Speaker Goudy: — So I hate to go before the Minister of Education, introducing some teachers — he is the best MLA [Member of the Legislative Assembly] from Melfort, I always say — but I’ve got a special crew in the gallery today that I have come to appreciate so very much. And each year there is the SSTI [Saskatchewan Social Sciences Teachers’ Institute on Parliamentary Democracy], when the Speaker has an opportunity to spend time with some of the teachers and learn himself the process of government.

And so members of the Legislative Assembly, it’s my honour today to introduce the 2025 teachers who are participating in the 23rd annual Saskatchewan Teachers’ Institute on Parliamentary Democracy. The institute began on Saturday, April the 5th, and will conclude this Wednesday, April the 9th, with some of you in attendance.

This group’s already had a very busy schedule, meeting with the judiciary, Elections Saskatchewan, the Clerk’s office, caucus staff, the Legislative Library, the Advocate for Children and Youth, the government and opposition Whips — was interesting at lunch — and the Sergeant-at-Arms. They will be in the building until Wednesday. You’ll see them around throughout the day, and they will hold a model parliament in the Chamber here as part of the institute.

And I’d ask the teachers and the guests to give us a wave as I introduce them. So we’ve got Cassie Bauer-Katz from Frontier School. We’ve got Brady Belland from Robert Southey School. We have Madison Biem, École Centennial School; Leah Bissonnette, Ponteix School; Andre Boutin-Maloney from Bert Fox Community High School; Kellie Garland, École Centennial School; David Guenther, Waldheim School; Kayla Henderson, Saskatchewan Distance Learning Centre, Regina campus; Matt Kelln, Campbell Collegiate; Natasha Kostyniuk, Delisle Composite School; Stéphanie Montpetit, École Ducharme; Amber Roth, Northwest Central School; Sylvie Simo, École Ducharme; Coline Smetaniuk, St. Mary’s School; Laura Sveinbjornson, Langenburg Central School; Janna Varga, Churchill Community School; Brenna Vevang, Churchill Community School; Jocelyne Vogt, École Valois; Ashley Wagner, École Centennial School; and Natasha Wicks, Maidstone Composite High School.

So I’d like to make a special mention too of our steering committee composed of four teachers who have attended past institutes as well as the official from the Ministry of Education. For the Ministry of Education we have Katherine Koskie, education consultant, curriculum, student achievement and support branch.

We have the steering committee: Andrew Kitchen, Lester B. Pearson School in Saskatoon; Riley Sharp, Swift Current Comprehensive High School, Swift Current; Ivy Sheward, Lindale Elementary School, Moose Jaw; and Amanda Durocher, Lashburn High School from Lashburn.

So I have enjoyed sitting in, listening to your very good questions. But I thought I was a little important in this whole thing until I forgot my hat for a picture. And it turns out I’m just the guy who wears the hat for pictures, and so I can’t forget my hat. But I really appreciate you all being here, and I’d ask all the members to welcome this great group of teachers to their Legislative Assembly.

I recognize the Education minister.

Hon. Everett Hindley: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just briefly to follow your great introduction of the representatives here today from the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Institute on Parliamentary Democracy. SSTI has been doing its thing for a couple of decades right now and doing some excellent work helping around democracy, around the legislative process, and explaining that and better helping to educate all of us, I think, around how those two intertwine.

It really is a dynamic program, Mr. Speaker, that serves a very important role not just for teachers but also for students and our communities. And if I’m not mistaken, Mr. Speaker — I was trying to keep track — but I think I’ve got maybe four folks from Swift Current here today, so we might have won the competition. Riley, good to see you as always. Madison, I think, had invited me during the election campaign to come speak to some classes there at École Centennial. And honestly, Mr. Speaker, the questions I got at that class was harder than anything I’ve had here in question period, so I’m kind of glad that Madison and colleagues are up there today.

Anyways, Mr. Speaker, I just want to thank all of the representatives and the members who are here today. The teachers who are a part of the SSTI will be spending some time tomorrow morning for a meeting and then of course attending the banquet here in Regina tomorrow night. I’d like to welcome all of them and welcome them to their Legislative Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Saskatoon Eastview.

Matt Love: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to join with you and with the minister opposite in welcoming these fine teachers to their Legislative Assembly, and on behalf of the opposition, want to say thank you to everyone who’s here today. We know this is time away from families, loved ones, from classrooms. I know how much work it is to prepare a sub plan when you can’t be there to work with your students.

And I just want to highlight, one of the important things that teachers do all the time in this province is engaging in professional development. And as professionals in this province who serve our children and youth, our young people at school and beyond, I want to thank you for engaging in professional development here in your legislature, learning about our parliamentary democracy. And I often wish when groups come here, Mr. Speaker, that I had taken this opportunity when I was in the classroom. I think it’s incredibly valuable.

And on that note, I’d like to thank your steering committee as well as the support you receive from the Ministry of Education to make this possible, and I ask all members from the Assembly to join me in welcoming these fine teachers to their Assembly.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Advanced Education.

Hon. Ken Cheveldayoff: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I request leave for an extended introduction.

