CONTENTS
FIRST
SESSION — THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE
of
the
Legislative Assembly of
Saskatchewan
DEBATES
AND PROCEEDINGS
(HANSARD)
N.S.
Vol. 66 No. 13B Monday, March 24, 2025,
19:00
[The
Assembly resumed at 19:00.]
EVENING SITTING
Speaker
Goudy: — It now being 7 o’clock,
we’ll resume debate.
SPECIAL ORDER
ADJOURNED DEBATES
BUDGET DEBATE
[The Assembly resumed the
adjourned debate on the proposed motion by the Hon. Jim Reiter
that the Assembly approves in general the budgetary policy of the government,
and the proposed amendment to the main motion moved by Trent Wotherspoon.]
Speaker
Goudy: — And I recognize the
member from Cut Knife-Turtleford.
James
Thorsteinson: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m
truly happy to be able to rise once again and deliver the remainder of my
response to the budget.
I touched a fair bit on
health and education. Started getting into some of the things that we are doing
around keeping our communities safe, making sure that people are safe in their
communities, whether they want to go for a walk or take their kids to the park.
And that’s really something that we are very, very focused on as a government.
We’re adding more officers —
100 new municipal officers, 14 safer communities and neighbourhoods personnel —
to reduce crime by targeting the nuisance properties. I can think of a number
in my constituency that are a problem. So that’s going to help in that. As well
as 50 new officers in the marshals service beginning this year, a full year
ahead of schedule, which is phenomenal. And thank you to the work of the people
behind the new marshals service and getting that up and running this much ahead
of schedule.
But one thing also that we
know, Mr. Speaker, is this government knows a significant portion of crime in
our province is related to drug addiction and mental health. And we also know
that no illicit drug is safe to use. And that is why we’re focused on a
recovery-based system of care by adding additional treatment beds across the
province to help those who are struggling with addiction to make their journey
towards recovery.
We’re also providing $6 million
in new funding for the expansion of complex-needs emergency shelters in new
communities across Saskatchewan. This will allow more people to access these
services when they are in crisis, providing them a safe place to stabilize and
protect themselves and others in the process. They then receive follow-up
support, access to programs and services to take the necessary first steps on
the road to recovery.
Mr. Speaker, all these
initiatives I’ve spoken on and more are proof that the Saskatchewan Party
government is delivering for you in this budget no matter where you live in
this, the greatest province in the country.
But I’d like to focus now on
a few things that are more impactful perhaps for the great people of Cut
Knife-Turtleford, the constituency I am . . . [inaudible] . . .
to represent. As most are aware, the two main economic drivers in my home
constituency are oil and agriculture. If you don’t work directly in either of
those two industries, you are more than likely serving someone who is. Now
these industries sometimes get overshadowed at budget time by some of the
larger items contained within the budget, but I’d like to put on the record
that our government is delivering for those who work in these important
industries that help drive our economy.
The announcement of the low
productivity and reactivation oil well program will incentivize resource
companies to invest in turning low-producing or non-producing wells into highly
productive horizontal wells. With a large number of wells that fit this criteria
in my area, this is a benefit to the company, their employees, oil field
service companies, and the entire province.
Mr. Speaker, this budget also
delivers for our hard-working agriculture producers across the province.
Agriculture leads the province in exports, and through the work of our nine
trade offices in countries around the world we continue to grow our exports,
providing food security to those countries around the world who rely on our
world-class products. Our government continues to invest in research to develop
the best genetics in crop, forage, and livestock to assist not only our
producers here at home but those around the world.
We’re also putting over $480 million
into the existing suite of business risk management programs, including crop
insurance and AgriStability. This continued commitment ensures that our Crop
Insurance Fund remains intact and able to help producers in the face of
difficult growing conditions which may occur.
Now, Mr. Speaker, I’m nearing
the end of my remarks, but there is one thing I would like to touch on. Our
government has received some criticism, mostly from the members opposite, that
we have no contingency plan built into this budget to deal the potential effect
of tariffs imposed by our southern neighbour. While it’s true that some other
provinces have included these measures in their budget process, they have done
so by increasing deficits. We’re taking a different approach, a reasonable
approach. Instead of borrowing now just in case we need it later, we have
delivered a budget that is balanced.
Mr. Speaker, we are able to
do this because of a strong and growing economy built by the hard-working men
and women of this province. If we need to support those hard-working folks
because of external pressures caused by tariffs or anything else, we are able
to pivot quickly to do so because of our strong fiscal position, just like we
did recently when steel tariffs were introduced. Our Crown corporations ordered
10 000 tonnes of product from Evraz — three
years of procurement — to assist them through this time and help avoid layoffs.
Our agriculture sector is
also being hit hard, both by Chinese tariffs and the threat of US [United
States] tariffs. Our ag producers can rest assured that we will support them
and their families with both crop insurance and AgriStability, and I encourage
those not already enrolled to do so soon, as the deadline is fast approaching.
On the livestock side of
things, I feel I need to once again correct the record. While I don’t want the
member from Regina Mount Royal to feel like I’m picking on him, he does bring
it on himself. He’s mentioned multiple times on the floor of this Assembly that
feeder cattle prices have plummeted in the face of US tariffs. Now I don’t know
where he would market his cattle if he had any, but as a livestock producer
myself I pay very close attention to the markets and what they are doing.
Over the last two weeks the
price of feeder cattle has actually gone up 10 to $22 a hundredweight two weeks
ago, another 4 to $9 a hundred last week. Slaughter cows are up. Slaughter
bulls are up. Replacement heifers are through the roof, and breeding bulls are
selling at record highs. That doesn’t sound like plummeting to me; that sounds
like optimism for a very strong industry.
In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, I
would like to say I am proud of the budget our government has presented and the
many ways it delivers for the people of Saskatchewan. I will be voting against
the proposed amendment and voting in favour of the budget presented by the
Minister of Finance and seconded by the member from White City-Qu’Appelle.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Saskatoon
Stonebridge.
Darcy
Warrington: —
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s an honour to continue this budget debate on behalf
of the residents of Saskatoon Stonebridge. And to my son Miles watching at
home, keep the water in the tub for the
sake of your mom’s sanity. Hi, Miles.
I am also honoured to present
on their behalf, these constituents, how this budget fails the people of this
province and how it completely ignores the challenges of the people and
families of Saskatchewan. To do so I’d like to share my experience growing up
on the farm. As an urban MLA [Member of the Legislative Assembly] with rural
roots, it will always be important for me to highlight small-town and rural
Saskatchewan, and my farming experience over the last few decades will never be
taken for granted.
I was at Canada’s Farm Show
with our Sask NDP [New Democratic Party] caucus last
Monday and Tuesday, and seeing the 1959 84‑horsepower 830 John Deere on
display — an impressive, reliable, game-changing tractor on the Prairies — had
me feeling nostalgic about my grandparents Roy and Annie Warrington, who farmed
in west central Saskatchewan from 1939 in the constituency of the member from
Kindersley-Biggar.
Their story is one about
continuous adaptation and openness to new ideas and investing in those ideas
with the promise that their family would reap the rewards and a good life,
partnered with hard work. They bought that same tractor for their farm the year
it was released.
But I need to enlighten you
all about the augers of their farm. One of the earliest augers on the Roy and
Annie Warrington farm near Loverna, Saskatchewan was
a 5‑inch auger. It would roughly take an hour to move 500 bushels of
grain into a bin. Years later when the farm increased in size, efficiency
became crucial. My grandfather was keen to innovations in agriculture and
recognized that in order to continue to make a living and support his family,
additional investment needed to occur throughout.
So they moved on to a 10‑inch
auger, allowing the same amount of grain to get into the bin within now only
five minutes. This allowed for a faster return to the field to bring the
inevitable bumper crop back to the bin. You see, Mr. Speaker, farms went from
roughly 300 acres to 3,000 acres in many instances. This was required to
maintain a good standard of living and was only possible through valuing
technology and innovation. It also took hard-earned dollars to be churned back
into the farm and reinvested to ensure that growth and prosperity continued.
My Grandpa Roy tragically
passed away in 1995 suddenly of a heart attack when he was extinguishing a fire
to the family home on their acreage south of Loverna.
If he were still with us beyond that year, there’s no doubt in my mind he would
have invested in a 13‑inch auger to again cut the time significantly to
get that grain in the bin. And if he were still with us, he’d have seen the
newest model of the 830 John Deere on display at Canada’ Farm Show — not $4,000
to purchase, but 1.25 million. To justify such a purchase 3,000 acres
wouldn’t cut it. A machine like that is only justified if you farmed tens of
thousands of acres.
Mr. Speaker, I say all these
things for a reason. You see, I’m a teacher. Teachers understand that when a
student doesn’t understand a lesson we must adapt to the circumstances and try
something new. People learn in different ways through different, multiple
intelligences. Finding the strengths in everyone is crucial to presenting
material to a variety of students successfully.
So to this government, a
government as blessed with farmers as our side is blessed with teachers, I
suggest that this budget is a 10‑inch auger and it’s falling behind. They
try to tell you about the ghosts of the 5‑inch auger to get you to forget
about the possibilities of an even better piece of machinery. We need to invest
in the 13‑inch auger or the grain — Saskatchewan’s prosperity — isn’t
going to make it into the bin, and we won’t be able to get the rest of the crop
off. That beautiful $1.25 million 830 John Deere will be sitting idle
without it.
The Sask
Party government has overseen Saskatchewan’s fall to last place in many areas,
including education and health care, yet they continue to shirk the
responsibility of meaningfully investing in this province and its people.
Mr. Speaker, the Sask Party isn’t setting up health care and education to
get their grain in the bin fast enough. Without a generational investment into
our education and health care staff to dig us out of this hole that this
government has planted us in, we won’t be able to get our goals and our dreams
to market.
Before I talk about our
schools, I would like to compliment the Minister of Education. In all of his
responses during question period since November 28th regarding education
funding, he has strictly avoided the words “per capita” to describe student
funding. Great job, but odd. This has me believe that he recognizes at least
subconsciously “per-student funding” is the more accurate terminology to
describe anemic funding in our classrooms. Perhaps
he’s learned from the 13,000 teachers across the province who heard the current
Minister of Health use “per capita” over and over and over to describe
education funding.
I was one of those teachers
standing up for the learning conditions of students. I can attest it was like
nails on the chalkboard hearing “per capita.” As soon as our 80‑year-olds
in retirement homes and infants in the cribs start attending school, the Sask Party government can refer to education funding as
“per capita.”
Recently the members from
Saskatoon Silverspring, Saskatoon Eastview, and
myself spoke with a local parent, Erin Gerwing, about
what an EA means to their son Luca who was potentially scheduled to lose his
educational assistant. She told of how Luca and any student with disruptions to
their routines, with learning disabilities, might naturally experience undue
stress when they have their educational assistants, who have been supporting
them for extended periods of time for years, removed from their classrooms. It
adds undue stress for families and for the educational assistants themselves
because they might not only find themselves unemployed like many in
Saskatchewan, but also take on unnecessary guilt for the unsupported situation
that that student is left in.
[19:15]
It’s undignified to kids.
Let’s not forget we are talking about the children of our province. This
government is ripping away our children’s support, but this is consistent with
how this government has taken away the social supports and not invested in them
in this province. And if this government tries to suggest that it’s the feds’
fault — like they do with seemingly many problems — they should read a book
about what Jordan’s principle is all about and do the right thing and make sure
this carelessness is discontinued immediately.
Without the support of these
hard-working, underpaid support staff in schools, not only will specific
students suffer; every student in that class suffers. There’s an expression in
education that 20 per cent of the students get 80 per cent of the teacher’s
attention. Resources are already spread so thin because of this government’s
long-standing refusal to prioritize properly funding education. Suddenly
removing these EAs means that teachers will be stretched broadly, that even
less of their attention can be focused on each and every deserving member of
their already overcrowded classroom.
And does this government know
that our school boards are even tasked with paying for nurses? My Sask NDP caucus colleagues and I met at a school in
Saskatoon recently with nursing staff on hand for the students with great
medical needs in their building. You know who pays for those nurses? It’s not
the Ministry of Health. It’s the school division footing the bill for the
students’ medical needs. The moment an empathetic and thoughtful minister of
Health or minister of Education came across this realization, it should have
been remedied.
I could go on about education
as a former teacher, but I’m curious what the most common email the members of
this House have been receiving from constituents lately. Could it be tariffs
and this government’s lacklustre response to the upcoming trade war? That would
be a good guess. Could it be the health care crisis in the running? What about
$10‑a-day child care? That’s the one. Our Sask
NDP caucus have collectively in the last several weeks received hundreds of
letters about the federal child care agreement that 11 provinces and
territories have already signed on to while this government has neglected to.
How many emails did the
members opposite receive? What will it take for this government to care about
those whose concerns aren’t being addressed through this budget? I’d wager a
guess that combined, both sides have received way more than 17 letters. If that
was the threshold for drastic action from this government in the past with Bill
137, we better do something about this.
So not only does the budget
cut an underfunded education program in our province, the same can be said
about health care. Despite a $17 million cut — and it is a cut even if the
members opposite won’t admit it — the Minister of Health would have you believe
that building additional emergency care facilities is the number one solution
to stop the bleeding of our urban emergency rooms.
People in Saskatoon are
seeing a daily reduction of five hours to the emergency room every day at
Saskatoon City Hospital until June, this despite the fact that emergency rooms
at places like RUH [Royal University Hospital] and St. Paul’s are already routinely
at or above 200 per cent capacity. People like registered nurse Stephanie Fehr
and Dr. Adam Ogieglo have
indicated that until we can fully staff the facilities we already have in urban
areas, more hospitals and emergency care facilities won’t get us out of this
health care crisis. What good are hospital beds if there are no attending
physicians to be there with them?
Mr. Speaker, I’ll tell you
why this government thinks new facilities are the solution. It’s because the Sask Party government likes the idea of a ribbon cutting
more than they care about the health of the people of Saskatchewan. It is
because the Sask Party government cares more about
headlines than they do the health of the people of Saskatchewan.
I hate to break it to the
Speaker, but as nice as the hypothetical headline “Sask
Party government opening additional ER facilities” looks, it’s slightly
undercut by the line below it reading “with no new health care workers to staff
them.” Quit chasing headlines. Listen to the advice of actual medical
professionals. The nursing staff task force should have been activated years
ago. Stop the cuts. Invest in our health care system.
There is already a generation
in this province that was born under the government, completed their schooling
under this government, and have already left the province for other
opportunities because of this government.
I spoke with an emergency
room doctor in Saskatoon recently. During a friendly conversation, what we were
watching on streaming services came up. I mentioned The Pitt, an
emergency room drama in Pittsburgh. He said he loved it despite it giving him,
as he said, PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder]. I asked him how true to life
the show is, as it’s received high critical praise. He said, honestly I would
say it’s worse here. I encourage all the members opposite and my colleagues to
check it out and to see if they could fathom a situation that’s worse and sit
idly by with a $17.1 million cut to our health care system as proposed in
the budget.
Again I’d like to bring up
Stephanie Fehr. She’s a health care professional, a registered nurse who spoke
about the challenges in our emergency rooms. She told it straight, unedited.
The overcrowding. Not only not being able to sit in the waiting rooms, but
having nowhere to stand. The beds in hallways when people are at their worst
moment, being told the worst news they’ve ever heard in their entire lives. No
privacy, no dignity. The ambulances waiting in the loading dock unable to move
to the next emergency as there’s no space in the ER [emergency room]. The
burnout. The feeling futile. They wish to help as many as they can, but they’re
burdened by not having the resources in place to do so.
Agriculture is the foundation
of this province and for good reason. We are great at it. We have, and have had
for many decades, an incredible world-class agricultural industry. Yet
President Donald Trump calls what we produce dirty and uninspected. Mr. Speaker,
the Premier was called upon by the Leader of the Opposition to condemn these
disgusting comments from the American president on our agricultural industry,
and he refused to do so.
This is weak behaviour but
honestly it can be expected. We can’t rely on this government to stand up for
our children, our health care, for the women of this province forced to go to
Calgary for mammograms. Why would we expect them to stand up against Donald
Trump?
Speaker
Goudy: — Sorry. I have heard a
number of people mention “weak,” but when you start speaking about an
individual as “weak,” that’s offside. Thanks.
Darcy
Warrington: —
This government has failed to include meaningful plans regarding tariffs and is
not future focused.
They certainly aren’t focused
on debt problem in Saskatchewan either. The term “fiscal conservatives” is
often floated about by citizens of this great province. Would those people be
comfortable knowing that our provincial debt has grown from roughly $10 billion
to $38 billion over the last 18 years? I don’t think so. This debt will
cost taxpayers $1 billion annually just to service. And that number will
only grow by over $100 million every year for the next three budgets.
