REGINA, Sask. — The new session of the Saskatchewan legislature is set to begin with both major parties poised to face off on issues such as health care and the pace of development in the province.
The session begins this afternoon at 2 p.m. with the Speech from the Throne read by Lt.-Gov. Bernadette McIntyre, along with all the pomp and pageantry that goes along with it at the front of the legislature. A ceremonial flyby by two CT-156 Harvard II training aircraft is planned by 15 Wing Moose Jaw for 1:30 p.m. as part of those ceremonies.
That will officially commence the new session, with the fall sitting due to last until Dec. 10 before breaking for the winter.
The Speech from the Throne, which outlines priorities of the government during the session, is under wraps until it is read in the assembly.
But the Saskatchewan Party government has made no secret about its theme for the coming session. It has openly promoted the tagline “Strong, Steady, Saskatchewan,” pointing to the province as a beacon of stability for investment during a time of uncertainty both in trade and around the world.
At the Regina Premier’s Dinner last Thursday, Premier Scott Moe pointed to the contrast between his party and the NDP, referring to the opposition as supporting BANANA — “Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anyone.”
Moe also defended the government’s approach on trade with the United States and around the world, contrasting the government's approach with that of the NDP.
“In the last election, they campaigned on shutting down our nine international trade offices that are located around the world, cutting back on the trade missions that we embark on to sell Saskatchewan's exports to the world, which they said was a waste of time and money. And they even went further and said that you could do all of that from a Zoom call in your basement.
“Imagine, imagine this scenario. If we had done that just as President Trump was coming into the office, can you imagine if we had shut off all of our global connections at that particular point in time? The result would be this. We would not be here talking about $100 billion of private sector investment that is coming into Saskatchewan today. We certainly would not be here talking about having a line of sight on what the next $100 billion is going to look like. So when the NDP tell you who they are, please believe them.”
Opposition likely to push health care, more private members' bills
The opposition New Democrats are expected to continue to focus on issues such as health care, affordability, the AI data centre issue and government ethics as they are likely to keep the heat on Moosomin-Montmartre MLA Kevin Weedmark for use of private jets.
At her Leader’s Dinner event Monday night in Regina, leader Carla Beck made clear she was looking forward to returning to a new session of the legislature.
“You better bet that we're excited to get back in there and hold the government to account. We are excited, or motivated, to get in there and do our job on behalf of the people of this province.”
As for her plan that she was proposing, Beck said, “You can continue to see the Saskatchewan NDP bring forward concrete plans and continue the breakneck pace of outreach that we've been up to for the last two years. Continue putting forward plans like our Grid and Growth plan. And continuing to build on the record number of private members' bills that we've already brought forward — much more.
“But at a high level, what we have on offer, it's really pretty simple. It's a return to a government that trusts the people of this province. That respects democracy and due process. And that's ready to work with people, all people, in this province. Those in industry, on the front lines, community members, and leaders at all levels.”
Health care is likely to be a major focus of the session for both parties. Last week, the NDP released details of its “big bold” health care plan, which it is expected to continue to highlight throughout the fall sitting.
In response, the Sask Party government has been focusing on its recruitment efforts and the building of facilities such as the new Weyburn General Hospital, which held its grand opening last week.
At that event last Friday, Rural and Remote Health Minister Lori Carr was asked about her own reaction to the NDP’s release of its health care plan.
“There are a lot of things in that plan that we're actually already doing right here within this health care system we already have,” Carr said.
She pointed to “patient home model hubs; we have virtual care that's taking place — several things within that plan that we're already doing. So there's a lot there that's actually not new — they're just not paying attention to what we're doing in this province.”
Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill also pointed to the government's Patients First health care plan and “50 clear actions that our government's taking to put patients first, ensuring that people receive the right care at the right time as close to home as possible.”
“We have now close to 50 nurse practitioner contracts right around the province connecting and attaching tens of thousands of patients with a primary care provider, and you know, a few months ago the NDP was against virtual care — now I guess they're okay with virtual care, so we'll see how that goes over the next several months as we roll out more details about our virtual care plan. No real costing information in their plan, either.”