Speaker Goudy: — Member has made a request for an extended introduction. Is leave granted?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Hon. Ken Cheveldayoff: — Well thank you very much, Mr. Speaker and colleagues. I’d like to introduce to you three individuals who are no strangers to this Assembly — we are always pleased when they are able to join us — led by former member Rob Norris, a friend to members on both sides of the House, the member from Saskatoon Greystone. I had the pleasure of serving with Rob in this legislature and in cabinet and in various other entities. Rob is always helping somebody do something, and it’s great to have him here.

Today he’s joined by Bob Behari and his son Raj Behari. Now Bob Behari, many people will know, is the CEO [chief executive officer] of EnviroWay in Saskatoon, you know, somewhere in the neighbourhood of 200 employees. And a wonderful entrepreneur doing so much, and actually exporting to 26 countries with his product, doing some work with the Crowns, with government ministries, with the private sector.

And very recently — and I hope I’m not letting the cat out of the bag — he’s just signed a partnership with our beloved Saskatchewan Roughriders. And today the Riders, tomorrow the Winnipeg Jets. Who knows, you know? It’s all good. Bob is also going to be helping us with the Midwestern Legislative Conference and he just announced a contribution here today. And again, when I first met Bob I said, Bob Behari is going to be a household name in Saskatchewan and in the province. And he is proving me right in that regard.

And the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree with Raj Behari as well. Saskatchewan-born, undergraduate of the University of Saskatchewan, undergraduate degree; graduate degree, M.B.A. [Master of Business Administration] at Queen’s; is in the final round of Creative Destruction, starting his own company; working with the U of R [University of Regina] and Sask Poly and establishing himself as a well-respected business person in Western Canada.

So, Mr. Speaker, through you, to all colleagues, please help me welcome these three individuals to their Legislative Assembly.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Saskatoon University-Sutherland.

Tajinder Grewal: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will join the member from Saskatoon Willowgrove to welcome Bob Behari and his son. Bob Bahari is a great businessman in our community and he mentors, he volunteers, and he sponsors so many events. Thank you very much for your service to our community and this province as a whole. I ask all the members to please join me to welcome Bob and his son to their legislature.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Regina Coronation Park.

Noor Burki: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To you and through you, I will be joining my colleague and ministers for these incredible two individuals in your gallery: Bob Behari, Raj Behari. And I will say that Bob is an incredible leader in Saskatoon. And along with that I will let my colleagues in this Chamber know that his brother Nish Prasad, he is also an active member here in Regina.

They are doing a lot of incredible jobs for community, keeping community united. And as well, as we know, Bob is a really incredible leader, a good businessman, and a help for Saskatchewan. And I will say to all members to join me to give him a warm welcome for his incredible job that he do for our province.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Saskatoon Stonebridge.

Darcy Warrington: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To you and through you, I’d like to welcome to their Legislative Assembly a couple of teachers. I’m a former teacher, and I certainly admire the work that all of you do.

But in particular I had the opportunity to work with Andrew Kitchen for several years at Sylvia Fedoruk School. I was very pleased to see that he was able to become an administrator recently. And he also makes wise decisions in the hockey teams he cheers for as he’s also a Montreal Canadiens fan.

Beside him — for those of you who just booed that comment — Riley Sharp, to my understanding, is also a Leafs fan, so I’m not sure how they’re getting along with each other. Hopefully they’re able to manage sitting. But Riley is, as was said, a teacher at the Swift Current Comp, and he’s a friend of a friend. I’ve been running into him at the odd hockey tournament in Swift Current over the years. So please join me in welcoming them to their Legislative Assembly.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Saskatoon Westview.

April ChiefCalf: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To you and through you, I would like to acknowledge one of my former students who’s in the gallery today, a proud graduate of the northern teacher education program, Ms. Janna Varga, who is an amazing teacher. And I’m so pleased to see her today. I want to thank Janna for being here today and welcome all of the members from the social studies teachers’ institute to the Legislative Assembly today. Thank you.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Regina Elphinstone-Centre.

Meara Conway: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just wanted to take an opportunity to embarrass my constituency assistant one last time. My outgoing constituency assistant, Avery Beaudin, is seated in the east gallery, Mr. Speaker, Avery Beaudin. And she’s joined today by my incoming constituency assistant Dagan Viala.

Just want to give a very heartfelt thank you to Avery, not so much on my behalf, but on behalf of the people of Regina Elphinstone-Centre. She has been a steadfast support to them, an incredible advocate. She comes from a social work background that shone through in her work every single day, and she really has kept me sane this last couple years, two and a half years. She’s moving along to Saskatoon; that was always her goal. She’s moving there with her partner, Darcy, and I wish them all the best. And I know she’s going to continue to do great things for the people of this province.

Dagan Viala, he’s continuing that proud tradition of social work. He came to us as a practicum student, actually a social work practicum student, started to fill in at the office. He’s really set himself apart. Incredible compassion; he’s very smart, great attention to detail. I’ve seen him at work mainly in the casework role with the people of Regina Elphinstone-Centre and the folks in our neighbourhood. I’ve been very impressed so I look forward to working with him going forward.

And I wanted to ask all members to join me in welcoming these two individuals to their Legislative Assembly.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from White City-Qu’Appelle.

[13:45]

Brad Crassweller: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too would just like to thank all the teachers here that are here today. And I also want to just make a special mention to Andre Boutin-Maloney there who is from Bert Fox in my constituency. So thank you very much, Andre for all your work.