Shame on a government for
claiming to be fiscally responsible when these are the results.
I’d like to close with some
remarks of gratitude outside of the analysis of this budget. The Leader of the
Opposition has bestowed upon me the privilege to serve as our caucus’s shadow
minister for Parks, Culture and Sport. As a former phys
ed teacher, music teacher, band teacher valuing the mosaic that is our
classrooms and our province, it’s a privilege and an honour to go to so many
events like SMPIA [Saskatchewan Media Production
Industry Association] banquets, Globe Theatre’s production of Peter Pan,
Persephone performances.
There’s just so many things,
whether it’s meeting with the executive director of Hockey Saskatchewan or
meeting with Steven Turner in Kindersley during the Prairie Pinnacle and the
Tankard. It’s truly an honour to work with people in this community and try and
highlight the good things that they are doing in terms of community-based
organizations.
I’d also like to offer my
appreciation for our constituency assistant Levi Nilson.
Levi helped us win the election in Saskatoon Stonebridge in October, and he had
such a good time here we actually transplanted him from Calgary to Saskatoon.
So that’s going to help with the government’s interprovincial migration. Levi,
you keep me in order. You know what I need to be doing, and I appreciate all of
your guidance. Our office not only . . . with the member from
Saskatoon Southeast and the member from Saskatoon Eastview, we’re all pleased
and so happy to have you guiding us each and every day on Taylor Street in
Saskatoon.
And last but not least, a
closing anecdote about the value of Canadian citizenship and patriotism. I had
the honour of attending, with the member from Saskatoon University-Sutherland,
a citizenship ceremony on March 11th at TCU Place in Saskatoon. Ninety-six
citizens from twenty-four countries, with myself and various other dignitaries
welcomed these people to join us in our citizenship and to value the country
that we live in. The pure joy and excitement on the faces of every single
person in that room, whether they just became citizens or witnessing the
moment, was truly magical, and I’ll never forget it. And I’ll always go out of
my way to attend those ceremonies to be a part of that patriotic moment when
they become citizens.
Mr.
Speaker, I will not be supporting the budget. I will be supporting the
amendment moved by the member from Regina Mount Royal. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Speaker
Goudy: —
I recognize the member from
Moosomin-Montmartre.
Kevin
Weedmark: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I
want to start my response to the budget by thanking the Finance minister,
cabinet members, Finance officials, and everyone who had any input into the
budget process, putting countless hours of work into the preparation of this budget.
I also want to say, Mr.
Speaker, just how much I’m enjoying my role as an MLA and how much I’m learning
every day. I’ve been around this province so much over the last five months
getting to know my colleagues, meeting people with various groups, addressing
many organizations, dealing with my constituents and people around the province
with issues and concerns to discuss, and I’ve enjoyed every single minute of
it.
In my role as Legislative
Secretary to the Minister of Health, I’m learning so much from the Minister of
Health and the Minister of Rural and Remote Health, Mental Health and
Addictions, and Seniors. So at this point my learning curve is approximately
100 per cent vertical. And as I get around the province and settle into my
role, there’s one thing that I keep learning again and again. Every single day
I learn the same lesson, which is that I’ve got an awful lot more to learn yet.
I appreciate all my
colleagues who are helping me learn my role as an MLA, and I appreciate the
Minister of Health and the Minister of Rural and Remote Health for helping me
learn the health file which is a large and complex file. And I have a lot of
respect for both of them for the way they deal with the issues in that file,
and I am learning a lot from them every single day.
Mr. Speaker, I’ve had such
tremendous opportunities to meet people, not only in my riding but right across
the province over these months. And at event after event, meeting after
meeting, forum after forum, I’ve met so many wonderful people and heard about
their vision for Saskatchewan, their priorities, their hopes for the future,
and their fears, their thoughts on the biggest challenges for the province and
the biggest opportunities.
And, Mr. Speaker, I’ve always
known that this is a beautiful province full of amazing people, but that
impression is made even stronger every single day now. I’ve been around the
province. I’ve been to Rosthern where I toured the Mennonite Nursing Home. I’ve
been to the Cozy Nest Care Home at Dundurn. I’ve toured the Yorkton regional
hospital with the Minister of Health and the Minister of Rural and Remote
Health. I’ve toured the STARS [Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service] base here in
Regina with the Minister of Health. So learning so much and meeting so many
people.
A lot of those people want to
give back. And the day that that announcement was being made in Regina, Summer
Heide from Moosomin was in the midst of an online fundraiser that she
organized. Summer had to have a total gastrectomy when she was young because of
stomach cancer, and her daughter has the same condition and was in Saskatoon
hospital and just a few weeks ago had surgery. And Summer stayed at the Ronald
McDonald House in Saskatoon and decided she wanted to give back. So she
organized an online fundraiser and through that fundraiser raised $6,500 for
Ronald McDonald House.
[19:30]
And around the same time,
Chris MacPherson from Wapella had a herd dispersal
sale at Whitewood Livestock, and he donated all the proceeds from two bred
heifers to Ronald McDonald Houses. His daughter had been born with a heart
defect, and the family spent the first few weeks of her life at a Ronald
McDonald House. And the sale of those two heifers, Mr. Speaker, that raised
another 14,500 for Ronald McDonald Houses. So that shows you what kind of
support there is for that organization. And I’m proud to see that our
government’s priorities reflect our people’s priorities.
And, Mr. Speaker, meeting so
many people over the last few months, like those two folks who are making a
difference in their communities, makes me appreciate the tenacity, the drive,
the resourcefulness of Saskatchewan people. And, Mr. Speaker, it’s an honour to
serve those people in this Assembly.
And it’s an honour to speak
today to a budget that provides these people with the strong and steady plan
that manages to do something very difficult, Mr. Speaker, manages to provide
improved or increased services in many areas — record spending in health care,
record spending in education, record municipal revenue sharing to help our
hard-working municipal councils provide services close to home, and at the same
time provides tax cuts for every individual, family, and business in this
province. And, Mr. Speaker, it combines those things — improved services,
increased spending, and tax cuts — and results in a balanced bottom line, which
I think is pretty commendable.
Mr. Speaker, the Finance
minister delivered a budget that does something very difficult, combining the
largest tax cut since 2008 with increased program spending and coming to a
point of balance. And, Mr. Speaker, the budget we are debating is a balanced
budget that delivers on the priorities of the people of Saskatchewan while
keeping our province’s finances strong and stable in a time of volatility,
uncertainty, and instability around the world. This is a budget that will
deliver on the priorities of this province, the priorities of the people of
this province; the priorities of the people I’ve been talking to for the last
few months. It delivers on affordability. It delivers on health care. It
delivers on education. It delivers on safer communities, and it delivers on
fiscal stability.
In my riding, Mr. Speaker,
the budget includes funds for the repaving of Highway 8 between Moosomin and Rocanville. This is a highway between the largest
population centre in the region and the two largest potash mines in the world
at Rocanville and Esterhazy. That’s a very busy
highway, Mr. Speaker, and I’m glad to see that there is funds in this budget
for the repaving of that highway.
Also in my riding, Mr.
Speaker, the budget includes $10 million for construction of the Grenfell
long-term care home in addition to the $10 million committed in the last
year. This will be an important addition to the capacity for long-term care in
our region and will help build the future of Grenfell and the entire region.
And I want to congratulate the members of the Grenfell health care foundation
for all their hard work on this project which is important not only to the
people of Grenfell but to the whole region.
Mr. Speaker, this budget
includes initiatives that will make our communities stronger, including record
revenue sharing for municipal governments. Saskatchewan is the only province
that provides stable, predictable funding to municipalities to spend how they
want on their local priorities, and more will be provided to municipalities
this year than ever before.
The budget includes a record
$362 million in municipal revenue sharing, an increase of $22 million
from last year. In total, $8.344 million in revenue-sharing grants are
going to municipalities in my riding of Moosomin-Montmartre this year, a
massive increase from the 2.7 million that communities received in 2007.
For instance, Mr. Speaker,
the town of Moosomin will receive $817,000 this year. The town of Indian Head
will receive $562,000, just to name a couple. The RM [rural municipality] of Elcapo will receive 717,000. The RM of Montmartre will
receive 477,000, just to name a couple. So, Mr. Speaker, this increase will
make a real difference for our communities.
There are a few new
initiatives in this budget, Mr. Speaker. It includes the creation of a new young
entrepreneur bursary that will provide bursaries of $5,000 to some of our young
entrepreneurs. Some communities, like my community of Moosomin, are already
leveraging that with other programs to focus on young entrepreneurs. Thursday
afternoon of last week, a few business folks and community people in Moosomin
were in the high school in Moosomin, talking to grade 10 students about the
benefits of entrepreneurship, the possibilities of getting into business, and
speaking about programs like that young entrepreneur bursary and also local
initiatives, like the CBA [Community Builders Alliance] that helps people get
into business.
And, Mr. Speaker, I’ll just
mention that one of those people who was speaking that day was Victor Santos
Cardoza, who I had the honour of introducing to this House during the fall
session as the youngest person ever elected to Moosomin town council at the age
of 20. I’m incredibly proud of him and all the other people in my community who
took one look at this initiative of this government and said, how can we build
on that? How can we leverage that and create even more supports for our young
entrepreneurs?
Mr. Speaker, this budget also
includes the creation of a new small and medium-enterprise investment tax
credit, which is a new 45 per cent tax credit for people and companies that
invest in the equity of an eligible Saskatchewan small business. Initially this
is a pilot project for specific industries, including food processing and
machinery and transportation manufacturing. And I know that there will be a lot
of interest in it.
I was chatting with a
constituent on Saturday morning who was expanding his food production business,
supplying frozen food to grocery stores in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. And he
has just secured a space to expand his operation so he can meet the growing
demand. Mr. Speaker, this is a small business. This is a gentleman who came
from Ukraine, started a small business, and it’s growing very quickly. And he’s
to the point where he is looking for additional investors, and this is the
exact type of situation that that program is aimed at.
Mr. Speaker, this budget
includes funding to match community fundraising efforts for school playground
equipment, something that will impact many of our communities and leverage
local fundraising dollars with provincial dollars, making that community fundraising
go so much further.
Mr. Speaker, this budget
includes strong support for agriculture, which really is the backbone of our
economy in this province. I have the deepest respect, Mr. Speaker, for our
farmers, who are in a business where so much is out of their control, and now
face the added pressure of tariffs imposed on our agriculture products in
response to tariffs imposed by the federal government on Chinese EVs [electric
vehicle].
The budget includes a low productivity
and reactivation oil well program that will encourage industry to make new
capital investments in the oil industry. I know that that’s going to have a
large impact in my region of the province and other oil-producing regions.
Mr. Speaker, this budget
helps ensure Saskatchewan remains the most affordable place in Canada to live,
work, raise a family, and start a business. The budget reduces income taxes for
every resident and family and small business in the province and makes life
more affordable for seniors, families with children, people living with
disabilities, caregivers, new graduates, first-time homebuyers, and people
renovating their homes. The taxation changes provide over $250 million in
tax savings to Saskatchewan residents this year — $250 million, a quarter
billion dollars. This includes raising the basic personal exemption, spousal
exemption, dependent child exemption, and the seniors’ supplement by $500 a
year for the next four years over and above the impact of indexation to account
for inflation. Mr. Speaker, that’s the largest personal income tax reduction in
Saskatchewan since 2008.
This budget also delivers
better patient access across Saskatchewan. The Ministry of Health is receiving
a record $8.1 billion, an increase of $485 million. The Saskatchewan
Health Authority receives an increase of $261 million for a record $4.9 billion
budget. And the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency receives $279 million, an
increase of $30 million or more than 12 per cent. These increases will
lead to real improvements.
As I mentioned, Mr. Speaker,
this budget includes $10 million for the Grenfell care home in my
constituency. Mr. Speaker, when you look through the budget documents, number
after number and project after project, sometimes what doesn’t come through is
the human element. That care home, Mr. Speaker, it isn’t just a budget item. It
is something that will make lives better for individuals. It will mean that
people can enter care in their home community rather than having to move to
another community at one of the most vulnerable stages of their lives. These
numbers, Mr. Speaker, have human implications. These line items improve lives.
One way this budget will
improve lives is through the expansion of glucose monitoring coverage which,
Mr. Speaker, will improve the lives of 10,000 Saskatchewan people who are
living with diabetes. Ten thousand people, Mr. Speaker.
Another way we’ll be
improving lives in the health space, Mr. Speaker, is with the opening of the
breast health centre in Regina, which will provide a full range of services and
wraparound support for women who are living with a breast cancer diagnosis. Mr.
Speaker, this new centre will make a difference for women living with breast
cancer. And, Mr. Speaker, I think we all know someone who has lived with the
diagnosis of breast cancer, so we all know just how important this is. I have a
friend who right now is in a tough battle with breast cancer, and I’m so happy
this facility will be here for her and for all women battling breast cancer in
the future.
Mr. Speaker, wait times are
being addressed in this budget, and an additional investment of $15.1 million
will help plans to perform 450,000 procedures over four years and reduce
surgical wait times. This includes the introduction of robot-assisted surgery
at Pasqua Hospital in Regina and enhancing other
services. And, Mr. Speaker, reducing those wait times will improve people’s
lives.
Changes at Saskatoon City
Hospital will also help address capacity pressures in Saskatoon with a
multi-phased approach to open more than 100 acute care beds. This $30 million
investment will support physical space upgrades to expand acute care.
Mr. Speaker, dollars are one
thing, but our health care system is built on people. And I have learned so
much meeting with physicians and individuals who work in the health care system
over the last few months, across my riding and across the province. I’ve toured
nursing homes around the province. I’ve toured Yorkton regional hospital, met
with the Saskatchewan Medical Association board of directors along with the
Minister of Health and Minister of Rural and Remote Health. And I appreciate
every one of those tours, every one of those meetings. I’ve learned something
at every single one of them. I appreciate all those people I’ve met who work in
our health care system and what they contribute.
And I understand the
complexities of our health care system. But the most important thing that I’ve
come to understand is that our health care system is built on people. These
investments in this budget give those people who are the foundation of our health
system the tools they need to serve the people of this province. Training close
to home is very important, Mr. Speaker. I’ve seen the benefits of the southeast
family medicine residency program in my area. I’ve seen the difference it’s
made for family medicine. And our government is creating more training spaces
close to home.
Mr. Speaker, the College of
Medicine will add 10 more in-province physician training seats for family
medicine, anesthesia, plastic surgery, and other
specialties, for a total of 150 provincial seats. The budget also includes
supports for 65 new and enhanced permanent full-time nursing positions in 30
rural and northern locations across the province.
Mr. Speaker, over the last
two years more than $5 billion has been invested in K to 12 [kindergarten
to grade 12] education. This budget provides $3.5 billion to the Ministry
of Education, an increase of $184 million, and school operating funding
will be increased 8.4 per cent to a total of $2.4 billion.
Expansion of child care spaces is also
important for growing communities. In my constituency we have 474 regulated
child care spaces currently and another 164 under development — 90 in Moosomin,
40 at Cowessess
First Nation, and 34 in Indian Head. And I’m glad to say that construction is
going to start soon on a new building for PlayFair
Daycare in Moosomin to add those additional 90 spaces there.
In post-secondary education,
the budget creates 60 new training seats this year for nurse practitioners,
registered psychiatric nurses, and medical radiologic technologists. As well
four new training programs will be ready to accept students this fall in the
physician assistant program and next fall in speech-language pathology,
occupational therapy, and respiratory therapy. And, Mr. Speaker, those
investments will pay dividends for our province for decades to come.
Mr. Speaker, this budget
delivers safer communities by adding to the presence of law enforcement across
Saskatchewan. There is increased funding for the municipal police grant
program, and increased funding for the RCMP [Royal Canadian Mounted Police], and
even 16 positions to work at weigh scales to free up highway traffic officers
for work on highways and along the border.
[19:45]
Mr. Speaker, I’m proud to be
part of a government that has delivered on fiscal stability. This surplus in
this year’s budget puts Saskatchewan in one of the strongest financial
positions among provinces. This province has the second-lowest debt-to-GDP [gross
domestic product] ratio among Canadian provinces at 14.6 per cent, and
Saskatchewan has the second-best credit rating among all the provinces. And the
importance of that cannot be overstated.
The reason that fiscal
stability is so important is that we are vulnerable to tariffs and the threat
of tariffs, and that’s partly because of decisions made by the federal
government in recent years that have limited our export options for some of our
products.
Imagine, Mr. Speaker, imagine
how much stronger we would be as a country, how less dependent we would be on
exports to the United States if say Energy East had been built, if Northern
Gateway had been built, if we had LNG [liquefied natural gas] export facilities
on the east and west coasts.
