REGINA – The Sask Party government is dismissing calls by opposition New Democrats to immediately recall the Legislature to deal with affordability issues.
At a news conference Monday, Opposition Leader Carla Beck along with critic for Sask Power Aleana Young demanded an emergency sitting of the legislature on the issue. They cited rising food prices, citing a new report that food costs will rise another four to six per cent in 2026, and also slammed the news from last Friday that both Sask Power and SGI had made applications to the Saskatchewan Rate Review Panel for rate hikes in 2026 and 2027.
Beck in particular pointed to rising food bank numbers and rent increases for 41 straight months. She blamed the costs on "Sask Party mismanagement of the finances."
“If (Premier) Scott Moe and the Sask Party want to show that they have turned over a new leaf in 2026, that they suddenly understand how much people in this province are struggling and they want to do something about it to make life more affordable for people to stoke that optimism in Saskatchewan for 2026, I'm calling on them to convene an emergency legislative session starting immediately so that we can pass the Rent Control Act and to cut taxes on groceries and children's clothing and to consider any other measures that might provide some relief and hope for people in this province,” said Beck.
“We're not due to sit for another two months in the legislature, but Saskatchewan people simply cannot afford to wait.”
The Sask Party government did not even wait for Beck’s news conference to issue their response. In a news release issued that morning they accused Beck, who “failed to show up for 16 of 25 days of the recent fall sitting of the Legislature,” of now “calling for a do-over by asking for an emergency sitting, showing once again how lost and unserious her party is.”
The government pointed to several of their measures already in place including the The Saskatchewan Affordability Act, increases to personal income tax exemptions, and the 2025-26 budget producing the largest income tax reduction since 2008 and reduced education property tax mill rates. They also pointed to Saskatchewan being the only completely carbon tax-free province in Canada, saving Saskatchewan residents 10 per cent on monthly power bills.
“All these affordability measures were debated extensively in the Assembly. If the NDP Leader showed up more when the House is sitting, she would know that the government continues to make affordability a priority and is working to ensure Saskatchewan remains the most affordable place to live in Canada.”
In response to reporters Beck made clear she was unimpressed by the Sask Party's claims that her party is “lost and unserious.”
“I'm deadly serious. Let's get back to work. We could do it today,” she said. “We could pass that rent control bill. We could remove those taxes from groceries, from kids clothing. I'm here. We're ready to go. The whole team's ready to go. We could start tomorrow.”
As for Sask Power, Beck pointed out the Opposition “didn't get a single question answered this last session by the Minister responsible,” she said, referring to Jeremy Harrison. She also accused Harrison of having ducked committee on the issue.
Beck said they could “discuss that in the emergency session as well, because there are a lot of unanswered questions that the Minister and by extension the Premier simply have not made themselves available to answer.”
As for Young, she noted the Sask Power hike amounted to a $120 million increase on Saskatchewan residents. She also pointed to the sudden timing of the rate increase announcement on Jan. 2, with the SaskPower increase set to take effect Feb. 1.
“I think that shows you exactly what they think about public interest and public input into what is supposed to be an open review process for the people of the province. People are supposed to have their say and it's clear that the Sask Party doesn't give a damn about allowing that.”
In a statement issued last week, Minister Harrison said Saskatchewan is the “most affordable province in Canada, and our government intends to keep it that way while ensuring the financial sustainability of our Crown corporations.”
He said the applications by SGI and SaskPower seeking “modest and balanced rate increases” are to “ensure the financial health of the Saskatchewan Auto Fund and allow us to continue to invest in the reliability of our power grid.”
“Saskatchewan will continue to offer its residents the second-lowest utility bundle in the country. The Auto Fund operates on a cost recovery basis, and this will be SGI’s first application for a rate increase since 2014. SaskPower has not applied for a rate increase in over three years.”
As for SaskPower, he pointed to removing the federal carbon tax from power bills, their plan to transition to nuclear power generation fueled with Saskatchewan uranium, and extending the life of existing coal fired thermal power plants fueled with Saskatchewan coal.
“This decision was taken primarily on the grounds of energy security, but it will also save SaskPower billions of dollars in capital costs. In fact, had we followed the unconstitutional path dictated by the federal government, that was supported by the Saskatchewan NDP, SaskPower would be forced to hike rates by over 100 per cent. We will simply not do that.”