And I’ve been at the school there talking to students; it was a great time. And I thank you for your wonderful work there. I’d ask all members to join me in thanking all of our wonderful teachers.

Speaker Goudy: — And I have one more important introduction. Today we have in the Speaker’s gallery Dr. Lisa Broda. And I enjoyed sitting through her presentation with SSTI today as well. And she is our Advocate for Children and Youth. Joining her is her deputy advocate, Leeann Palmer. You can give a wave.

On April the 1st the Legislative Assembly unanimously adopted a motion to reappoint Dr. Broda as the Advocate for Children and Youth for the second five-year term, pursuant to subsection (3)2 of The Advocate for Children and Youth Act. We know it’s a very difficult and emotional job that you face every day and we, on behalf of the people of Saskatchewan, want to thank you and tell you how much that you’re appreciated. You’ve provided a very informative presentation today. It was informative for myself as well. And so congratulations, Lisa, on your reappointment. And please join me in welcoming her to her Legislative Assembly.

PRESENTING PETITIONS

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Saskatoon Meewasin.

Nathaniel Teed: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to present a petition calling on the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan to implement adequate and equitable SAID [Saskatchewan assured income for disability] rates.

The undersigned residents of the province of Saskatchewan wish to bring to our attention the following: that current SAID rates mean that individuals who rely on the program live well below the poverty line; that poverty has deepened because the SAID program has not seen an increase in the basic amount in over seven years and does not account for regional realities or the cost of living; that the provincial government engages in clawback policies that have been found to be discriminatory such as the policy requiring individuals to apply for their early CPP [Canada Pension Plan] and then clawing it back dollar for dollar; and that the people of Saskatchewan are struggling to make ends meet under historical inflationary pressures.

Mr. Speaker, I’ll read the prayer:

We, in the prayer that reads as follows, respectfully request that the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan call on the Government of Saskatchewan to (1) increase SAID rates to account for inflation; (2) respect the constitutional rights of persons with disabilities in Saskatchewan by halting discriminatory practices and aligning policies with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms; (3) index SAID basic amount to inflation going forward; and (4) provide targeted relief to those in deepest poverty, such as single individuals paying market rent.

Mr. Speaker, the undersigned signatories reside in Regina. I do so present.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Regina Mount Royal.

Trent Wotherspoon: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise to present petitions on behalf of concerned citizens as it relates to the need for meaningful actions around the cost of living. We know that Saskatchewan people have faced incredible challenges with respect to the cost of living, and worse than doing nothing this provincial Sask Party government has piled on and made things worse. They instituted the biggest tax hike in Saskatchewan’s history, hitting families with a tax on children’s clothes, on groceries, on insurance, on used cars, restaurant meals, and construction labour, driving up the cost of construction and home ownership and renting a home, Mr. Speaker, as well as really having a hard hit on our economy and on jobs within our province, Mr. Speaker. The majority of Saskatchewan people share that they’re incredibly stressed with the cost of living and they’re calling for meaningful action.

The prayer reads as follows:

We, in the prayer that reads as follows, respectfully request that the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan call on the Government of Saskatchewan to meaningfully address the affordability crisis in Saskatchewan.

These petitions today are signed by concerned residents from Regina. I so submit.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Saskatoon Stonebridge.

Darcy Warrington: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pride as a former teacher of trans and nonbinary students to rise today to present our petition calling for the repeal of Bill 137.

The undersigned residents would like to bring to your attention the following: queer and trans youth are at higher risk of homelessness, self-harm, and suicide when denied access to safe and inclusive learning environments; that Bill 137, the education amendment Act, 2023, directs educators to non-consensually out two-spirit, trans, and nonbinary students under the age of 16 to their parents; that Bill 137 is in direct contravention of The Saskatchewan Human Rights Code and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms as it relates to gender identity and expression; that Bill 137 was developed without public consultation from communities of educators, parents, students, or experts; that Bill 137 will result in direct harm being inflicted on Saskatchewan students.

We, in the prayer that read as follows, respectfully request that the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan call on the Government of Saskatchewan to immediately repeal Bill 137 and ensure that all 2SLGBTQI+ students are supported and protected in accordance with The Saskatchewan Human Rights Code.

Mr. Speaker, the signatures today reside in Saskatoon. I do so present.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Regina Elphinstone-Centre.

Meara Conway: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m on my feet to present a petition calling on the Sask Party government to address the housing crisis in Saskatchewan.

The cost of housing across the province has absolutely skyrocketed, Mr. Speaker. Whether folks are looking at owning a home or renting a home, it’s increasingly out of reach for too many families and individuals. Over the past decade we’ve seen homelessness absolutely surge, Mr. Speaker. We saw a houselessness crisis declared in our province’s capital just last week, Mr. Speaker.

The Government of Saskatchewan has wasted 600 million on vacant housing units. As outgoing housing critic, I think one of the things that was the most impactful was to see over 10 years the way that this government has made cuts to the maintenance and renovation budget of Sask Housing. We have dug a hole, 10 years in the making, and these recent announcements in the budget to fix up 200 units here and there are just not going to do what we need to do, Mr. Speaker, on that front.