Mr. Speaker, I want to talk a
little about one lost opportunity, Energy East, which a few people in this
Assembly had a role in trying to revive a few years ago. And let me explain
briefly why Energy East would have been important to Saskatchewan. The original
proposal from TransCanada Pipelines included a 1.05‑million-barrel tank
farm at Moosomin, at the Moosomin compressor station, so three massive 350,000‑barrel
tanks. And these would have been fed with a feeder pipeline that would have
been built from Cromer, Manitoba to Moosomin and another feeder pipeline from
the Bakken oil field into Moosomin.
And Moosomin would have
served as an on-ramp onto that pipeline system. That was the plan, providing a
direct link for southeast Saskatchewan oil to world markets, to export markets,
which would expand our export markets and make us much less vulnerable to
tariffs and the threat of tariffs.
So a few years ago, Mr.
Speaker, I was part of an effort in southeast Saskatchewan to bring back the
proposal for Energy East. We called the project Energy East 2.0. It was a
multi-pronged effort. We tried to get everyone on board for this. We had the town.
We had the RM. The town of Moosomin went to SUMA [Saskatchewan Urban
Municipalities Association], got them on board. The RM went to SARM [Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities],
got them on board. We got the local chamber of commerce involved, had the
business community, worked with provincial and national groups. And the point
was to try to start a national conversation on pipelines and try to bring this
back on the national agenda.
Sinclair Harrison was
involved in this project along with me, and you will recall, Mr. Speaker, we
brought Sinclair into this Assembly during the fall sitting. And I want to
thank all the members. That day was very important to Sinc.
He received a standing ovation from members on both sides of the House. I want
to thank everyone for that. That really did mean the world to Sinc and his family.
But six years ago Sinc and I were working on Energy East 2.0, and actually we
were in this building a few times for meetings, and we were up in the Speaker’s
gallery being introduced in the House on a couple of occasions. And my work on
this project included speaking with energy industry and pipeline industry CEOs
[chief executive officer] and directors. We set up a web page for the project,
and support grew from the oil industry to the manufacturing industry, and we
got more and more support.
And we wanted an event to
concentrate the support, to bring everyone together and have an event where we
could try to, again, put this on the national agenda. So we organized an event
in February six years ago. We planned a major event at Moosomin where we had
hundreds of people from across the country to come to Moosomin for what we
called a resource rally or a resource forum. We wanted this to be non-partisan
because we knew that we all had to work together to make this a success. So we
invited the prime minister and the federal opposition. We invited the Premier
and the provincial opposition and of course industry leaders, provincial
leaders from across the country.
And I remember that day very
well, Mr. Speaker. We had hundreds of people in the newly built IJack manufacturing plant in Moosomin. IJack
is a company in Moosomin owned by a couple of very brilliant engineers, Dan and
Olga McCarthy. Their products are engineered in Moosomin, designed in Moosomin,
manufactured in Moosomin, and shipped all around the world. And at the time
they had just built a brand new 24,000‑square-foot manufacturing plant,
and they had not moved production in there yet. So we used that building for
the resource rally. And just as an aside, Mr. Speaker, it’s a few years later
and business is so good for IJack that they’re
actually adding a 36,000‑square-foot addition as we speak. The steel is
going up right now.
So that day, Mr. Speaker,
there were people from across the country at that event. We had national media
there. We had provincial media. Part of my job was arranging the media for that
event, and we had people actually from the Ottawa press gallery came down
because we had a federal leader coming. And it was broadcast live on the two
national news networks, and we actually got very good coverage out of it.
But as if to underline the
importance of pipelines — and one of the reasons for people in small
communities in rural Saskatchewan that pipelines are important — that very day
of that rally, that very morning, there was a major oil car derailment 30 miles
from Moosomin at St-Lazare, Manitoba. An oil spill that could have been much
worse if an explosion or a fire had broken out.
So we had people there from
across the country that day in Moosomin, Saskatchewan to show their support for
a project that would have made such a difference for that project. And, Mr.
Speaker, I’m proud to say that the Premier was there that day in Moosomin,
Saskatchewan, speaking to the event and showing his strong support for this
important project for the province and the country. I’m grateful for that. He
gave an amazing speech that day.
And some other members in
this Assembly were there that day. The member from Melville-Saltcoats was there
that day. The member for Cannington was there. He wasn’t an MLA yet at that
point, but he was there. And we had several other MLAs there and several MPs
[Member of Parliament] from across the country. We had senators who came from
Ottawa with the federal Conservative leader, Andrew Scheer. He accepted our
invitation and he attended. And, Mr. Speaker, we had the Premier of New
Brunswick come from Fredericton, New Brunswick to Moosomin, Saskatchewan that
day to show his support for this important project.
And, Mr. Speaker, do you know
who did not come that day? Who did not show up for this important national
event, to support an important Saskatchewan industry? As I said, we invited the
federal government and opposition and also the provincial government and
opposition because we wanted everyone on the same page. Mr. Speaker, the prime
minister of Canada declined to attend and, Mr. Speaker, the provincial
opposition failed to show up at this important event. Failed to show up for
this event promoting a project that would have been so good for our province
and would have strengthened our country. That was a missed opportunity, but as
the Minister of Finance pointed out last week, the opposition was opposed to
pipelines for 18 years and it took 18 days for them to finally understand the
importance of pipelines.
Mr. Speaker, that event was
six years ago. The Premier showed leadership by being there in Moosomin,
Saskatchewan that day. And I’m glad that the opposition has finally come around
because not only would that pipeline have created tremendous job opportunities
in our area, not only was that pipeline going to provide export access for
energy products, not only was that going to help the provincial economy and
strengthen the national economy, but it was also a matter of safety, of getting
oil into a pipeline and off of the trains.
And the missed opportunity
that was the pipeline to the East Coast is just one example of why we’re in the
situation we are today, Mr. Speaker, vulnerable to tariffs and the threat of
tariffs. And I keep hearing the opposition say now that they’re now in favour
of pipelines, now that we’re finally in a crisis that shows just how exactly
dependent we are on oil exports to the States.
But to decide that at this
point, Mr. Speaker, that’s like me deciding at this point in my life I’m going
to start training with the hopes of a career in the NHL [National Hockey
League]. If that was important to me, I probably should have done something
about it a little bit earlier. But the fact that we are vulnerable to tariffs
and the threat of tariffs is why we need a balanced budget that demonstrates
fiscal strength. And I am proud, Mr. Speaker, that the Finance minister has
delivered precisely that.
So to sum up, Mr. Speaker,
the Finance minister has delivered a balanced budget that delivers on the
priorities of Saskatchewan people. It includes initiatives that will make our
communities stronger, including record revenue sharing for municipal governments.
This budget, Mr. Speaker, delivers tax savings, reducing income taxes for every
resident, family, and small business in this province. Mr. Speaker, it delivers
better patient access for Saskatchewan, with record funding for health care.
This budget delivers for students with increases in education funding and
school operating grants.
And, Mr. Speaker, this budget
delivers fiscal responsibility. It puts Saskatchewan in one of the strongest
financial positions among provinces. And all of this is possible, Mr. Speaker,
because of the strong state of the provincial economy, and that is thanks to
the resilience, resourcefulness, and drive of Saskatchewan people. Mr. Speaker,
I am so proud of the people of our province who have built our economy and
province in the face of many challenges.
And I am proud of our
government for producing a balanced budget that will keep this province on a
strong, steady footing. And that is why, Mr. Speaker, I will be supporting the
budget motion moved by the Minister of Finance and seconded by the member for
White City-Qu’Appelle, and I will not be supporting the amendment. Thank you.
Speaker
Goudy: —
I recognize the member from Saskatoon
Centre.
Betty
Nippi-Albright: —
Mr. Speaker, I’m pleased to be given this opportunity to offer my remarks to
the budget.
Mr. Speaker, before I respond
to the budget I would like to thank a few folks. Thank you to my family for
your love and continued and ongoing support. Thank you to my constituents of
Saskatoon Centre for trusting me to be your voice in this legislature.
Thank you to my colleagues
for all your hard work. It is wonderful to see 27 NDP MLAs in this legislature,
and I look forward to hearing their responses to the budget.
I want to say a special thank
you to our dedicated, hard-working caucus staff. Thank you for pushing us.
Thank you for the hours that you put in to make us be the best that we can be.
Thank you.
And finally, I would like to
thank my constituency assistants for all that they do for the constituents of
Saskatoon Centre and the work that they do in my office.
In 2023 this Sask Party government promised to open 500 addiction
treatment spaces. Mr. Speaker, we see this is the same promise repeated again
in this budget. To the people in this province: do not be deceived by this
government’s regurgitated promises they recycled from 2023.
Speaker
Goudy: — I hate to call you out
all the time, but you can’t be using that kind of language. So as you go
through the speech, just delete any comments that may look like they’re being
deceitful or dishonest, please.
[20:00]
Betty
Nippi-Albright: —
Perhaps I could rephrase that. To the people of this province: you’ve heard
over and over again, year after year, the promises to make your lives much
better. These have been recycled promises. Think about that.
Saskatchewan currently has
only 221 of these 500 addiction treatment spaces open. Again, are these correct
numbers or are they inflated? Sixty of those 221 beds were at Willowview treatment centre in Lumsden. Whistle-blowers
from the centre came to me in the fall and revealed that the facility actually
treated zero in-patients since opening in May of 2024.
Mr. Speaker, 60 of those beds
included in this government’s counting were sitting empty while this Sask Party government paid — maybe, don’t know for sure —
$1.5 million for virtual treatment programs. And when the opposition filed
a freedom of information request, this government redacted the total cost of
what this treatment centre is actually costing the taxpayers of this province.
So the people in this
province don’t know what they’ve paid. Did they pay $1.5 million,
$800,000, or $2.3 million for a facility that is only open for 20
in-patients, not 60, but for months was only offering virtual treatment? Mr.
Speaker, how is virtual treatment going to work for someone who is detoxing
from an opiate addiction with no detox beds available? How is that going to
happen? People need human connection. They need peer support, not a computer
screen. How is virtual treatment going to help disadvantaged people who do not
have access to Wi-Fi, a computer, or a phone? Virtual treatment is like putting
a band-aid over a bullet wound, Mr. Speaker.
This government continues to
cut corners to address the drug crisis in this province. Will the citizens in
this province know how much this budget is going to virtual treatment that best
practices state does not work? Mr. Speaker, people are dying while this
government doubles down on failed treatment models, recycled empty promises,
and builds empty buildings.
And now, Mr. Speaker, this Sask Party government is expanding their complex-needs
units across the province. They have already spent $9.6 million on these
units that are sitting underutilized. The only way, Mr. Speaker, for people to
access these services in the complex-needs units is that they have to be
arrested and charged by the police.
Mr. Speaker, again we see a
form of treatment that is inaccessible. People cannot self-refer to these
units, and there are reports of patients, individuals not being treated and not
being served. And to top it off, Mr. Speaker, the organization receiving these
tax dollars for the complex-needs unit is the same private-run, for-profit
organization that has failed to fully open and operate the Willowview
treatment centre in Lumsden.
$1.5 million wasn’t
enough, Mr. Speaker. This government found a way to mismanage an additional 9.6 million
tax dollars by investing in an organization that is failing to provide the
services it promised to.
Mr. Speaker, this government
continues to talk about recovery-oriented system of care and wraparound
supports when we actually need a continuum of care that supports individuals
addicted to substance use. Individuals that are addicted to substance use, Mr.
Speaker, need access to timely detox and supportive living homes to continue
their recovery after they complete in-patient addictions treatment. Mr.
Speaker, people recovering from drug addictions need at least a minimum of two
years of continuum-of-care support in order to be successful for sustained
recovery.
Instead of such a system,
this government imposed “measures to protect communities against fentanyl and
methamphetamine,” punishing people who are struggling with addictions. This
policy, Mr. Speaker, makes it clear that members opposite made no attempt to
consult with impacted stakeholders, front-line workers, the recovery community,
grassroots community organizations, or experts in the field of mental health
and addictions.
Mr. Speaker, citizens, people
in this province don’t wake up one morning and say, “Today I’m going to be a
drug addict. Today I’m going to be homeless.” They don’t do that. That’s not
what people do when they wake up in the morning. Addictions and homelessness,
Mr. Speaker, are a result of the lack of investment by the Sask
Party government for good mental health and well-being.
One way to visualize
substance use from a health promotion perspective is the frogs in a pond
analogy from the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research. So, Mr.
Speaker, if we look at this from the frogs in a pond analogy — for example, if
frogs in a pond were behaving strangely — and we looked at the health promotion
perspective of this frogs in the pond analogy, and we saw frogs were behaving
strangely, our first reaction would not be to punish them but to ask what is
causing them to behave the way they’re behaving.
We wouldn’t label those
frogs. We wouldn’t punish them. We would ask what is happening in their
environment to make them behave the way they’re behaving. Mr. Speaker, we all
need to apply this analogy from the Canadian Institute for Substance Use
Research when it comes to individuals suffering from substance use addiction.
All leading experts, Mr.
Speaker, will tell you addictions are a direct result of poor mental health.
Let me repeat that: all leading experts will tell you addictions are a direct
result of poor mental health. This government spent 18 years ignoring mental
health supports, and we are witnessing the effects.
Saskatoon alone experienced
374 overdoses between March 1st and March 18th. By March 6th, the Saskatoon
fire department reported a 400 per cent increase in overdose responses, and as
of March 18th, Saskatoon had already seen a total of 680 overdose incidents.
Mr. Speaker, this government
waited for the tsunami to hit before preparing for the storm, and it is this
government’s mismanagement and disinvestment that has created the addictions
epidemic we see today. Furthermore, Mr. Speaker, Regina, Saskatoon, and Prince
Albert are the only locations with child and youth in-patient mental health
units, while this budget has no plans to expand these supports in other areas
of the province.
The members opposite have
been boasting about their record level of investment in mental health and
addiction services for years. Mr. Speaker, then why are people falling through
the cracks? Why are we having a drug and an addictions crisis? Many of these
people who are falling through the cracks are young people. Mr. Speaker,
Saskatchewan still reports the highest rates of anxiety disorders, the
second-highest rate of substance use disorders, and some of the highest rates
of suicide and self-harm hospitalization in Canada.
Only 15 schools have the
mental health capacity-building program available to them. Meanwhile, there are
27 school divisions in Saskatchewan. Schools without that program are being
forced to lean on the ones that do. Mr. Speaker, in what world would that ever
be considered effective or accessible? Our adults, our youth, and our children
need more from this government.
Mr. Speaker, this budget is
greatly concerning for all citizens, all people that live in this province. As
the shadow minister for Mental Health and Addictions, I have watched many
people in this province disproportionately suffer from addictions and mental
health issues because this government is not properly investing in mental
health services for all people in this province.
This Sask
Party government is not prepared to deal with this drug and addictions crisis
that it has created. Mr. Speaker, I won’t be supporting the government budget.
Instead I’ll be supporting my colleague’s motion to amend.
Speaker Goudy:
— I recognize the member from Batoche.
Darlene
Rowden: —
Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise in this Chamber this evening to speak in
response to the 2025‑26 budget, a budget that reflects our government’s
unwavering commitment to the people of Saskatchewan and in particular the
hard-working families, businesses, and communities of the Batoche constituency.
This budget is about
affordability, about ensuring opportunities, and about making life better for
the people who call Saskatchewan home. It is a budget that builds on our
strengths, invests in key areas, and ensures that the prosperity of our
province reaches every corner, including Batoche.
[20:15]
Mr. Speaker, the ’25‑26
budget continues to ensure Saskatchewan remains the most affordable place in
Canada. Every resident, family, and business will benefit from reduced income
taxes. Our province is growing, and this budget includes measures to make life
more affordable, measures such as raising the personal, spousal, and dependent
child exemptions; raising the seniors’ supplement by $500 a year for the next
four years; increasing the disability tax credit and caregiver tax credit;
doubling the active families benefit to $300 per child and doubling the income
threshold to qualify to make children’s sports, arts, and cultural activities
more affordable; and reinstating the home renovation tax credit.
Education property tax mill
rates will be reduced to absorb property assessment increases. This will save
property owners over $100 million each year. These measures are all in
addition to the Government of Saskatchewan extending the carbon tax exemption
on home heating. Mr. Speaker, this government is delivering for the people of
Saskatchewan.
Mr. Speaker, health care
remains a top priority for our government. This budget provides a record
investment of $8.1 billion in the health care system, reducing surgical
wait times with a plan to perform 450,000 surgeries over the next four years, increased
funding to accelerate the hiring of health care professionals, and connecting
every resident with a primary health care provider.
