we're certainly doing the same."
The reason for the focus this session on ‘Strong, Safe and Secure’
"When you think about Saskatchewan, those words really sum up who we are. Strong economy, safe communities and securing our future, and that is the focus of this government. And we've really narrowed that focus down to a few points.
"Continue to ensure our province is affordable into the future. Remove the carbon tax would be one of the initiatives and policies that would ensure that to be the case. Let's focus on our health-care investment in two priority areas.
"People being able to access a primary health-care provider and a timely surgery. Very focused investments that are coming in that space.
"Education, let's focus on our K-3 outcomes. A child that's reading, writing and adding at the Grade 3 level is going to have that. [They are] going to be able to learn to read so that in years subsequent are able to read to learn. And I think elevating those Grade 3 outcomes is something that everyone can agree on.
"Last but not least is safe community. Strong, safe, secure. And that is really a two-pronged focus.
"One is our communities and all too many individuals that often are friends and family are being impacted by the poisonous drugs that are in our nation, our province and in our Saskatchewan communities. And we're very focused on building the recovery capacity in this province, the access to those recovery points. And we are focusing on recovery. And that is the path forward. A life on the streets is a vulnerable place for an individual to be and want them to enter a recovery lifestyle.
"And the second point of the focus is to keep our community safe by increasing the provincial investment in enforcement, law enforcement officers. And you saw that with 100 additional municipal officers being committed to, invested in by the province in our municipal areas of jurisdiction, 180 RCMP officers being invested in provincial investment to keep our community safe across this province in the formation of the Saskatchewan Marshals Service, and other 70 officers that are going to be available to ensure that whether you live in Regina, La Ronge, Estevan or Kamsack, we're going to do our level best to take the drugs off the street, provide those that unfortunately have entered a life of addictions a recovery opportunity and keep our community safe so that a family can go to the park after supper."
On the northern wildfire response and lessons learned
"First, my heartfelt thoughts go … to those individuals that lost their home whether it be in Denare Beach or East Trout Lake in what was a very tragic wildfire season.
"Fortunately, we did not lose any lives, but we lost far too many homes not unlike what has happened in years gone by in places like Jasper and Fort McMurray. So we have commissioned MNP to do a review like they did in Jasper and other communities when something like this has happened for any lessons learned on the operations and the response to the wildfire itself, as well as the seamless evacuation of families and individuals too. And there'll be recommendations, I'm sure, on how we can improve both of those services moving forward.
"This government has been there to engage in particular with the community and individuals that lost their homes in Denare Beach on how we can support them in the short term with housing through this winter, with cleaning up the community, so that they can start to move new homes in, and there are some coming in this fall, hopefully, more will be coming in this spring.
"The next step for us as a government outside of that review and the lessons learned on the operations will be, and Denare Beach is a great place for us to start this discussion, how do we partner with the federal government and the community on a significant expansion in fire-smarting our northern communities. So that in the case of Denare Beach, those families that may want to rebuild in that community, give them the confidence that we are doing everything that we can, collectively and together, to ensure that if we're faced with fire again — and we likely will be in their lifetime — that they've done everything in the way of a firebreak, a wet line, sprinklers maybe, in the community to ensure that their community isn't going to sustain the damage and the loss of homes as tragic as that was this past summer, and we're not going to have that experience again. And to extend that confidence to other northern communities. … We have fires every year, significantly more, and the ferocity and veracity of them this year was much more and the loss of homes this year was much more than we've ever experienced, so we have a duty to lead in this discussion and we intend to."
SaskToday has more to come in our year-end conversation with Premier Scott Moe. Stay tuned for Part 2, where we focus on what’s ahead for the government in 2026.