We’ve seen cuts to Social Services’ rental supplements over the years, Mr. Speaker. We’re one of the only jurisdictions without any kind of rent control, Mr. Speaker, and that’s why we have some of the fastest growing rent in Canada.

So I will read the prayer:

We, in the prayer, call on the Government of Saskatchewan to immediately implement a comprehensive affordable housing strategy aimed at helping individuals and families in securing stable and affordable housing. The strategy must restore the cuts made to the housing portfolio and invest in the development of affordable and low-income housing units. We also urge the government to enforce rental protections for tenants and allocate resources towards the development of second-stage housing and crisis shelter.

The signatories of this petition, Mr. Speaker, reside in Saskatoon. I do so present.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Saskatoon Southeast.

Brittney Senger: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise to present the petition calling for mandatory intimate partner violence education in the workplace.

We, the undersigned residents of the province of Saskatchewan, wish to bring to your attention the following. Saskatchewan has the highest rate per capita of intimate partner violence, also known as domestic violence, in Canada, and it’s more than double the national average. The economic impact of IPV [intimate partner violence] in Canada is estimated at over $7 billion per year. A large portion of tangible IPV costs are paid by the government for items like the criminal and civil justice system and health care systems. Annual estimated losses to employers from IPV are over $77 million in Canada.

Workplace orientation would include all genders from all walks of life and all areas of the province. Employers and employees need to know the signs of IPV and where to call for help. Education is key to changing the rates of IPV.

With that, I’ll read the prayer:

We, in the prayer that reads as follows, respectfully request the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan call on the Government of Saskatchewan to immediately mandate education on intimate partner violence be included in the orientation process for all new employees across all workplaces in the province.

The undersigned residents reside in Christopher Lake, Saskatoon, and Warman, Saskatchewan. I do so present.

STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Saskatoon Fairview.

Green Shirt Day

Vicki Mowat: — Mr. Speaker, today we recognize Green Shirt Day, a day to honour, remember, and recognize all the victims of the fatal Humboldt Broncos bus crash and inspire Canadians to register as organ donors.

On April 7th, 2018 Humboldt Broncos defenceman Logan Boulet succumbed to his injuries. He donated his organs so that six people could live on. As news spread of the organ donation by this young hockey player, it’s estimated that almost 150,000 people registered to become organ donors in the days and weeks that followed. To this day, this is the largest number of Canadians registering to become organ donors in Canadian history due to one event and one person. It’s known across Canada as the Logan Boulet Effect.

Green Shirt Day continues Logan’s legacy by inspiring Canadians to register as organ donors. Since 2018 hundreds of thousands have taken the important step of talking with their families about their wishes to become organ and tissue donors. Mr. Speaker, I encourage all members of this Assembly to register online, to keep the conversation going by talking to your friends and family about organ donation, and to join me in recognizing Green Shirt Day.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Kelvington-Wadena.

Chris Beaudry: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I rise to speak about Green Shirt Day, a day that holds profound meaning for myself and many of us. This day is not just about wearing green shirts. It represents hope, community, and the incredible power of generosity through organ donation.

As a former coach of the 2017‑18 Humboldt Broncos, I remember the heartbreak our community faced after the tragic events of April 6th, 2018. The loss of our young athletes and staff was devastating, but from that tragedy emerged incredible acts of kindness and selflessness. In particular we witnessed the heroism of the Boulet family who in their darkest hours chose to honour their son Logan by donating his organs.

Green Shirt Day serves as a reminder that we can turn our grief into action, that one life lost can lead to the saving of many others. It encourages us to engage in conversations, to educate ourselves, and register to be donors.

I want to take a moment to thank the families who turned their sorrow into a legacy of life. Their bravery has changed our lives and reminded us all of what it means to give back to our community. Because of the great work by the Boulet family and the residents of Saskatchewan, our province leads Canada in organ and tissue donation. So let’s all continue this trend not just as a symbol of remembrance but as a commitment to support organ donation and as a call to action to consider how we can contribute to this vital cause.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Leader of the Opposition.

Remembering June Mitchell

Carla Beck: — I rise today in memory of a remarkable woman and constituent. Last weekend I had the honour of attending a celebration of life for June Mitchell. June was known as a Saskatchewan author and a poet. She published several volumes illustrating the beauty of life, the human experience, and living on our beloved prairie.

But June was so much more than just a writer. She was an unrepentant social activist who spent all of her 98 and a half years of her life fighting for peace and justice. As late as the ’90s, she was getting dragged out of protests in handcuffs, and you can bet she was proud of it. And she came by it honestly, Mr. Speaker. Her mother, Marjorie Cooper, was a four-term MLA under Tommy Douglas and the third-ever woman to hold office in this legislature. That fight was in her blood.

Even in her twilight years, June still served her community. She taught children with disabilities. She helped found Intercultural Grandmothers Uniting, and she was a valued member of the Lifelong Learning Centre and of her writing group at Nicky’s Cafe. And all through her nearly 100 years on this earth, she made this world a little more beautiful with her poetry and her kind but strong spirit.

She is gone, Mr. Speaker, but she lives on in the hearts of her family and friends. I ask all members to join me in remembering June Mitchell.

[14:00]

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Kindersley-Biggar.