We are taking decisive action
to address capacity pressures in our hospitals. An additional $15 million
was invested in the ’24‑25 fiscal year to accelerate capital renovations,
equipment upgrades, and operations at Saskatoon City Hospital. This includes
the addition of over 100 acute care in-patient beds. This funding builds on the
$30 million previously allocated, ensuring patients receive timely,
high-quality care. Mr. Speaker, this budget sees a $140 million increase
in health capital spending for a total of 657 million to deliver major
health infrastructure projects, projects like the Victoria Hospital expansion
in Prince Albert on the border of my constituency.
Seniors are the heart of our
communities, and our government is committed to supporting them with dignity
and care. This budget provides more than $43 million in targeted
initiatives to help seniors live independently in their communities. This investment
ensures free home nursing services, subsidized home care and long-term care,
increasing the seniors’ supplement amount, reduced ambulance costs, and a
prescription drug cap of $25 for eligible medications. Additionally seniors
aged 65 and older who require continuous or flash glucose monitoring for
diabetes management will now receive government support.
Furthermore our government
committed $10 million to Ronald McDonald House Charities in the ’24‑25
fiscal year to support families with children undergoing medical treatment.
This includes six and a half million for Ronald McDonald House in Regina and
three and a half million for Ronald McDonald House in Prince Albert, ensuring
families in our region have access to compassionate care close to home.
Mr. Speaker, we continue to
make investments in mental health and addictions with an increase of
$20 million for targeted initiatives. This includes continued progress on
the multi-year mental health and addictions action plan and delivering on the commitment
to add 500 addictions treatment spaces, doubling the public health system’s
capacity.
Planning is under way for
urgent care centres in Moose Jaw, Prince Albert, and North Battleford, building
on pilot projects in Regina and Saskatoon. Complex-needs emergency shelters
will be expanded in new communities, and this year’s budget accelerates the
hiring of health care professionals through our health human resources action
plan.
Mr. Speaker, education is the
foundation of our future, and our government continues to make the necessary
investments to ensure that Saskatchewan students have the tools and resources
they need to succeed. The additional 29.5 million investment in relocatable
classrooms brings our total commitment for relocatables
for the 2024‑25 school year to $58 million. This funding will
provide new relocatable classrooms across the province, ensuring that schools
facing capacity challenges have the infrastructure to accommodate our growing
student population. This is welcome news for families and school divisions in
the province, and it ensures students have adequate learning spaces and a
supportive educational environment.
The ’25‑26 budget
delivers increased funding for kindergarten to grade 12 learners, parents, and
teachers. School divisions will receive 2.4 billion in operating funding.
This includes an increase of $168 million to the operating funding;
130 million to fund the new teacher collective agreement; funding for 50
additional specialized support classrooms this year; funding to help address
support staff salary increases, transportation, and inflation.
Two million dollars has been
dedicated to improving kindergarten to grade 3 reading levels and
190 million for school capital budget to address student enrolment, along
with an increase of 15 million to the PMR
[preventative maintenance and renewal] funding to maintain existing facilities.
Further our government
remains committed to supporting post-secondary graduates as they build their
futures right here in Saskatchewan. Through the graduate retention program,
eligible graduates will now be able to benefit from up to $24,000 in tax credits.
This is one of the most generous retention programs in Canada and it directly
supports Saskatchewan’s labour market strategy and economic growth plan. By
keeping talented graduates in this province, we are strengthening our workforce
and creating opportunities for the next generation.
Key capital investments to
advanced education include expanded space for new occupational therapy and
speech-language programs at the U of S [University of Saskatchewan]; additional
seats in medical lab technology, medical radiologic technology, and respiratory
programs at polytech’s Regina campus; planning for
the University of Saskatchewan’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine
expansion project, among others.
An
Hon. Member: — Right on.
Darlene
Rowden: —
You bet.
Additionally Saskatchewan’s
energy companies are stepping up to support student learning with a combined
investment of $160,000 over two years to develop new courses and facilitate
student work placements in the oil and gas industry. This initiative is an
exciting opportunity for Saskatchewan students, particularly those in the
Batoche region, to gain hands-on experience and develop skills that will help
them build long, successful careers in our province’s energy sector.
Mr. Speaker, our government
listens when constituents and municipalities speak to us about community
safety. Over the past two years, $2 billion has been invested into
community safety, and this current budget delivers an enhanced presence of law
enforcement. Increases to the municipal police grant program will help officers
respond to more calls for service.
Increased funding for the
RCMP and the RCMP First Nations program will support operations in the
province. Previous commitments for 100 new municipal police officers, 14 new
safer communities and neighbourhoods personnel, and training for more officers
at the Saskatchewan Police College are also included in this budget. This
budget also includes funding to improve safety for correctional staff,
offenders, and the public and to alleviate capacity concerns at correctional
centres.
Additional investments will
be made in domestic violence programs and services and also second-stage
housing. Funding for a more accessible court system and ensuring cases are
ready to move to trial are also included in this budget.
Our government continues to
invest in infrastructure that supports economic growth and improves the quality
of life for our residents, Mr. Speaker. The Ministry of Highways ’25‑26
budget is $777 million. We are investing in strategic infrastructure and
enhancing driver safety to sustain our export-based economy.
Municipal revenue sharing
will reach a record 361.8 million in ’25‑26, an increase of
twenty-one and a half million dollars from last year. This reliable and
predictable funding allows local governments to invest in the priorities that
matter most to their communities.
In rural Saskatchewan, our
government is investing $34.4 million in road, bridge, and culvert
projects. Through the rural integrated roads for growth program, we are
ensuring that farmers, ranchers, and industries have the transportation
networks needed to move goods efficiently and remain competitive in global
markets. Additionally our new pilot framework for firefighter training
exercises will provide municipalities with a cost-effective and practical way
to safely dispose of problem structures, benefiting rural communities across
the province.
Mr. Speaker, Saskatchewan’s
agriculture sector is the backbone of our economy, the backbone of Batoche and
my family. The Water Security Agency has finalized an agricultural water
stewardship policy, with $1 million allocated over the next three years
for research and monitoring. With input from over 80 stakeholders and
Indigenous organizations, we are ensuring that our policies are effective and
sustainable.
Additionally Saskatchewan’s
Agriculture Development Fund will receive $7.2 million to support
livestock and forage research, while crop-related research will receive
14.8 million in funding. These investments in innovation and best
practices will help our producers remain competitive in international markets
and advance sustainable agricultural practices.
The 2025‑26 budget
includes funding for programs to strengthen competitiveness and innovation in
our ag sector. This funding supports a wide range of initiatives, including
work on pest biosecurity, disease surveillance and invasive weed control, farm
safety research, and an agriculture mentorship program. This government
continues to support the ag sector and its world-class producers. Long live
cowboys and farmers, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, attracting new
investment and growing our existing business continues to be a key priority for
our government. Numbers demonstrate that Saskatchewan is the best place to
invest in Canada. Our investment attraction strategy provides a road map for
achieving our growth plan target by building a competitive business environment
with low taxes and utility rates, a transparent and predictable regulatory
environment, enhancing red tape reduction, strong incentives, and a network of
nine international trade offices — woo-hoo — that connect Saskatchewan to the
world.
Over the last few months
Saskatchewan has consistently ranked among the top three provinces for growth
in building permit values — Regina up 54.9 per cent and Saskatoon an
unprecedented 189 per cent increase. This continued growth shows investor
confidence in Saskatchewan’s economy and the strength of our communities. More
building permits means more jobs, more development, and more people calling
Saskatchewan home.
[20:30]
Saskatchewan started 2025
with the lowest unemployment rate among provinces, at 5.4 per cent below the
national average. Full-time employment has increased by 3,000 year over year,
with significant job gains in the construction sector. Our government’s Building
the Workforce for a Growing Economy strategy ensures that Saskatchewan remains
a leader in job creation and investment.
Private capital investment,
super important. Private capital investment in Saskatchewan is expected to grow
by 10 per cent in 2025, reaching $16.2 billion. Saskatchewan continues to
lead the nation in investment growth, supported by our competitive tax
environment, predictable regulatory framework, and strong international trade
connections. We are ensuring that Saskatchewan remains the best place in Canada
to do business.
Mr. Speaker, Saskatchewan is
a province built on innovation, resilience, and commitment to growth. As we
look to the future, our government continues to foster an environment where
groundbreaking ideas turn into real-world solutions, strengthening our economy
and creating new opportunities across key industries.
Our government is taking bold
steps to support emissions reductions and innovation. With more than
$50 million available through the second intake of the technology fund,
Saskatchewan industries will continue to lead the way in sustainability while maintaining
strong economic growth, protecting jobs, families, and businesses.
With Saskatchewan’s largest
trading partners, the US and China, putting tariffs on Canadian products, it is
more important than ever that we have open trade within Canada. I want to
recognize for a minute here, Mr. Speaker, the greatest tariff threat our
province is facing today is the 100 per cent tariff coming from China on our
canola products, which has a direct impact on the oilseed producers and
value-added industry in this province, a fact that our federal Liberal-NDP
coalition government choose to not acknowledge.
Saskatchewan remains an
advocate for open and free trade and has always been a national leader on this
front. Saskatchewan aims to further reduce exceptions in the coming days and
weeks along with other provinces and territories.
Mr. Speaker, Saskatchewan
remains a jurisdiction of choice for workers, having the fastest turnaround
times for credential recognition in Canada. Under The Labour Mobility and
Fair Registration Practices Act, Saskatchewan now enjoys some of the best
labour mobility rates in Canada and has significantly reduced red tape for
international workers and Canadians from other provinces seeking employment
here. This means residents are finding jobs and getting into those jobs faster.
Mr. Speaker, we are not just
planning for today; we are securing the next decade of growth. Through our
Saskatchewan labour market strategy and investment attraction strategy,
alongside the launch of investsk.ca, we are ensuring
that businesses continue to invest, jobs continue to grow, and families
continue to thrive. These initiatives will further amplify growth and solidify
Saskatchewan as the best place to do business in Canada.
Mr. Speaker, this budget is
about affordability. It is about ensuring that every Saskatchewan resident has
access to quality health care, strong education, reliable infrastructure, live
in safe communities, and have a thriving economy. It is about strengthening our
communities and building a Saskatchewan that continues to lead the nation in
prosperity and opportunity.
For the people of Batoche
this budget delivers real, tangible benefits, improved educational spaces,
strengthened health care services, enhanced infrastructure, and continued job
growth.
Mr. Speaker, I am supporting
this budget and the vision it sets for our great province. Together we are
building a stronger, more prosperous Saskatchewan for today and for generations
to come. I will not be supporting the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Speaker
Goudy: —
I recognize the member from Regina Douglas
Park.
Nicole
Sarauer: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s
my honour to rise today and enter
into the debate on this budget. Before I get started into the meat and potatoes
of the budget, I do want to take a moment first of all to thank my constituency
assistant.
Since
I had the opportunity to speak in the House, my CA [constituency assistant]
Aiden McMartin is moving on from my office after working for me for a few years
to come over to caucus office. So he’s not moving very far. Instead of having
one MLA as a boss, he’s choosing to have 27 MLAs as a boss. But I do want to
take the opportunity to thank him for all of the work he did in my office. I
received nothing but words of thanks and praise from constituents who often
would talk to him. And he always lent an understanding ear to them and worked
very hard to address their issues, and I feel like represented me very well in
his role. And I know he will continue to do a fantastic job serving us as a
larger team, Mr. Speaker.
I also want to take the
opportunity to thank my family for always being supportive, and as well as our
team for the support that they give, that we give each other each and every
day. In particular I want to highlight last week, last Thursday, Mr. Speaker.
My daughter was sick, but not too sick that she couldn’t really stay home, but
she was too sick to go to school. So I brought her to work because we really
had no other option. My husband was busy at work, so I brought her here.
And it was a very busy day,
in case you remember, Mr. Speaker, Thursday. Some of it was self-inflicted,
absolutely, and some of it was not. But it was an incredibly busy day. And I
just want to take the opportunity to thank the staff on our side who stepped up
and helped keep an eye on her and the team who very much also helped,
understanding what was going on. And I just think that we all do a fantastic
job of putting family first and supporting each other when we most need that
support, Mr. Speaker. I think that’s indicative of a very strong team, and I’m
very grateful to it. And I’ve been lucky enough to be served by great teams
over the last two terms, Mr. Speaker.
I think I’ve mentioned this
before, but when she was first in the House she was three months old and I
snuck her into the gallery on Thursday. She’s five and a half now. It’s kind of
crazy how quickly time goes in life, Mr. Speaker. And I just wanted to express
my thanks to everybody who helps keep the home fires burning, Mr. Speaker.
On to the budget. This is a
budget that we’ve been talking about for a while now. Still lots of speeches to
go. It’s a budget that’s not focused on the future, Mr. Speaker. It’s a budget
with the government, who we’ve heard lots of self-congratulations already from
government members about the surplus, the $12 million surplus, Mr.
Speaker. And I’ve been around long enough that I’ve seen this government sneeze
and blow through more than $12 million in the matter of a few days, Mr.
Speaker. So forgive us if we see that $12 million surplus and that
self-congratulations as a little bit interesting, a little bit . . .
We wonder how long it’s going to take before that $12 million gets eaten
up.
I just wanted to highlight, I
was thinking back about how many times we’ve been through the process of
supplemental estimates, Mr. Speaker. And in case you don’t know, supplemental
estimates is when the government has to come back to the legislature because
they’ve spent more money than they originally planned, Mr. Speaker. And so
supplemental estimates happens quite often actually.
And I just wanted to
highlight how much money has been spent in supplemental estimates just in
portions of my critic area. So this is not the entirety of, for example,
Justice supplemental estimates or Corrections and Policing supplemental
estimates. This is just a portion of the areas that I’ve covered over the past
two years.
So in 2023, there was a
$40 million ask, Mr. Speaker, for unfunded emergency fire response. So
that was, again, a little bit more than $12 million, Mr. Speaker. And that
is just a portion of one ministry that overspent and needed to because of the
fire. But government, as it oftens does, failed to plan, failed to create a
contingency for themselves.
It’s something that we’ve
been talking about already that this government does not seem interested in
being focused in reality of the economic situation that Saskatchewan is facing
today, that other jurisdictions have built in contingency plans for themselves.
And this government made a choice that instead of doing that — they could have
done that — instead of doing that, they wanted to make sure that they were able
to talk about having a surplus budget when we know that in reality, it’s going
to be maybe a hot second before that $12 million gets eaten up, Mr.
Speaker, and we’re back into yet another deficit budget.
Another supplemental estimate
example, Mr. Speaker. This is more recent. This is 2024, December 9th. Now the
Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety asked for 45 million
additional dollars to support the operation of the province’s correctional
facilities. Now, I’m not great at math — lawyers are notoriously not great at
math — but I can tell you that I’m pretty sure $45 million is a little bit
larger than $12 million, Mr. Speaker.
So again I would caution
members to not wave the mission accomplished banner too aggressively about the
surplus budget that they’re presenting here. And I do hope that those members
who are speaking so proudly about the surplus budget are going to, you know,
ensure transparency with the people of Saskatchewan, and when that surplus gets
eaten up that they are going to speak as loudly about their deficit spending
and why they ended up having to spend more money than they originally planned,
Mr. Speaker.
And I’m just going to speak —
there’s lots that can be talked about in this budget, and I know all my
colleagues are going to do a fantastic job of doing that — I want to speak very
specifically and very narrowly about a few portions of the budget to which I am
the critic of, Mr. Speaker. And I do want to give credit to the government
where credit is due, Mr. Speaker. Call it my little rose in the thorns that
will be my overall budget, Mr. Speaker.
I was very happy to see the
planned expansion of the bylaw courts. Now this is something that stakeholders
have been talking to me about. I know that there were two RMs
who tabled resolutions at SARM about the need for
better access to bylaw courts and bylaw court expansion throughout the
province. RM of Estevan and the RM of Wallace particularly were speaking about
it.
It’s very important for RMs to be able to have an ability to enforce bylaws, Mr.
Speaker. There is no point in these RMs to be able to
hand out bylaws if they can’t therefore enforce them, Mr. Speaker. So there’s
been some frustration amongst RMs who aren’t able to
do that. And there is a great project that was created in the Kindersley area.
And now this expansion is
very much welcomed. And the devil will be in the details; we’ll be watching it
closely to see how it all rolls out. But that’s very important, access to the
courts is a very important thing. Access to the judicial system is incredibly
important, having faith. It helps to grow faith in our justice system.
Mr. Speaker, we live in a
very fragile ecosystem. Our society is actually quite fragile, and the words we
say as leaders and as legislators very much matter. And it’s very important
that we use our words and our language to not tear down the systems that exist
in support of our democracy and in support of our society. And a properly
accessible and strong and independent judiciary is one of those key pillars of
our society, Mr. Speaker.
[20:45]
And that is why we were quite
negative about the comments the Premier had made back in 2023 about a judicial
decision that happened at that time. And granted, what he said at the time was
small potatoes compared to what we are seeing happen south of the border right
now. But it is important that when we are having these conversations, and that
we’re talking about the rule of law and the judiciary, that we choose our words
wisely and that we work to not undermine public trust in the institutions that
support our democracy, Mr. Speaker.
Another piece of ensuring
that we’re not undermining our democracy is ensuring that there is public
confidence in the judicial system and in the justice system at large. And the
work of government plays a role in that. So I’ll be watching that very closely
to ensure that the ministry is working hard to ensure access to justice at all
levels, Mr. Speaker. And the bylaw court expansion is a positive step in that.
At the same time we’re
hearing concerns about circuit court points and the accessibility of those
facilities, the ability of timely justice, Mr. Speaker. So all of these are
areas that the ministry needs to continue to work on and advocate for.
Now in addition, Mr. Speaker,
this is largely a budget that is weak on crime and weak on the causes of crime.
And I’m going to speak about one area of crime in particular, because if you
blink and you miss it, you won’t see it talked about in the budget. Now I’ve
talked about this issue from many different angles. I want to talk about it
from a public safety angle because I think it’s really important. When we talk
about access to police and reducing crime, there is an area that I think is
getting largely ignored and something that government needs to be addressing in
a more fulsome way.
Some stats from last year,
Mr. Speaker, in policing: in Saskatoon for the year ending 2024 there was a 4.7
percentage increase in sexual violations and an 8.3 per cent increase in
assaults. In Regina there was year-over-year increases in sexual assaults,
sexual interference, and non-consensual distribution of intimate images; a 22
per cent increase in reported sexual assaults, and an 80 per cent increase
since 2015; 63 per cent increase in reported sex crimes. RCMP, Mr. Speaker,
reported the average number of reported incidents of intimate partner and
family violence is 700 incidents per month, Mr. Speaker, in the Saskatchewan
RCMP jurisdiction.
Now what do we see about that
in the budget? It says, “Additional investments will be made in interpersonal
violence programs and services, including second-stage housing.” That’s it, Mr.
Speaker. From what I understand so far, that amounts to about a 3 per cent
increase to CBOs [community-based organization] who provide gender-based
violence support services in the province. We’re glad to see that, but it’s not
nearly sufficient, Mr. Speaker.
Let’s talk about the domestic
violence death review report. Now I’m very glad to see that work was done, that
the report came out. For some reason I understand it sat for about a year
before it was made public, Mr. Speaker. It is something that we think should be
ongoing work. Other jurisdictions like Ontario has a standing domestic violence
death review panel that doesn’t break and then get back together and then break
like we see happen in Saskatchewan. We’ve had two reports so far, two groups.
There’s a lot of work that needs to be done in terms of breaking down privacy
barriers so that better information can flow, so better recommendations could
be made, but I do want to applaud those who did the work on this report. It’s a
very great report.
But I want to talk about a
recommendation from the 2018 report. This was the original one. They said one
of the recommendations was to “develop a comprehensive program that focuses on
building education and awareness about healthy relationships, and how to
prevent and respond to situations of domestic violence and abuse.”
Now that mirrors something
that you see in the 2025 domestic violence death review report. One of the
recommendations, Mr. Speaker, is to: “Implement ongoing public awareness
campaigns to educate communities about domestic violence. Develop youth-focused
educational programs on healthy relationships,” Mr. Speaker.
Now what happened over a year
ago in this province, Mr. Speaker? In 2023 the Saskatchewan Ministry of
Education decided to remove healthy relationship and consent education from our
schools, Mr. Speaker. In a province where we have the worst rates of intimate
partner violence in the country and the second-worst rates of sexual assault in
the country — and I just went over the stats from last year, Mr. Speaker — why
was this decision made? There is no other reason than ideology.
What has happened since then?
Nothing, Mr. Speaker. There was an announcement that a framework was going to
be made. Nothing has been made. It has been over a year now where we have not
had consent education or healthy relationship education in our schools in
Saskatchewan, Mr. Speaker.
Prevention education is
helpful. Prevention education is one of the pillars of the national action plan
to end gender-based violence, so this is something that the Minister for the
Status of Women should be working on and advocating for in this province. This
work is funded by the Ministry of Justice, so this is something that the
Minister of Justice should be working on to ensure gets back into our schools,
Mr. Speaker.
When we have the worst rates
in the country, we need to be doing every single thing we possibly can to
reduce those rates. When we make decisions based on ideology that harms
children and harms women, we need to be reversing those, Mr. Speaker. Full stop.
I’m going to read a quote
from the Saskatchewan association of sexual assault services. They have a
policy brief and they say:
Eliminating
community-based educators has created a significant gap in violence prevention
education, disproportionately affecting students in rural and remote areas,
where resources, expertise, and access to specialized support are already
limited. The absence of subject matter experts in schools not only weakens
student protections but also places an undue burden on teachers, who lack the
specialized training required to deliver trauma-informed, evidence-based
education effectively. Reinstating community-based educators will ensure that
all students, regardless of location, receive comprehensive, age-appropriate,
and culturally responsive education that empowers them to recognize and prevent
abuse while fostering safer learning environments across Saskatchewan.
Mr. Speaker, to be able to
tackle intimate partner violence, human trafficking, and child sexual abuse, we
need prevention education back in our schools, Mr. Speaker. This is an
important topic. This is a public safety issue.
If we want to talk about
reducing the rates of crime in our province, if we want to talk about having
the public have better and quicker access to policing services, we need to talk
about preventing crime in the first place. And one of the ways we prevent crime
is prevention education, Mr. Speaker. This is an easy fix, and this wouldn’t
cost the government any money, Mr. Speaker.
I’m going to end on one
story. I’m almost out of time, so I’m going to end on one story and then I’ll
wrap up, Mr. Speaker. But I think it’s a very powerful story. It’s something
that a stakeholder shared with me when I was talking to her about this issue.
And I bring this up because this is something . . . In doing work, I
know that the critic for Status of Women, who’s been talking to stakeholders in
this area, and I have also been talking to stakeholders in this area. They
bring this up all the time. We ask what their number one concern is. Of course
they want to see more funding but that’s quickly followed by, we’re really
worried about this: kids don’t have access to this education anymore. And it’s
a problem, Mr. Speaker.
So here’s a story someone
sent me, and it comes from the Minister of Justice’s riding. She said:
I want
to tell you a true story that took place years ago in Moose Jaw. A woman had
been living with an abusive partner. They had two children together. She ran a
home-based daycare, and her ability to look for and receive support was limited
by this.
One day
her eight‑year-old son came home from school and said, “Mom, some ladies
came to school today, and they can help us.” Her son went on to say that the
ladies would pick him up after school to take part in the
children-exposed-to-violence group and drive him home after the group was over.
She
agreed, became connected with the shelter herself, and left the abusive
partner. Years later, she would go on to be a staff member at the same shelter
that had supported her in her own time of need. She always credits the impact
of that presentation in the school and her then eight‑year-old son for
helping her get free of her abusive partner.
We
believe that information about preventing sexual violence, including language
around consent, is crucial education for our children. They also need to know
that violence in the home, either directed at them or between their parents, is
never okay. If children don’t receive this message, they don’t even consider
telling anyone or asking for help. They’re also more likely to be victimized or
perpetrate abuse themselves when they get older.
End quote, Mr. Speaker.
And with that, I will not be
supporting this budget, and I will be supporting the motion, the amendment from
my colleague, the member from Mount Royal. Thank you.
Speaker
Goudy: —
I recognize the member from Estevan-Big
Muddy.
Hon.
Lori Carr: —
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s my pleasure to be able to stand here today and
speak to the ’25‑26 budget. This budget delivers for you and the people
of Saskatchewan. The budget priorities reflect the priorities Saskatchewan
residents said were most important to them: affordability, health care,
education, safer communities, and fiscal responsibility. Delivering for You
is the theme of this year’s budget, and I could not think of a more fitting
theme.
Having the opportunity to
serve the past eight years in the constituency of Estevan-Big Muddy has been an
honour, and I look forward to serving them for the next four years. The entire
goal of being an MLA is meeting the needs of my constituents, delivering for
them. And I wanted to say thank you to them for having faith in me and
supporting me in the election in October of 2024 so that I can continue to
serve.
Being an MLA is not for the
faint of heart. Sometimes even when best efforts are made, there are times when
the goal you’re trying to achieve is not achievable at that point in time. Mr.
Speaker, one thing I do know is I’ve always made the best efforts to achieve
those goals on behalf of my constituents. One of the requests I’ve been making
virtually since I was elected is resurfacing of Highway 18 west of Estevan. I’m
happy to report that this summer the Department of Highways will finally be
completing resurfacing of Highway 18 from Estevan to Outram. This is delivering
for the constituents of Estevan-Big Muddy.
When we talk about
affordability measures that this year’s budget delivers on, I believe it’s
important to first look at the measures that are already in place. In each and
every budget leading up and including this budget, there is an annual
affordability measure of approximately $2 billion, items that we have come
accustomed to and maybe even taken for granted, forget that they’re even there.
We have been delivering on
affordability and will continue to do so. Some of the measures we’re bringing
forward in this budget are: raising the basic personal exemption, spousal and
equivalent-to-spouse exemption, dependent child exemption, and seniors’
supplementary supplement by $500 a year for the next four years. This is over
and above the impact of indexation, which makes for the largest personal income
tax reduction in the province since 2008.
Increasing the disability tax
credit and caregiver tax credit by 25 per cent, Mr. Speaker. Doubling the
active families benefit refundable tax credit from 150 to $300 per child, and
doubling the threshold that the income qualifies for to $120,000 to make
children’s sports, arts, culture, and recreational activities more affordable
for more families.
[21:00]
We’re reinstating the home
renovation tax credit which allows homeowners to save up to $420 annually in
home renovation expenses, while seniors undertaking home renovations can save
up to $525. I know many people who are homeowners and they are continually
renovating their homes, meaning that this should help virtually everyone in my
constituency who is a homeowner.
And increasing the graduate
retention tax program benefit by 20 per cent to a maximum of $24,000. This
actually is not so much an affordability measure, but a retention and a growth
tool for the youth in our province, Mr. Speaker. There are so many students who
have decided to take advantage of this program and choose to stay in
Saskatchewan, build their careers, and set their roots down here. I have two
daughters that took advantage of this program and now they’re living and
working in Saskatchewan. And the bonus for me is I have five grandchildren who
are close to home.
As well, we are maintaining
the small-business tax rate at 1 per cent, benefiting more than 35,000 small
businesses in Saskatchewan and saving them over 50 million in corporate
income taxes annually.
We are in an assessment year
this year, which means our property values may go up and likely will go up.
Your Saskatchewan Party government has decided that your property tax mill rate
will be reduced to absorb the increase of that property assessment value and
ensure that this assessment year is revenue neutral for the province in each
property class.
And just as a reminder, your
Saskatchewan Party government extended the carbon tax exemption on home heating
again this year. Hopefully by this time next year we won’t have any type of
carbon tax at all.
All of the items I have just
listed above truly are delivering for you when it comes to affordability.
Delivering for all of those across the province, in Estevan-Big Muddy as well.
Mr. Speaker, do you know what
else keeps life more affordable for the people of Saskatchewan? A strong
economy. And what is one of those things that helps with a strong economy? Our
agriculture industry. And that’s why we will continue to support this industry.
Agriculture is the backbone of our economy. Our government will continue to
deliver on the programs and services producers need while investing in the
long-term success of the industry. This budget supports ranchers, farmers, and
agribusiness in the challenges they face while continuing to meet the rising
global demand for sustainably produced, nutritional food.
The member from Regina South
Albert says we are doing nothing for our economy. Well if it were up to the
members opposite, they would shut down all of the trade offices we have around
the world. It is those trade offices that are working directly with several
different countries to ensure that we have a direct line with all of them. This
government has created an environment for trade to occur, and the only thing we
see out of the members opposite is supporting a federal Liberal-NDP coalition
that has only brought in policies and legislation that directly hurt our
agriculture communities. This government delivers for agriculture.
Mr. Speaker, this year’s
health budget delivers on critical supports and investments, making services
more accessible and helping people get high-quality and reliable care when they
need it. Now this is going to be the longest portion of my speech, not just
because I’m the Minister of Rural and Remote Health, Mental Health and
Addictions, and Seniors. It will be the longest because it takes up a third of
the provincial budget, a budget that delivers for you.
When it comes to mental
health and addictions, we know how important it is to access the right
treatment at the right time. That is why nearly 8 per cent of our health budget
is allocated to mental health and addictions services. We are providing significant
funding towards our action plan for mental health and addictions by expanding
access to addiction treatment spaces, getting us closer to our goal of doubling
provincial capacity by adding 500 spaces and continuing our transition to a
recovery-oriented system of care. Mr. Speaker, we’re at 221 of those 500 right
now. We have another 100 allocated, hoping that they open up soon, and we’re
going to continue with that goal of getting to 500 beds.
Do you know what’s not
helpful, Mr. Speaker? Closing beds. We used to have a first-class addictions
centre in Estevan under the opposition when they had the privilege to serve
this province and lead. And what did they do to those beds? They closed them. But
I’m happy to report, we opened them and we have added to them, Mr. Speaker.
And, Mr. Speaker, the member
from Saskatoon Centre seems to be just a little bit confused on how ROSC,
recovery-oriented system of care, works, so I just want to briefly explain
that. What happens is an individual will go into a facility or treatment, and
it’s not the traditional 28‑day program anymore. That individual is
treated for what they are ailing from, Mr. Speaker. And if it takes 28 days,
fantastic. But we all know it could take longer. So if it’s 60, if it’s 90,
they work with that individual.
And when it’s time for them
to move on, they may spend time in a sober-living facility where they will have
wraparound supports and learn how to integrate back into a community, Mr.
Speaker, with the whole goal of getting them back into employment, getting them
into recovery, Mr. Speaker, so that they can live safe and healthy lives back
with their families and back with their communities, Mr. Speaker.
These beds that we’re
providing across the province, it’s also important to note that they’re not all
the same. There are some 24 in-patient round-the-clock care. Some people only
need intensive day services, where they come to a facility during the day but
then at nighttime they may go back to their home, but they always have access
to a counsellor or someone they can call if they are in need. And then we also
have something new as far as virtual care goes, Mr. Speaker, and that may work
for some individuals. It is not one-size-fits-all, Mr. Speaker.
We’re expanding our
complex-needs emergency shelters into more communities. We have seen success
with the pilot project in the last year. Over 1,300 patients have been admitted
to both Regina and Saskatoon locations to date. Each of these patients get connected
with various community supports, ranging from health services to social
services, and are discharged with a care plan, or they get to a community-based
organization, they go back to family. Mr. Speaker, best case scenario, they
choose to go into recovery and take advantage of the recovery-oriented system
of care that we have to offer.
By getting people who are
facing mental health and addictions out of the streets and into these shelters,
Mr. Speaker, we’re able to increase public safety and help them get the right
supports to recover from any addictions or mental health challenges. And when
we say community safety is a priority, we mean it. Not like what the member
from Saskatoon Centre had to say earlier. We are investing dollars and, Mr.
Speaker, it is expensive. It’s not cheap to provide these services for
individuals. So what price would the member from Saskatoon Centre put on the
services that we’re providing so that we can get these individuals into
recovery? We are only trying to help, Mr. Speaker.
The member from Saskatoon
Centre said individuals who are taken to the complex-needs emergency shelters
get arrested and charged. Mr. Speaker, nothing could be further from the facts.
Mr. Speaker, yes, these individuals are picked up by police officers in these
communities, but they are not arrested and they are not charged. We know that
the right place for these individuals is not a jail cell, Mr. Speaker. It will
just agitate them more. But when they do present a harm to themselves or a harm
to the community as a whole, they are picked up and they are taken to these
shelters, Mr. Speaker.
In these shelters we provide
a warm meal, a hot shower, a bed for them. There are supports there for these
individuals — social workers, nurses, counsellors — with the whole goal of
getting them into recovery, Mr. Speaker. And when they’re let go the next day,
they’re not taken to a police station, Mr. Speaker. They’re let go at a
community-based organization who can help them. They’re let go to family, Mr.
Speaker, people that truly care about them and want to see them do better, Mr.
Speaker. I would also note that this is avoiding people from going to the
emergency room as well, so we’re providing some space there while these
individuals are getting the help that they really do need.
Our plan is to keep people
safe in their communities and to help fund that path to recovery. The NDP plan
in BC [British Columbia] promotes more drugs and makes it less safe on the
streets, Mr. Speaker. We can see how well that has worked for them, and it
hasn’t worked very well at all. In fact they’ve decided to back up on some of
those policies that they’ve decided to put in in the past, and hopefully they
can see some of the successes that we’re having with some stuff that we’re
doing, and maybe they’ll go down that road.