Parkinson’s Awareness Month

Kim Gartner: — Mr. Speaker, April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month, a time to amplify the voices of people living with the disease.

As of 2023, 2,730 Saskatchewanians live with Parkinson’s and more than 110,000 people in Canada, each with their own unique story. Having lost my father to Parkinson’s, I have my own story as do many colleagues in this Chamber, both past and present.

This year for World Parkinson’s Day on April 11th, I encourage everyone in Saskatchewan to join a global movement and shine a light on Parkinson’s. Spark the Night is about illuminating cities worldwide in blue to symbolize hope, unity, and a brighter future for the millions of people living with Parkinson’s worldwide.

Nearly half of those diagnosed are women, and many will be diagnosed before the age of 50. If you have a story to tell, now is the time to share it. Parkinson’s doesn’t define you; your strength, resilience, and individuality does. Living well with Parkinson’s is possible, but it requires access to support and resources. Care, treatment, and support are not one-size-fits-all.

I ask all members to join with me in supporting Parkinson’s Awareness Month.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Saskatoon Chief Mistawasis.

North Saskatoon Business Association Recognizes Excellence at Annual Banquet

Don McBean: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to recognize the North Saskatoon Business Association Business Builder Awards banquet that I had the pleasure to attend a week ago.

The fun of the evening started off with the Dixieland band setting the atmosphere for the Mardi Gras theme, and then my good luck at bumping into a former principal colleague and proud dad of the eventual winners of the young entrepreneur award. Having a chat with the hon. member from Saskatoon Willowgrove, and then sitting down at the table to which I was randomly assigned and finding out that the cohort was employees from a production company owned by a former student and their father that I know well.

A small sample of the awards and their winners give evidence of the spectrum of excellence recognized that evening: the Pursuit of Excellence Award given to TCU Place; Indigenous Inclusion Award given to Meridian Surveys; Culture of Excellence, the Prairie Grazer; the Community Builder Award to Saskatoon Fire and Flood. And I’m definitely looking forward to checking out the NSBA [North Saskatoon Business Association] Member of the Year, Stella’s Baklava.

The riding of Saskatoon Chief Mistawasis includes a huge geographical area of NSBA businesses. I’m proud and excited to become part of their world and witness their dedication to excellence, inspiration, innovation, which were on full display that evening. Bravo and congratulations to Keith Moen, executive director and his whole team for the wonderful event and outstanding work done by the North Saskatoon Business Association.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Carrot River Valley.

Tisdale Tornados Win Silver in Provincial Nine-Man Football

Terri Bromm: — Mr. Speaker, the recent football season was a big one for the Tisdale Tornados nine-man football club. This team was led by head coach, Keenan Carrier, and assisted by Riley Hobbins, Blake Anaka, Jared Hummel, Brian Ofukany, Jordan Lam Ma, Ram Bagsit, and Nate Rosaasen.

This team of 44 players from grade 9 to 12 had a successful league season, resulting in competing in the provincial quarter-final and then advancing to the provincial semi-final against the Delisle Rebels. This game saw Tisdale down 35 to 27 at halftime, but they showed what they were made of and banded together to claw their way back into the game. In the final minutes of the game they took control, winning 38 to 37 to secure their spot in the provincial final.

On November 9th the Tornados came up against the Melfort Comets in the provincial final, and although Tisdale was unsuccessful that day, they should be proud of their accomplishment. If we had to lose though, Mr. Speaker, I’m glad it was to your team. It had been 43 years since Tisdale has been in the provincial final, and I think that says volumes about the quality of the coaching staff and of these young players. I ask all members to join with me in congratulating the Tornados on their silver medal.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from White City-Qu’Appelle.

Saskatchewan Leading Country in Job Growth

Brad Crassweller: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the midst of all the turmoil caused by the US [United States] and Chinese tariffs, Saskatchewan’s strong and steady economy is leading the country in job growth. In March, while the rest of Canada lost 33,000 jobs, Saskatchewan led the nation with 6,600 new jobs. Saskatchewan also leads the country, Mr. Speaker, with 19,800 new jobs created this past year, and our unemployment rate dropped to 4.9 per cent, the lowest in Canada.

Year over year there are 11,300 more women working in Saskatchewan, 8,400 more men working in Saskatchewan, 5,400 more young people working in Saskatchewan, and 5,900 more First Nations and Métis people working in our province. There are 4,800 more people working in Saskatoon, 3,500 more people working in Regina.

Could it get any better, Mr. Speaker? You bet. Listen to this. There’s more people working in construction, in health care, in education. More people working in the private sector; more people working in the public sector. More people are working because our plan is working. Our Saskatchewan Party government will keep our economy strong and steady. Thank you.

QUESTION PERIOD

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Leader of the Opposition.

Federal Policies and National Unity

Carla Beck: — Last Friday, Mr. Speaker, the Premier was asked point-blank about a debate being stirred up by conservatives about breaking up the country. Now you’d think that the Premier would jump at the chance to condemn this nonsense and to clearly state, Mr. Speaker, that Saskatchewan will always be a part of Canada. Instead, he said he “won’t go so far as to comment on a Western secession crisis at this time.”

Mr. Speaker, I’ll give the Premier another chance. Will he condemn those stoking the flames of separatism?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Premier.