The Saskatchewan Party
government will continue to fund a path for recovery so people who suffer from
substance abuse can live healthier lives with their families back in their
communities. We’re expanding access to addictions treatment through a new virtual
access and addictions medicine program. This program will increase access to
legitimate addictions medication provided through the opioid agonist therapy
program. These legitimate addiction medications alleviate cravings and manage
withdrawal symptoms for patients facing opioid addictions. By increasing this
access, we ensure that all Saskatchewan residents, whether they live in the far
North or in a rural area in southern Saskatchewan, Mr. Speaker, can receive the
addiction treatment they need when they need it.
We continue to invest in our
children and youth in this province. We provide a number of supports designed
specifically for youth to make sure we are addressing mental health and
addictions issues when they start and enabling our youth to recover from such
challenges.
This year we’re making
significant investments to support multiple integrated youth services sites, as
well as two additional group homes. In collaboration with the Ministry of
Social Services, by investing in our youth, we can provide them with the proper
tools to build a stronger future for themselves and the province as a whole. We
all know the youth is our future, and we’re going to deliver for them as well,
Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, we believe that
the hard-working seniors who built this province deserve safe, reliable, and
high-quality care that they need in order to age with dignity in their homes
for as long as possible. That is why we continue to make significant investments
in seniors initiatives in this year’s budget.
We have annualized funding
for our previous commitment of adding 300 continuing care assistants to the
home care program and we have added those assistants. This funding increases
access to home supports, which can vary from supportive services to nursing
services, depending on the level of care required. We’re also investing in
senior-serving organizations and community groups that develop innovative
approaches to support seniors in their homes.
To ensure seniors can access
long-term care when it becomes necessary, we continue to make significant
investments in long-term care. This year we are investing in multiple major
capital projects as well as our affiliate long-term care providers. We have
many long-term care projects currently under way, including in rural and remote
areas such as La Ronge, Grenfell, Estevan, and more.
There are $2.5 million
to continue with the detailed design of the new Estevan Regional Nursing Home.
This is another exciting milestone in this new build for not only Estevan but
surrounding communities. And we continue to reduce expenses specific to seniors
who may live on fixed incomes. We heavily subsidize the cost of long-term care
by covering over 80 per cent of the overall cost.
Through the senior citizens’
ambulance assistance program, ambulance trips are capped at $135 per trip for
ground ambulance services. We have increased the personal care home benefit by
$1,000 to a maximum of $3,500 per month. As a part of our 2024 campaign
commitment, we are expanding access to flash glucose monitoring for seniors age
65‑plus. This will benefit over 9,000 seniors, Mr. Speaker. We are
delivering for them as well.
We continue to create more
opportunities for health care professionals to find meaningful work in the
province of Saskatchewan. We have annualized funding to continue the support of
250 new, enhanced, full-time, permanent positions that have been filled in 54
rural communities across this province. We will continue to support an
additional 65 new and enhanced positions in rural and remote communities
through a $4.8 million investment this year.
[21:15]
Having reliable access to
ambulance services is critical in rural and remote areas. That is why we are
investing 8.8 million to support ground and air ambulance services this
year through our multi-year EMS [emergency medical services] stabilization
plan. This is on top of their regular funding, Mr. Speaker.
To retain more health care
professionals in rural and remote communities, we introduced the rural and
remote recruitment incentive that offers $50,000 to hard-to-recruit positions
in over 50 communities, one of them being Estevan, Mr. Speaker. Through this
program we have filled over 400 hard-to-recruit positions and continue to
recruit more health care professionals every day. Similarly we support the
rural physician incentive that offers up to $200,000 to physicians that
practise in rural and remote communities. In addition to these incentives,
physicians in remote communities can receive a new rural and northern practice
recognition premium. These efforts allow us to remain an attractive province to
live, work, and raise a family, Mr. Speaker.
Accessing primary care
doesn’t always require a physician that may not readily be available in a rural
or remote community. That is why our government is expanding the scope of
practice for multiple health care professionals, including nurse practitioners.
We have expanded the scope of nurse practitioners through a long-term care
pilot project that allows nurse practitioners to select long-term care sites to
take on more responsibility and fully apply their knowledge to their work.
Pharmacists’ scope of practice has also expanded recently through pilot
projects. At select locations, pharmacists are able to perform more advanced
examinations on patients, such as testing for strep throat.
Mr. Speaker, increasing
access to primary care through innovative approaches and ambitious retention
initiatives also allows us to deliver the right care at the right time to the
people of Saskatchewan. All of this is to help us achieve our goal that every Saskatchewan
resident should have access to a primary care provider.
And before I close on the
topic of health, I would be remiss if I did not mention the MRI [magnetic
resonance imaging] services that will be coming to Estevan. Emmanuel Health and
St. Joseph’s Hospital have been actively fundraising for the capital equipment
and renovations. I am so happy to update everyone today that in less than one
year, they have managed to raise 5 million of their $6.5 million
goal. That $5 million includes the generous donation from Elaine Walkom that kickstarted this project. And I can’t wait to
see the day when we can actually get those services up and going.
Thanks to the hard work and
tenacity of Lori Gervais at the hospital foundation. She has reached out far
and wide to individuals and communities that this investment will benefit.
Every time I look at social media, there’s another rural municipality giving
$100,000 or more.
The constituency I live in is
one of the most generous I’ve ever seen, and the donations flow from other
constituencies. And this is happening because this is truly a regional
investment. So I’d like to take the opportunity to thank all of those to date who
have donated to this project. Thanks to the individuals, the families, the
businesses, and the municipalities. From the bottom of my heart I say thank
you.
Mr. Speaker, I’ve talked a
lot about the investments we’re making in health care, the largest budgeted
item in this budget. The only way we can afford to pay for these services is
through a strong economy, which brings us to our energy and resource sector,
the sector which continues to move our economy forward. That is one of the
reasons we are delivering a new incentive to support the goal of increasing oil
production to 600 barrels per day by 2030.
The low productivity and
reactivation oil well program is an incentive program designed to encourage
industry to make new capital investments in low-producing and inactive
horizontal oil wells. The goal is to create incremental oil production and
revenue from existing wells. Once again, Mr. Speaker, delivering for you.
Now let’s talk a little bit
about education. We’re focusing on delivering increased opportunities and
supports for kindergarten to grade 12 students, parents, and teachers across
Saskatchewan. This year there is a 5.4 increase to the Ministry of Education,
which includes an 8.4 increase in school operating funding, monies that will go
directly to supporting our students.
Last year we had a pilot
project in eight schools across Saskatchewan. These were the specialized
support classrooms set up throughout the province. We have heard these
classrooms have been very successful. That is why this year we’re going to
build on those successes and provide funding for 50 additional specialized
support classrooms. These classrooms help reduce interruptions by providing
additional supports to students who need them.
We’re also emphasizing
student literacy. Learning to read is one of the most valuable skills during
childhood and sets the foundation for lifelong academic success. For this
reason, this year’s budget provides additional funding to improve kindergarten
to grade 3 reading levels in Saskatchewan.
Getting there, Mr. Speaker,
I’m just about done. In the ’25‑26 budget we deliver safer communities
across this province by enhancing the presence of law enforcement in
Saskatchewan. We are delivering for you by increasing the municipal police
grant program, which helps front-line officers respond to more calls for
services while increased funding for the RCMP will support operations in the
province.
In Estevan we will continue
to receive funding for the PACT unit, or better known as the police and crisis
team. The aim of this team is to help individuals and families struggling with
mental illness. The police officers pair with a registered social worker to
attend and diffuse crisis situations. Then they will connect individuals with
the appropriate supports they need.
As well there’s an additional
investment being made in interpersonal violence programs and services including
second-stage housing. The budget also delivers funding to create a more
accessible court system for municipal bylaw officers and ensuring cases are
complete and ready to move to trial more quickly.
And the last topic, financial
responsibility. Mr. Speaker, the surplus forecast in ’24‑25 budget leaves
Saskatchewan in one of the strongest financial positions among provinces.
Non-renewable resources account for 12.8 per cent of the total expenses in this
year’s budget. Another sign of Saskatchewan’s strong financial position is the
province’s net debt position, which remains the second-lowest debt-to-GDP ratio
among Canadian provinces at 14.6 per cent.
Our government’s prudent
financial management is also reflected in the province’s credit rating.
Saskatchewan currently maintains the second-best credit rating among provinces
when the ratings from the three major agencies are considered.
And just to touch on a couple
of other things before I wrap up. We know we continue to have a strong economy
that is reflected in our municipal revenue-sharing numbers. There is a 6.3 per
cent increase for all municipalities, and because this is based on the amount
of provincial sales tax that is generated, it shows that our economy is
growing.
And to remind everyone, these
dollars are predictable, stable, no strings attached for our municipalities,
not like when the members opposite had the opportunity to lead. They made
municipalities beg for money and would choose what they thought their priorities
were, not the government. Mr. Speaker, we know that municipalities are best
suited to understand what their needs are, and we will let them choose what
their priorities are.
We also continue to work with
our community-based organizations, all of whom received a 3 per cent increase
in this year’s budget. Food Banks of Saskatchewan will also receive funding in
a two-year commitment our government made to help families and food banks with
high food costs.
A commitment was made during
the 2024 election to create a new Saskatchewan young entrepreneur bursary,
which is an annual grant of $285,000 for a maximum of 57 bursaries to support
young entrepreneurs in this province. Supporting our entrepreneurs will keep
this economy moving forward and delivering for all of us, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, as I started, Delivering
for You is the theme of this year’s budget, and I could not think of a more
fitting theme. The budget priorities reflect the priorities of Saskatchewan
residents. That’s what they said was most important to them: affordability,
health care, education, safer communities, and fiscal responsibility.
So, Mr. Speaker, I will be
supporting this budget, and I will not be supporting the amendment. Thank you.
Speaker
Goudy: —
I recognize the member from Saskatoon
Fairview.
Vicki
Mowat: —
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Glad to have a supportive colleague. Thank you, Mr.
Speaker. It’s my honour to engage in the budget debate once again this year.
As is customary, I will start
by giving some thanks in particular to my constituency assistant Twyla Harris Naciri, who’s been with me through thick and thin for the
past seven and a half years, aside from a couple of maternity leaves which
brought her some beautiful baby boys. We’ve been through quite a lot together
and I wouldn’t be able to do this work without her, so I want to say thank you
even though I hope she’s not watching this right now. I hope she’s taking some
time with her family.
And I also want to talk a
little bit about the role that family plays in all of this. Often I’ll talk
about my spouse in this place. I feel like he has no idea how much I speak
about him here and everyone kind of knows more about him than they might care
to. But I want to talk a little bit about my folks because I’m pretty close
with my parents as well and it’s been a rough month for them. My father had two
emergency back surgeries this month, spent at least a couple of weeks in the
hospital, and then my mom also had a knee surgery that was planned this month.
So they’re both recuperating at home right now and have heavily relied on in
particular my brother, who’s taken some time off; me for the odds and ends,
times that I can provide supports; and for my partner and his partner for
helping them figure out how to get around and be mobile.
My dad is an accountant, so
the tax season was a terribly bad time for all of this to happen. But it sure
has been a reminder for me of how grateful I am to have them in my life and to
have them supporting me, and to know that as family we support one another. So
I want to thank my colleagues, who’ve been very supportive throughout all of
this, and our staff team for always knowing what’s most important. Even though
we dedicate quite a bit to this work, we also know at the end of the day that
our families need to be the centre of our lives. So I want to thank all of them
for that as well.
I’ll turn my attention to the
budget. As we have canvassed already, this is a budget that’s not focused on
the future and doesn’t meet the reality that we’re facing right now. In fact it
denies the seriousness of many of the massive challenges that we face today,
including having a substantive plan for tariffs, the single greatest threat to
the economy that we’ve faced and absolutely the main topic of discussion over
the past few months, Mr. Speaker, something that we repeatedly called for the
legislature to be called back to discuss before the tariffs were implemented.
And it was greatly disappointing to see this government make the decision not
to resume the legislature so that we could have those conversations while they
were unfolding.
In addition to not having a
plan for the economy or for tariffs, pretending these last three months haven’t
happened, there are no measures here to protect workers, producers, businesses,
or industry from Donald Trump’s trade war. Instead what we see in this budget
is only cuts to health care and education, which are already both ranked dead
last in Canada. So let’s talk about some of these areas here in particular, Mr.
Speaker.
Starting to hear some grumbling over
there. I think we’re waking some people up.
Mr. Speaker, what people want
to know right now is that they have some protection over their lives and their
livelihood. They want to know that their jobs are protected. They’re worried
about their future. And that’s what they want, is a government that’s going to
be representing them and providing that protection.
And I was really disappointed
to go through the budget and see some very flimsy content on tariffs, like 12
paragraphs discussion in broad strokes what was happening with tariffs when
this has largely monopolized all the conversations we’ve been having with
stakeholders over the past several months, implications over our economy which
is largely export driven. It felt weak and it felt like a flimsy response to
the very serious threat that is in front of us today.
[21:30]
And we also know, of course,
that the Premier was very slow to respond, the slowest premier to respond in
the nature of these at the time of the tariffs, Mr. Speaker, and very reluctant
to make any kind of statement condemning Donald Trump as we have canvassed with
our emergency motion last week as well.
We know the cost of living is
a really big challenge right now, and for anyone who doesn’t know that, you
know, I think you’d have to be living under a rock at this point. But it was
one of the central issues that was raised by my constituents during the
campaign.
You know, I heard the
minister opposite talking about how all of her constituents who are homeowners
are renovating their homes and so of course this is going to be helpful for
them. My constituents who are homeowners, some of them are renovating their homes,
sure. But some of them are worried that they’re going to lose their homes
because every month the cost of everything just keeps going up and up and up
and wages haven’t kept pace with that. So that’s a very real circumstance for
the people of this province that also needs to be acknowledged.
We need to meet people where
they’re at, and cost-of-living challenges are where they’re at, Mr. Speaker.
And these people need relief now, not waiting for savings that they won’t see
until 2026 under the tax cuts that have been promised. And I know that this
government had to have heard those concerns while they were door knocking. And
it’s really disappointing to see that those needs are not being met and people
are not being listened to when they’re facing taxes on essentials like
groceries and children’s clothes. Those things are not optional and can’t be
omitted, as we all know very well.
It’s also really, really
discouraging to see $26.7 million being cut from education, Mr. Speaker.
And over the last year that we’ve seen, you’d think that now might be a time
that the government would wake up to the idea that we need to invest in education.
Over the public outcry we’ve seen, over the rallies with thousands of people
that have been at this Legislative Building, Mr. Speaker, after seeing the
teachers’ strike and the support for teachers and parents and students that
came out in the thousands, Mr. Speaker, you’d think that this would be a year
we would see investments.
And of course it’s
encouraging to see the arbitration ruling that is going to mean that class
complexity can be included in negotiations. But it is really discouraging to
see this government once again not putting education at the forefront, not
putting our kids first.
I do want to speak about
health care as that is the shadow ministry that’s my portfolio, Mr. Speaker. I
do want to identify that our health care workers feel like they are in a war
zone right now, Mr. Speaker, and that’s not hyperbole. They tell us they feel
like they’re in a field hospital in a war zone. The amount of devastating
stories that I hear on a daily basis from health care workers cannot be
overstated.
Even in connecting with
people after the budget to find out their reactions to things — because as much
as the members opposite might like to think this, we don’t just make this up —
there’s a lot of conversations that inform our criticisms. And connecting with
health care workers after the budget was hard. A lot of folks are feeling let
down by this government, completely discouraged. You know, health care workers
in tears on the phone — like you know, “I just don’t know what else to do” —
who feel like they don’t have any relief in sight.
And to see a cut to health
care this year was unbelievable, Mr. Speaker. It was unbelievable to see that.
And I’ve been asked, like well you know, wouldn’t you believe it if, you know,
you’re criticizing the government? No, I really thought that this government
would do better, Mr. Speaker. I really thought that we would see more money in
the budget this year than they spent last year. And that simply isn’t there and
that’s a cut, Mr. Speaker. No matter what way this government would like to
frame it, that’s a cut to health care.
And this comes at a time
where this government can’t keep one of our largest hospitals in Saskatoon,
Saskatoon City Hospital emergency room, they can’t keep it open for the hours
that it has been operating at. And we’ve seen closures happen at that facility
due to staffing and this government’s inability to retain health care workers.
It’s alarming. It’s
definitely not due to lack of need. We know that the need is there. In fact
Saskatoon City Hospital emergency room has one of the longest wait times in
Canada. And so when you’re waiting between 55 and 68 hours for a bed,
something’s got to change. That can’t be the norm for people, Mr. Speaker.