Hon. Scott Moe: — Mr. Speaker, every week the Leader of the Opposition stands up and says, condemn this individual, condemn this, condemn this, Mr. Speaker. And the fact of the matter is those are just simply nothing but words, where it’s policies that actually matter, Mr. Speaker. Whether those policies are at the federal level, they have an impact on all Canadians and not always all Canadians equally, Mr. Speaker, which is why you have seen over the course of the last number of months — and I would say number of years, almost a decade — the rise of Western alienation, which was identified in the most recent poll, Mr. Speaker.

Policies at the federal level matter. And so the question I think, when it comes to how Saskatchewan residents are feeling, how Western Canadians are feeling, as being respected by their federal government, the Liberal-NDP [New Democratic Party] minority government that we have, how Western Canadians are feeling when asked if they are being respected by the entirety of their nation, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the policies of the last nine years matter. That’s why you have seen this government stand up for Saskatchewan families, Saskatchewan industries, and how we create our wealth and the jobs that we have in Saskatchewan time and time and time again, Mr. Speaker. Where you’ve seen the members opposite side with their NDP colleagues in the federal House, Mr. Speaker, and side with Justin Trudeau. No doubt moving forward, Mr. Speaker, given the opportunity, you’re going to see more of the same.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Leader of the Opposition.

Carla Beck: — It didn’t sound like a “no,” Mr. Speaker, and the Premier seems to think this line of questioning is funny. Now let’s be clear. The West has valid concerns: equalization needs reform, the carbon tax has hurt our province, and the list goes on. But real leadership at this time, Mr. Speaker, means standing proud and vowing to fight for Saskatchewan within a united Canada.

Now the Premier is set to hold a fireside chat this week in Ottawa at the so-called Canada Strong and Free conference. Will the Premier state for the record that he will never endorse leaving Canada? And better yet, will he cancel his trip and tell Preston Manning to stop stoking the flames of separatism?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Premier.

Hon. Scott Moe: — Pretty sure I’m not going to see Preston Manning this weekend when we’re presenting at the conference, and I’m proud to do so, Mr. Speaker. I’m proud to continue to say that Saskatchewan and Saskatchewan residents most certainly are proudly part of Canada, Mr. Speaker.

And Saskatchewan residents most certainly would like to see a federal government in the future that better represents the opportunities that we are creating right here in Saskatchewan, despite the policies that are being put forward by the Liberal-NDP administration that we have had for what I would say is far too long, Mr. Speaker, policies like the carbon tax that the members opposite supported. And when we challenged that, when we challenged that to the Supreme Court of Canada, what did the Leader of the Opposition say, Mr. Speaker? “That’s nothing short of a pointless crusade,” Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, that’s the record of the NDP. Siding with the Liberal-NDP federal administration, siding against Saskatchewan people, Saskatchewan opportunities. But what we are seeing in this province, despite those federal policies, is job growth leading the nation, the lowest unemployment rate in the nation, Mr. Speaker.

And what we saw just these last couple of weeks was the only balanced budget to be introduced in the nation of Canada, Mr. Speaker. And just this past week Saskatchewan, Mr. Speaker, has the best credit rating of any provincial jurisdiction in the nation.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Leader of the Opposition.

Government Procurement and US Contracts

Carla Beck: — This isn’t hard, Mr. Speaker. It should be easy for that Premier to shut down talk of separatism.

And it should be easy for him, Mr. Speaker, while we’re at it, to say no to US companies running our health care system. Last week we asked why the Sask Party chose to hand a lucrative health care contract to LifeLabs, Mr. Speaker, an American company, one that donates to the Sask Party and to the Republicans. Now the minister seemed certain . . .

Speaker Goudy: — Sorry. I didn’t rule on it on Thursday, but I would ask you to refrain from comments concerning party politics.

I recognize the Leader of the Opposition.

Carla Beck: — Mr. Speaker, this minister seems certain that no one else, no one else can do what LifeLabs does. Does the Premier truly believe that? And does he believe there’s no one else in Saskatchewan who can run community lab collections?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Premier.

Hon. Scott Moe: — With respect to the question, there was a Canadian company that did win a tendered contract here in the province to provide laboratory services, Mr. Speaker. As we find our way through that contract, Mr. Speaker, and in light of what has happened over the course of the last couple of months across government, we’re looking at the contracts that we have to look for the opportunity for Canadian options, Mr. Speaker.

In this case of providing health care services, we are not going to in any way risk providing the very, the very . . . Mr. Speaker, those health care services that Saskatchewan families expect. However we are going to look for Canadian options and contracts across government, Mr. Speaker.

I think you’ll find this contract has not only been valuable in providing those services — publicly funded, privately delivered services, of which we know the members opposite disagree with, whether it be diagnostics, whether it be laboratory services, or whether it be surgeries, Mr. Speaker.

But what I would point out in this case, it’s this very same company that is also offering those services to the province of Ontario as well as NDP BC [British Columbia], Mr. Speaker. So maybe the Leader of the Opposition, when she’s out with the Premier of British Columbia at the Alberta NDP convention, Mr. Speaker, she can ask the BC NDP Premier what they are doing with their LifeLabs contracts.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Leader of the Opposition.

Hospital Staffing and Funding for Health Care

Carla Beck: — Mr. Speaker, maybe instead that Premier should, that Premier and that government, instead of focusing on whatever we might be doing or misrepresenting our words, Mr. Speaker, maybe they should actually be focused on Saskatchewan people and delivering health care in their own backyard.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, let’s look at Shellbrook Hospital in the Premier’s own riding: closed again last night and again this morning, forcing people to drive to Prince Albert or on to Saskatoon just to get the care they need. Why won’t this Premier focus on the very real problems in health care today, like hospital closures in his own backyard?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Premier.

Hon. Scott Moe: — As the Leader of the Opposition knows, I live in Shellbrook, so that would be my front yard, not my backyard, Mr. Speaker. And I did receive a call from a friend of mine that works in the facility, and there’s an illness that did cause a disruption over the evening, Mr. Speaker. And we do see disruptions from time to time across this province, Mr. Speaker.

However, however, within the budget that was introduced on the floor of this Assembly just a couple of weeks ago, Mr. Speaker, the balanced budget, I might add, that has created the opportunity . . .

[Interjections]

Speaker Goudy: — We have a bunch of teachers in the balcony, and I am hoping that we can show to them and to their students that we have decorum in this building, and I will hold us to it. Thank you.

I recognize the Premier.

[14:15]

Hon. Scott Moe: — That has created the opportunity for Saskatchewan to have the highest credit rating in the nation of Canada, Mr. Speaker. So when it comes to health care investment, what was in that budget? It was an increase of $485 million, Mr. Speaker, delivering for the people of this province, Mr. Speaker.

When you compare that to the commitments of the members opposite in the most recent campaign, they committed to increasing health care investment by $100 million. So $370 million less than what was in the budget this past week, Mr. Speaker. $485 million, a six and a half per cent increase on a 9 per cent increase last year, Mr. Speaker — that’s delivering on behalf of the people of Saskatchewan.

Speaker Goudy: — I am going to warn the members on both sides of this Chamber that we will have decorum, and I will be watching who are the loud ones. So please, when the questions are given, listen carefully, and when the answers are being given, listen carefully.

I recognize the member from Regina Douglas Park.

Upcoming Conference and National Unity

Nicole Sarauer: — Mr. Speaker, the Premier is scheduled to speak at that Preston Manning conference later this week, and he’s not the only one though. The Minister of Health is also scheduled to be speaking at that conference. The topic of his panel, Mr. Speaker: “Common sense policies that let adults be adults.”

Now, Mr. Speaker, I for one cannot wait to find out what he thinks that means, Mr. Speaker. But will he rise, cancel his trip, and condemn those who would seek to break up our country?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Health.

Hon. Jeremy Cockrill: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite points out, I will be attending the Canada Strong and Free Network Conference this weekend in Ottawa, Mr. Speaker. However I won’t be speaking on Thursday because I’ll be in this House answering questions. Thank you.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Regina Douglas Park.

Nicole Sarauer: — Mr. Speaker, finally a wise decision from the Minister of Health. So happy to hear it.

He’s also not the only one speaking at that conference. The former Justice minister Bronwyn Eyre is scheduled to speak. I think we all remember her. So many Sask Party thought leaders at that conference; I wonder what’s going on. She’s scheduled to speak at a panel called “Balancing the scales: judicial activism and reform.”

What’s the Justice minister’s position? Does he share his predecessor’s view that judicial activism is a problem in our country?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Health.

Hon. Jeremy Cockrill: — Mr. Speaker, everybody on this side of the House is a proud Canadian. Let’s be very clear about that, okay? We are proud to be living in Saskatchewan. We’re proud to be citizens of this great country of Canada, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, it’s interesting that the members opposite are trying to make such a big deal about this conference happening in Ottawa, Mr. Speaker. You know what they didn’t have an issue with? They didn’t have an issue with their leader attending a campaign school for Justin Trudeau and Jagmeet Singh several months ago . . . Mr. Speaker, if that’s what it’s about, Mr. Speaker. But, Mr. Speaker, she stands with the people that had policies that have been destructive to this province for many years. Thank you.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Regina University.

National Unity and Support for Resource Sector

Sally Housser: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with the Premier due to speak in Ottawa later this week at the Strong and Free national conference, the founder, Preston Manning, has just published an op-ed warning of western separation depending on the federal election results.

Mr. Speaker, industry needs predictability and stability. That means a united Canada. We need more rail lines, more pipelines, more power lines for our energy security and our economic future. And those lines need to run coast-to-coast.

Mr. Speaker, how does sharing the stage with MAGA [Make America Great Again]-loving separatists help get our world-class resources to tidewater?

Speaker Goudy: — I’m going to ask that the questions come to the work of the government. There’s been conference talk on both sides, and I think they’re both offside. So I’m going to ask that we can get the questions back to government business.

I recognize the member from Regina University.

Sally Housser: — Thanks, Mr. Speaker. There’s a mighty big difference between the West wants in and the West wants out, and every member of that government needs to be crystal clear on that difference.

It was shocking that the Premier didn’t immediately shut down talk of breaking up the country when given the opportunity last week. Talk of secession plays right into Donald Trump’s hands, hurting our ability to diversify our markets and scaring off investment with the talk of more instability.

How does the Minister of Energy and Resources think that being soft on secession will help bring investment to Saskatchewan?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Energy and Resources.