So we have full emergency
rooms. We have emergency rooms that are not able to operate because of
staffing. We have closures on a daily basis, not that the government would let
us know. That’s something that we rely on, you know, citizen reporting and
health care worker reporting because the government has taken a lot of that
information off of its website. So you have to drive to the facility and look
at the door to find out that the emergency room is closed and you need to keep
moving to the next town.
But one of those citizens let
us know about an emergency room that’s closed right now, Mr. Speaker, in
Biggar, from 8 o’clock this morning till 8 o’clock tomorrow morning. They don’t
have emergency services right now. And I wish I could say that this doesn’t
happen very often, but this is every day.
And this is why we talk about
closures and why we talk about access to ambulances and paramedics and why we
fight. It’s to make sure that people know that we’re on their side and
advocating to make sure that they can get access to health care when and where
they need it.
And what that doesn’t look
like, Mr. Speaker, is the practices of this government that include sending
women to Calgary to get diagnosed with breast cancer. You know, I haven’t been
in that situation myself, but one of the most vulnerable situations you can be
in in your life is when you’re waiting to find out whether you or your loved
one has breast cancer. And we’re telling women they have to go to Calgary to
get that information. Go to a facility, go out of province to get that
diagnosis, if they can afford it.
And that’s the type of
insensitivity that we’re hearing about here. Women giving birth on the side of
the road because they can’t access birthing services in Meadow Lake. These are
the types of closures we hear about, Mr. Speaker. This is what health care
looks like under the Sask Party government. So of
course we didn’t want to see cuts. We wanted to see real investments.
You know, where is this
nursing task force that they’ve promised, pinky-sweared,
agreed to in the eleventh hour of the election campaign on a Facebook post? The
then minister of Health says, yeah okay, we’ll do a nursing task force. Well
it’s five months later and there have been some letters sent out to invite
people.
Mr. Speaker, I thought this
was supposed to be an emergency. You know, I thought that retention of health
care workers was supposed to be an emergency situation in this province,
treated with the urgency that it requires, Mr. Speaker. No retention strategy;
a plan to get everyone a family doctor or nurse practitioner for
$5 million, Mr. Speaker, with a patient medical home model — I don’t know
how that’s going to work.
Obviously team-based care has
been something that health care workers have been calling for for some time, we’ve been calling for for
some time. It’s good to see the government acknowledge that. But you have to
put the necessary resources in place.
And for those who say, oh,
they just keep asking us for money over and over again. Well it’s also how you
spend the money and what you choose to do with that money, Mr. Speaker. And
when you’re paying 10 times the amount for a mammogram that’s happening out of
province that you would be paying — if you were able to sort out getting care —
in our own province, Mr. Speaker, that’s a funding decision. When you’re paying
a contract nursed two to three times the amount that you’re paying the other
nurse, who you’re going to have a hard time retaining, that’s a funding
decision, Mr. Speaker.
And it’s absolutely incorrect
to say that, you know, we would just cancel these things, and that’s the
hyperbole that the members opposite will go to. We need to fill in the gaps.
And we understand that these things have a role, but they add up. The AIMS
[administrative information management system] system, the ballooning cost of
the AIMS system, there are so many costs within the health care system that
could be cleaned up, Mr. Speaker.
As I expected, I’ve spent
most of my time just talking about health care here. I do want to say a couple
of other things. When it comes to mental health and addictions, this
government’s not doing enough, Mr. Speaker. Someone dies every day in our
province. We’ve had 350 overdoses reported this month alone, since March 1st.
This is a crisis and for this
government to say, steady as she goes, we’re going to keep the same plan in
place that we’ve had — it’s not working. You know, something has to change. And
that should start with listening to the front lines and people with lived
experience rather than thinking that you know better.
And nothing for mental
health. I don’t know if anyone else noticed that, but there’s absolutely
nothing about mental health in particular in this budget.
Mr. Speaker, I want to spend
some time talking about some issues that are near and dear to my heart, to my
constituency, and my city. And those issues are homelessness and addictions,
Mr. Speaker. We had the chance to meet with the Saskatoon city council
recently. Periodically we’ll have these meetings to find out what their
priorities are. Homelessness and overdoses were the two top issues that they
were hearing about, that they were concerned about.
And I can certainly
understand why. Being MLA for Saskatoon Fairview, we have a great deal of
overlap with the old riding of Saskatoon Riversdale, and that included in this
past election, inheriting an area that was fraught with controversy over the
opening up of the STC [Saskatoon Tribal Council]
wellness centre. And part of that boundary line includes my riding and includes
the member for Saskatoon Riversdale now.
I do want to work
collaboratively with this government, but it’s time for them to take leadership
on this issue and not simply say that it is up to municipalities to make all of
these decisions, because they have a role. And last time I checked the Constitution,
they have a responsibility for the social services and well-being of the people
of the province. So I’d like to see them step up and take responsibility for
that.
[21:45]
I’m running out of time so I
won’t include the text of the letter here, Mr. Speaker, but I also just want to
say that in the news this week — and it was referred to today by the member
from Saskatoon Centre — our main library is closed in Saskatoon, the main
branch downtown. Another library on 20th Street is also closed for a month
right now. And this is because of the overwhelming amount of homelessness and
overdose crisis in our city.
Didn’t think I’d see the day
where our main library would close, and for this reason, which is just really
heartbreaking to hear the stories of the library workers and what they’ve been
dealing with, and heartbreaking to see that homelessness has tripled in
Saskatoon in two years. Something they’re doing is not going right, Mr.
Speaker, and they need to look in a mirror and ask themselves what they need to
change because it needs to change now. This trajectory cannot continue.
Mr. Speaker, I have allotted
a couple minutes above my time here. I just want to highlight the fact that I
won’t be supporting this budget. It doesn’t meet the moment of where people are
at right now. It’s not focused on reality right now and it’s not focused on the
future moving forward. And that’s what we need from our government.
So I will not be supporting
this budget. I will be supporting the amendment brought forward by my colleague
from Mount Royal. Thank you.
Speaker
Goudy: —
I recognize the member from
Kelvington-Wadena.
Chris
Beaudry: —
Good evening, Mr. Speaker. I’m going to start as some of my colleagues have,
with some thank yous. Firstly, I’d like to thank my
CA who actually just texted me. She stayed up to watch me. Nancy, go to bed.
You’re not missing much. She keeps the lights on, the heat going, the mail
coming in and out of our office, and allows me the flexibility to do this job
in the manner I see fit. So thank you, Nancy.
I want to thank my board,
extremely supportive board. I appreciate every single member, the ones who have
been there before my time and the new ones who have just joined. So thank you
to all of them.
And second last, I’d like to
thank the constituents. The interactions we’ve had the last few months have
been humorous, have been fun, and have also been difficult at times. And I
appreciate every single one of them.
And lastly I want to thank
the crew at home, and probably most importantly them. To Richelle, my wife: I
think you keep the ship afloat while I’m gone, even though when I return I may
turn some of the shipmates into pirates with my shenanigans. And she has to
deal with the fallout of that when I escape on Sunday. I apologize for the
mutiny you have to deal with.
And to the pirates: thank you
to my three pirates at home. The ability that they have to transition in life
to this different lifestyle we have now has made it so much easier on dad, and
I truly appreciate that. So thank you to my family.
Now I’ve always been a fan of
etymology, and I took the time to research the etymology of the word “budget.”
Now before I seen the word “budget’s” etymology, I thought, how neat would it
be to use that as a framework for my reply. Well here’s the said etymology of
the word “budget,” and you can see why I changed my mind.
Budget:
late Middle English; from Old French bougette,
diminutive of bouge or leather bag; from Latin bulga, leather bag or knapsack; of Gaulish
origin. The word originally meant a pouch or wallet, and later its contents.
Mr. Speaker, I am not near
bold enough to use a leather bag or the contents of such as a framework for my
reply, but I am bold enough to try to speak for 20 minutes on the contents of
the Minister of Finance’s bougette.
In my reply to the Throne
Speech I talked about service and how I’ve seen great acts of service in this
province. Today, Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about responsibility. My
definition of responsibility is having the ability to respond and not become
reactive when internal tensions arise.
We have a shining example of
this, Mr. Speaker. Our Minister of Finance delivered to us a responsible
budget. This responsible Saskatchewan budget delivers for the people of
Kelvington-Wadena. This responsible Saskatchewan budget makes life in
Saskatchewan more affordable.
One of the titles of a talk I
do is named “What is Power?” In this talk I describe the relationship between
power and responsibility. Through 60 minutes of exploration we discover that
power and responsibility go hand in hand. Now I understand I do not have the
floor for the next 60 minutes, but I could go 40. We’ll see.
But I’ll summarize this talk
in a few sentences. What is power? Power is the energy we bring to our lives,
the energy we bring to our choices. Power is both the energy that comes from
being in reality, being in reality and being in a state of acceptance of that
reality and the energy that fuels our ability to act in accordance with that
truth.
It takes a lot of power to be
responsible. It takes a lot of power to make responsible decisions. I want to
thank the Premier, the Minister of Finance, and all those involved in this
budget. There are many responsible decisions that were made. Looking at this
budget I can see the immense amount of power it must have taken to create a
budget like this. Helping make life more affordable was the responsible thing
to do. Investing in our strong economy was the responsible thing to do. This
budget is going to help the families of Kelvington-Wadena in many ways.
I’m particularly excited for
the graduate retention program increasing by 20 per cent. During a rec hockey
game this winter, Mr. Speaker, I was discussing this program with two young
players on my team. One of the players hadn’t heard about this at all. He had
to find out from his accountant. He didn’t know for two years after graduation,
who hadn’t heard about it — not a sound at school, not a sound in university.
Why wasn’t this promoted more in our schools and our post-secondary
establishments? The other one, he knew about it. He said that’s why he stayed.
That’s why he’s working here. It’s why he’s contributing to the Saskatchewan
economy.
Again I want to thank those
involved in this budget. I thank them for expanding access to fertility
treatments. My wife, Richelle, and I both know the difficulty of having to go
through the process of trying to start a family and not being able to. It warms
my heart to know that other individuals may be able to not have to go through
some of the painful moments that Richelle and I did. The worst parts of going
through those experiences for myself was coming inside from a long day of work
once a month and finding my wife in tears on the floor again when the treatment
did not work, then having to decide if we can financially and emotionally try
again. I’m proud that this government is offering this level of support to
young families trying to have children.
Kelvington-Wadena is full of
young families, Mr. Speaker. The families in my constituency are active. They
are out and about. Some families’ children are in three or four different
sports and activities at once. Most of these sports and activities take up a
lot of time and a lot of kilometres. The doubling of the active families
benefit tax credit isn’t just going to help parents today. This is an
investment in our children and their futures. We know, and studies have proven,
that youth sports improve physical health, improve mental health, promote
social connections, teamwork, healthy competition, good sportsmanship, and
empathy. Youth sports improve academic performance. They teach life skills like
goal setting, time management, and leadership.
The skills learned in youth
sports and activities don’t stop in childhood. Being active has direct links
with neuroplasticity. For those who don’t know, neuroplasticity explains the
brain’s ability to change and adapt through our lives. It’s the process by
which our neural networks reorganize themselves in response to new experiences,
learning, and even injury. This concept challenges the long-held belief that
the brain’s structure is fixed after childhood. This cognitive flexibility is a
continuous remodelling that allows us to learn, adapt, and recovery from brain
injuries in ways previously thought impossible.
So in a summary, having the
financial ability to be more active has a direct correlation to allowing
individuals to be more responsible and more powerful. You can literally change
your mindset, change your brain structure, and change your reality by being
active. And the Saskatchewan budget offers that.
This winter I seen so many
active families. Three youth curling bonspiels we were able to witness, well
over 100 children participating in one of our best winter activities. I counted
nine poker rallies that were situated in Kelvington-Wadena or travelled through
Kelvington-Wadena. I believe the Minister of Environment may have gotten stuck
on one on the groomed trail. I don’t know how that’s possible, but it might
have happened.
Mr. Speaker, we started a weekly update
on events happening in the constituency, and it’s growing like wildfire. You
don’t have to go far from home to be entertained. Our post that went out last
week mentioned six events including minor hockey games, the Clair snowmobile
rally, the Greenwater
wildlife club fish derby, the Wadena and District Museum escape room
fundraiser, the Wishart firemen’s steak fry, and the Foam Lake spring recital.
We got more comments on other events in the area than we could fit on a poster.
It’s amazing to see how much happens in our communities and how you don’t have
to travel far for quality entertainment.
The highlights don’t stop
though. The Foam Lake Flyers senior hockey club, this weekend, won the
provincial C final over . . . He’s not paying attention, Mr. Speaker,
but we’ll just say over Wilkie, and we’ll leave him be. The Drake Canucks and
Foam Lake Flyers are right in the middle of the Long Lake Hockey League finals
right now. I’m going to be impartial as both teams are in my constituency.
You know, Mr. Speaker, our
economy is supported greatly by the oil and gas industry. My family has been
supported by the oil and gas industry my entire life. My dad’s still working
overseas in the oil and gas industry, 50 years into his career. The low productivity
and reactivation oil well program, in my opinion, will support Sask families for this and the next generation.
I was fortunate enough to
travel to the Canadian Association of Energy Contractors luncheon with the
Premier last Friday. It was an opportunity to speak with industry leaders, but
to speak on many of the advantages of Saskatchewan’s oil industry.
A highlight of the day was a
quote from CAOEC’s [Canadian Association of Energy
Contractors] president, Mark Sholz. And this quote
was said twice: “Everyone in the room knows the diplomatic and advocacy work
that Premier Moe has done is directly related to the reduction of the energy
tariffs we faced.” Once again, “Everyone in the room knows the diplomatic and
advocacy work that Premier Moe has done is directly related to the reduction of
the energy tariffs we faced.”
Mr. Speaker, I have a soft
spot in my heart for humour. One of my favourite things that came across my
desk this winter happened to be a letter sent to me by two young athletes. My
colleagues may remember this letter, and they may remember how desperate these
young men were for funding for their trip to La Ronge. Even though these two
may not be Shakespearean poets, they are determined, hard-working individuals.
That has shown this winter.
Dylan and Ben, along with
their Park Posse teammates, are not only in the league final but also, sadly,
they lost the provincial final last night. The aforementioned league final has
me in a bit of a sticky situation. The Park Posse from my constituency is
playing the Naicam Vikings from your constituency,
Mr. Speaker. Now I played all my minor hockey in Naicam
and I went to school in Naicam. I also coached there
for six years.
I’m going to stay neutral on
this one as well, but what makes me more proud about this is the community rink
affordability Act and the benefit it’s going to have on today’s Naicam Vikings, Park Posse, Porcupine Blues, Kelvington
Wheat Kings, Lanigan Pirates, Leroy Braves, Drake Canucks, Foam Lake Flyers,
and more. And you know what? I think it’s even going to have a little bit of
benefit on some of the fellas and myself on the Archerwill
Swampers.
I could not get through this
reply without a quote or two.
[22:00]
Mr. Speaker, one of my
favourites is Viktor Frankl. And Viktor Frankl once said:
Ultimately
man should not ask what the meaning of his life is, but rather must recognize
that it is he who is asked. In a word, each man is questioned by life, and he
can only answer to life by answering for his own life. To life he can only
respond by being responsible.
I attended multiple events
this winter, but one that stands out to me is the community and unity event in
Porcupine Plain. This event brought together all the cultures and backgrounds
in the Porcupine region. This event really showed me the interdependent nature
of all of us. By coming together and sharing food and culture, I was reminded
how we rely not only on ourselves and our loved ones, but on our community and
the communities at large. We all play a part or have a role in making this
province what it is and what it will become.
Now the second quote, by Erik
Erikson. Erik Erikson said:
Life
doesn’t make any sense without interdependence. We need each other, and the
sooner we learn that, the better for all of us.
We need each other, Mr.
Speaker. That quote reminds me of the Premier’s great video on the
interdependent nature of agriculture. Mr. Speaker, as we’re speaking about ag,
I was lucky enough to attend the Crop Production Show with our Minister of
Agriculture. It was just over two months ago, and the environment in
agriculture sure has changed. At multiple events that week, farmers were upbeat
and positive about the farming season. Today that’s changed. There’s a level of
fear in the ag sector. But even though there is fear, there’s an immense amount
of resilience and responsibility. Our Sask farmers
are preparing for the season, and they’re backed up by some powerful and
responsible individuals. Our Minister of Ag, our Minister of Trade, and our
Premier have been some of the loudest voices for our farmers. When others have
fallen quiet on the canola industry, they speak up. They speak up and they
speak loudly. They face these times without reaction but with a power and
responsibility that we need from our leaders. As a farmer, I’m ready to face
this growing season knowing I have the right leaders on my team.
The focus on K to 3 literacy
is something I’m very proud of. Reading is foundational in our home. Every
weeknight, outside of the evenings my girls have sports, they read to us.
Currently my oldest is fascinated with graphic novels. Sophie, our middle child,
her favourite book series is Wings of Fire — I’m glad we can get those
books at Costco, makes it easier because she goes through one every week. And
she’s always extremely eager to correct and teach her younger sister. Our
youngest, who is in grade 1, is reading at a more advanced level than her
sisters were at this age. I think it’s from being able to learn from those in
front of her.
I was lucky enough to attend
two school events this winter. I went to the Rose Valley School and I travelled
to the Drake School to read to the entire school and staff — 29 students and 6
staff — I read What Do You Do with a Problem? This book taught an
important lesson about responsibility. When problems arise it may feel
uncomfortable, it may cause difficult feelings, but if we hide from our
problems they don’t go away. They only get bigger. In the end, the child
musters up the personal power and responsibility to face the problem head-on.
The students had some great
examples of the problems they faced in their lives. I’ve seen first-hand the
power that sharing your personal experience has on others. They were a shining
example of how sharing your story and facing your problems with responsibility,
instead of reacting, can benefit you and others around you.
One of my greatest teachers,
Mr. Speaker, Dr. Gabor Maté — who we may have the
opportunity to hear online as a guest at SUMA — says:
The
Buddha said the mind creates your reality, but I think that’s an unfinished
statement. The mind does create your reality, but before that, your reality
creates your mind. From the ages of zero to seven, your reality creates your
mind.
I’ve said this quote many
times, and I’ve found that it is true. The experiences that individuals have in
their formative years help develop and form a person’s mind. Your perception of
reality can be influenced by the books you read, by the sights you see, and by
what you’re taught.
And again, I’ll state that
I’m proud to see a focus on K to 3 literacy so our young minds can develop and
grow in a healthy, responsible way. I believe this is a step in the right
direction to create strong children who will become strong adults, have the
ability to respond and not react, who will have empowered, proactive, and
accountable mindsets.
To me, Mr. Speaker — and this
is a close, important topic — addictions is about pain. It’s about the
management of the internal pain and suffering we face as humans. The increase
in mental health funding will be felt for years to come in a positive way. I’ve
worked in the mental health and addictions field for years, Mr. Speaker. I have
seen first-hand the benefits of multiple levels of group therapy, be it grief
groups, men’s groups, addiction groups, or one-on-one therapy.
Living rurally, I know the
difficulties of attending meetings or therapy sessions, be that for myself or
the individuals I’ve worked with. I’ve found that there are so many modalities
for healing, and I’m happy to see our Minister of Mental Health and Addictions
offer more than just one path to recovery. What I heard from her was options,
multiple options for recovery. I know first-hand how beneficial having a
multitude of options can help someone in their recovery. I’ve personally worked
with folks by phone, by Zoom, or in person and in group settings. Having
virtual options is going to save lives. We need all the options available. When
individuals have options, it raises their chances at recovery. Thank you,
Minister, for all these options.
Mr. Speaker, our actions can
be the agent for stability and responsibility. This budget delivers stability
to the Saskatchewan people. The actions of the Minister of Finance and his team
deliver. This budget delivers, period, Mr. Speaker. It delivers.
And to close I leave you with a poem by
Mary Oliver:
You are
young. So you know everything. You leap into the boat and begin rowing. But
listen to me. Without fanfare, without embarrassment, without any doubt, I talk
directly to your soul. Listen to me. Lift the oars from the water, let your
arms rest, and your heart, and heart’s little intelligence, and listen to me.
There is life without love. It is not worth a bent penny, or a scuffed shoe. It
is not worth the body of a dead dog nine days unburied. When you hear, a mile
away and still out of sight, the churn of the water as it begins to swirl and
roil, fretting around the sharp rocks — when you hear that unmistakable
pounding — when you feel the mist on your mouth and sense ahead the
embattlement, the long falls plunging and streaming — then row, row for your
life toward it.
I’m ready to row towards
whatever the future has to offer with this team behind me. This responsible
team. This team that delivers for Saskatchewan. Mr. Speaker, I will be
supporting the budget as seconded by the member from White City-Qu’Appelle, and
not supporting the amendment.
Speaker
Goudy: — I recognize the member
from Saskatoon Riversdale.
Kim
Breckner: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It was about 8 minutes and 45
seconds ago that the House leader informed me we sit until 10:30 and not 10:00,
so I just need a minute here.
I
want to start off by acknowledging my husband, Paul, whose love and support
keeps me grounded in this crazy world of politics, and my parents and brother
who continue to cheer me on and are always there for me. I would also like to
thank my constituency assistant Ezra for all her hard work helping me and the
constituents of Saskatoon Riversdale.
Today
I rise to express my profound disappointment with the 2025‑26 budget
presented by the Government of Saskatchewan. This budget fails to address the
most pressing issues facing our province and in particular the people of
Saskatoon Riversdale. It is a budget that ignores the realities of our time and
abandons those who need support the most.
Firstly
this budget does nothing to address the looming threat of tariffs imposed by
the United States under the Trump administration. In introducing the budget,
the Minister of Finance said it was not possible to build in the exact impact
of tariffs, which is true. No government in Canada can foresee the exact impact
of tariffs.
So
some of those governments utilized this novel idea called contingency planning.
For those who might not be aware, the Oxford dictionary defines a “contingency”
as a future event or circumstance which is possible but cannot be predicted
with certainty. A contingency can also refer to a provision for an unforeseen
event or circumstance.
But
I get it. It’s hard to plan for and prepare for the impact of tariffs, and this
government doesn’t really do hard things so instead they did nothing. These
tariffs could devastate our agricultural and resource sectors, which are the
backbone of Saskatchewan’s economy. Instead of preparing for this economic
uncertainty, the government has chosen to bury its head in the sand, leaving
our farmers, producers, and workers vulnerable to the fallout. This is a
failure of leadership and a missed opportunity to protect our province’s
economic future.
The
member for Regina Mount Royal remarked, in response to how poor this budget is,
that the Sask Party government was phoning it in. And
I certainly concur. But the Sask Party government
doesn’t stop at metaphorically phoning it in.
When the other premiers gathered in Ottawa last Friday with Prime Minister
Carney to address the threat of tariffs, Premier Moe couldn’t be bothered to
show up in person. But at least he showed up over a video call. The fine people
of Saskatchewan did not get that same courtesy on March 4th when tariffs came
into effect, leaving this province and this country bewildered and looking for
leadership.
They needed to know that
their leaders were with them, that they had a plan. Instead the people of
Saskatchewan received a social media statement that the government was
considering its response — considering. While premiers across the country were
reaching out to their constituents and announcing their plan, the Sask Party government was still trying to come up with a
plan to a threat that has been ongoing for months. And today it’s still not
clear what exactly the government’s plan is. Meanwhile in talking to
stakeholders, people are already feeling the economic pressure brought by the
uncertainty and need support.
Secondly, as the member for
Saskatoon Riversdale, I would be remiss if I didn’t comment on health care. My
constituency is home to St. Paul’s Hospital, which frequently experiences
dangerous overcrowding. I know this first-hand. This is where I live. This is
the emergency room that I’ve sat in for hours upon hours. It’s where I’ve
received incredible care, recovering after donating a kidney despite the subpar
conditions.
At a time when our hospitals
are already under strain and wait times are unacceptably long, this government
has decided to slash resources rather than invest in the well-being of
Saskatchewan people. Health care is not a luxury. It is a fundamental right.
These cuts will hurt families, seniors, and vulnerable populations who rely on
timely and accessible care. The people of Saskatoon Riversdale deserve better.
Thirdly, the cuts to
education funding are a direct attack on the future of our children and their
province. By underfunding our schools, this government is undermining the
quality of education and limiting opportunities for young people to succeed.
Education is the foundation of a strong and prosperous society, and these cuts
will have long-term consequences for our communities. We cannot afford to
shortchange our children’s futures.
And I know the budget
promises millions in school infrastructure investments, but just ask my
constituents about Sask Party government promises.
They will tell you that a Sask Party promise is as
empty as the lot on Avenue H, where a new school was promised two elections
ago.
Fourthly, this budget
completely ignores the homelessness crisis in Saskatoon. Every day we see more
and more people struggling to find safe and stable housing. This is a
humanitarian crisis that demands urgent action, yet the government has chosen
to turn a blind eye. Affordable housing and support services are not optional.
They are essential to building a compassionate and inclusive society. This
budget fails to provide any meaningful solutions to this problem.
Fifth, the overdose crisis in
Saskatoon continues to claim lives, yet this budget offers insufficient
initiatives to address this urgent public health emergency. Families are losing
loved ones and our community is in pain. We need expanded access to harm
reduction services, mental health support and addictions treatment program.
This government’s inaction is costing lives and is simply unacceptable.
[22:15]
In Saskatoon Riversdale the
Freda Ahenakew library has had to temporarily close its doors due to ongoing
lack of funding and support for Saskatoon’s most vulnerable people, for shelter
facilities and for adequate response to address the current opioid-poisoning
crisis. This is one of two libraries in Saskatoon that have had to close its
doors because they have been forced to fill a treatment and care role that is
the responsibility of the Sask Party government.
Lastly, this budget continues
to underfund the SIS [Saskatchewan income support] and SAID [Saskatchewan
assured income for disability] program. The SAID rate for a single person is 1,129
per month. This is supposed to cover food and shelter. I don’t know where you’d
even find a place to rent for under $1,000 a month, and that’s not just me.
That’s the many people in Saskatoon Riversdale that I talked to on the
doorstep, people who told me that they cannot afford their rent increase, that
they don’t know where they’re going to live next month, or that their child is
turning 18 and now they can’t afford the home they live in.
These numbers, these
decisions, they aren’t just lines on a spreadsheet. They are real lives. Real
people in constant fear of ending up on the street. Real people barely able to
feed their families.
In conclusion, the 2025
budget is a missed opportunity to address the real challenges facing
Saskatchewan. It is a budget that prioritizes short-term political gains over
the long-term well-being of our people. The government has failed to protect
our economy, our health care, our education system, and our most vulnerable
citizens. The people of Saskatoon Riversdale deserve a government that listens,
cares, and acts. This budget proves the current government is not up to the
task.
I will not be supporting the
budget, but I will be supporting the amendment moved by the member from Regina
Mount Royal. Thank you.
Speaker
Goudy: —
I recognize the member from Moose Jaw
Wakamow.
Megan
Patterson: —
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s an honour to respond to the ’25‑26 budget
presented by the Hon. Minister of Finance. I would like to thank him and his
team for delivering this budget, as it would be very difficult in such a
volatile time. I’d also like to thank our Premier for his astute and steadfast
leadership through these challenging times.
I also want to thank my
family, thank my husband, Sean, who is at home with my boys tonight. I had
three boys going three different directions tonight, so with the help of my
parents, my mom and dad, you know, we were able to get everyone where they were
supposed to be. But without their help I wouldn’t be able to do this work.
I also want to thank the
constituents of Moose Jaw Wakamow for electing me and giving me the opportunity
to represent them in this Assembly. It has been a privilege over the past
several months to get to know our members in this House better. I am so impressed
by the kindness, experience, and knowledge that this government possesses.
When I gave my maiden speech
at this Assembly, I spoke a little bit about my life experience. I spoke about
my injury, the years of recovery that followed. I spoke about my work,
education, and the successful career I had out east, but that I chose to come
back to Saskatchewan because of the quality of life it offers.
Being close to my family,
giving back to my community, and having the opportunity to impact lives in a
meaningful way is important to me. I mentioned that I wanted to inspire and
enable people to achieve their potential. I wanted to make Saskatchewan an even
better place to live, work, and raise a family and start a business, as does
every single one of my colleagues.
I spoke about my vision for a
respectful Assembly. In a few short months my desire to contribute and make a
positive difference has not changed, but unfortunately my perspective on the
dynamics of this Assembly have. The members opposite talk a great deal about
our government’s plan, but they lack a coherent one of their own.
For the member from Regina
Mount Royal to say that this government lacks a plan and the fiscal foundation
for the challenges we are currently facing is simply not true. This government
has been planning for growth and diversification for years, planning to expand
in the markets we’re already competing, and expanding the number of markets
that we compete in. This government has opened nine additional trade offices
and grown our export market from 17 billion to almost 50 billion.
This Premier and this
government has spent the last several weeks engaging with people and businesses
who can actually influence US policy. This government has the second-lowest
debt-to-GDP ratio in the country, the second-highest credit rating, and is poised
to be a leader in national growth and financial strength.
In contrast the opposition
actually did mix up the revenue and expense columns when they published their
budget during the election. It is very clear which side of this Assembly should
be managing this province’s budget especially during these challenging times.
But the opposition wants to
know what this government is doing specifically to address the tariffs from
foreign governments. Well for starters, we’re aligned with all other provinces
in the need to take targeted measures, including the stopping of purchasing of US
alcohol and prioritizing Canadian suppliers in government contracts.
Here in Saskatchewan that
means real measures, like the recent announcement from Saskatchewan Crowns to
procure steel from Evraz in Regina. But what we don’t
do, Mr. Speaker, unlike the members opposite, is we don’t take unnecessary
penalties or score on our own net. That means we will continue to work
alongside other premiers, ministers, and businesses to engage with the US government
at all levels to reinforce the harm that these tariffs are causing on both
sides of the border.
Unlike the members opposite,
this side of the House has long stood on the importance of vital infrastructure
projects like pipelines, ports, and railways. We’re certainly glad to see the
NDP finally wake up to the importance of pipelines and the energy sector, not
only here in Saskatchewan but for all of Canada. Maybe they could take a moment
to let their own party leader know.
With a federal election under
way, it will be interesting to see who the members opposite endorse and
campaign for. Will it be the same two federal parties that not only impose a
costly and ineffective carbon tax but have also spent the past decade blocking
every major pipeline project in this country?
Now I’m not sure how many
members opposite have partaken in true, serious negotiations, but here’s a
hint: insulting and condemning the other party, whether or not they are on the
other side of the Assembly or in another country, is not an effective strategy.
I am relieved and surprised that the members chose to pass our amended motion
and support the Government of Saskatchewan’s tariff response plan. I look
forward to a future of reasonable debate and collaboration.
This budget, titled Delivering
for You, is one we can be proud of. Delivering for you means strengthening
our economy and growing our province. It means advocating for Saskatchewan’s
economic interests so we remain the best place to live, work, raise a family,
and start a business in Canada. This budget prioritizes affordability and
fiscal responsibility while delivering on the programs and services that
Saskatchewan people need and deserve.
This government delivered a
balanced budget with a surplus of $12 million. Forecasted revenue is
21.1 billion, and total expenses are expected to be 21 billion. I
will repeat: we have the second-lowest debt-to-GDP ratio in Canada and the second-highest
credit rating. These measures are important because they allow us to access
additional funds if and when needed and earn us a lower interest rate on
borrowed funds.
Now this budget is focused on
affordability. In December we introduced The Saskatchewan
Affordability Act. Thirteen commitments from that Act are being funded
through this budget to reduce taxes for every resident, family, and small
business in the province. Saskatchewan has one of the highest tax-free
thresholds in Canada. A family of four pays no taxes on their first $63,000 of
income. Under the NDP, a family of four started paying income tax at just
$26,150.
We are delivering the largest
personal income tax reduction in the province since 2008 by increasing the
personal exemption, spousal and dependent child exemption, and seniors’
supplement by $500 per year for the next four years. These changes will allow a
family of four earning a combined income of $100,000 to save more than $3,400
over the next four years, while two seniors with a combined income of 75,000
will save more than $3,100.
We are increasing monthly
income benefits by 2 per cent for Saskatchewan income support and the
Saskatchewan assured income for disability. This government also increased the
allowable income earned by persons with disabilities, an initiative very close to
my heart. Our SAID program ranks among the top five nationwide for residents
living with a disability. This budget also delivers a 25 per cent increase to
the disability tax credit. These measures are a part of this government’s
ongoing efforts to enhance financial support and affordability for individuals
with disabilities in Saskatchewan.
This budget makes life more
affordable for seniors, families with children, persons with disabilities,
caregivers, new graduates, first-time homebuyers, and people renovating their
homes. This budget also delivers on our commitment to support access to fertility
treatments by offering a refundable tax credit of 50 per cent towards the cost
of eligible fertility treatments.
In this budget we have also
delivered on our commitment to permanently maintain the small-business tax rate
at 1 per cent. This change will benefit more than 35,000 small businesses,
saving them more than 50 million in corporate taxes annually.
Speaker
Goudy: — Thank you, everyone. It
now being 10:30, this Assembly stands adjourned until tomorrow at 1:30. Have a
good evening.
[The Assembly adjourned at
22:30.]
Published
under the authority of the Hon. Todd Goudy, Speaker
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