Hon. Colleen Young: — Mr. Speaker, our resource sector is one of the most integral parts of our economy, and those industries play a very strong role in supporting what we have here in Saskatchewan. We have had a strong and steady leadership guiding us through this in our Premier and in all the conversations we’ve had in supporting our industries here in Saskatchewan. We have a plan in place that is providing affordable opportunities for the people of this province, and we have a plan to grow our economy and create jobs, and it’s working.

We have the lowest unemployment rate in the country, and we have the best credit rating. And we will continue to support our industries as we work towards a strong and stable economy.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Regina Elphinstone-Centre.

Government Procurement and US Contracts

Meara Conway: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister of Health tried to defend his extension of a contract with Sask Party and Republican party donors LifeLabs last week by claiming he was putting patient care first. A first for this . . .

Speaker Goudy: — I’m sorry but I’ve asked earlier, I’d ruled that out of line. So just cut those portions out of your questions please.

I recognize the member from Regina Elphinstone-Centre. Nothing about the donors and the parties please.

Meara Conway: — He justified the extension of this contract by claiming he was putting patient care first. A first for this minister, if you ask me, Mr. Speaker. The minister seems certain that no one else can do what LifeLabs does, not public actors within the province, not even another private Canadian-based company. And when it comes to this contract extension and the contract itself this minister has been very light on the details, Mr. Speaker.

So a very simple question to the minister: is he prepared to table all current contracts with LifeLabs today so the public knows exactly what he’s signed us up for?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Health.

Hon. Jeremy Cockrill: — Mr. Speaker, I was clear last week. This contract with LifeLabs was awarded through a competitive process back in 2018, Mr. Speaker. There are a couple of extension clauses as part of that contract. We’re comfortable with that, Mr. Speaker, and we look forward to reviewing our procurement, but at the same time making sure that access to patient care can be preserved in Regina and Saskatoon.

Mr. Speaker, over 3,000 Saskatchewan residents access LifeLabs’ services every single day, Mr. Speaker. We want to make sure that continuity of care exists there. Thank you.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member for Regina Elphinstone-Centre.

Meara Conway: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister of Health may be comfortable with it, but are the people of Saskatchewan comfortable with the details of this contract he’s entered into with an American company? LifeLabs, the contract was worth 60 million. Heck of a deal for them, Mr. Speaker.

The Premier promised to move away from government contracts with American companies. That six-year-long contract was supposed to be up last week. What a perfect time to look at alternatives, Mr. Speaker, to prioritize Canadian companies or to make much-needed changes to our struggling health care system.

After months of struggling to vocalize even soft criticism of Donald Trump, they have promised to get tough. But we don’t see action, Mr. Speaker.

Can the minister tell this House why he extended the LifeLabs contract and why he won’t agree to make the details of that contract public? And instead he is hiding them behind a veil of secrecy.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Health.

Hon. Jeremy Cockrill: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. You know it’s interesting, Mr. Speaker, because today we’ve had both the Leader of the Opposition and that critic ask, you know, who believes in third-party lab delivery. Well guess who did, Mr. Speaker? Back in 2004 it was an NDP government that originally contracted lab services out to third parties, a company at that time called Dynacare that at that time was owned by a US parent company.

Mr. Speaker, I will not be ending this contract at this point, Mr. Speaker. We just extended for one year with LifeLabs. We want to ensure continuity of service, Mr. Speaker. That is why we’re not going to cancel it. Thank you.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Regina Northeast.

Supports for Mobile Home Residents

Jacqueline Roy: — Mr. Speaker, today we are joined by residents of the Glen Elm mobile home retirement community in my constituency. In the coming days, weeks, and months they face eviction, with some having already lost their homes, declared bankruptcy, or are under serious mental health pressures that are or were just too much to take.

One hundred fifty-five Glen Elm residents to be without their homes, to be added to that roster of Regina just declaring a houselessness crisis. They’re here today to ask the minister will the minister meet with them after question period to ensure they don’t spend a single night without a roof over their head?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Social Services.

Hon. Terry Jenson: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and to the residents of Glen Elm that are with us this afternoon, appreciate you coming down to your legislature today. The Ministry of Social Services, Mr. Speaker, we’ve been very proactive in response to the Glen Elm eviction notices right from the very beginning. As soon as we became aware of this, all the impacted residents received information about the relevant programs and services that may be available to them, including the Saskatchewan housing benefit, social housing opportunities, as well income assistance programs.

The ministry has contacted all the income assistance clients residing at Glen Elm, and these clients are being provided with the appropriate supports throughout this situation. Depending on their circumstances, income assistance clients may be eligible for relocation as well as other benefits. Income assistance will also, Mr. Speaker, be exempting compensation payments made by Glen Elm properties to homeowners who are receiving SIS [Saskatchewan income support] or SAID benefits.

Officials from housing income assistance will be in the building right after question period, and I look forward to meeting these residents. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member for Regina Northeast.

Jacqueline Roy: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I find the word “proactive” bizarre because some of the letters that went out from that minister’s department actually caused confusion and chaos and mental health problems with these residents, Mr. Speaker. Many of these folks have been told they are not eligible, not eligible for the services, in that letter sent to them, Mr. Speaker, and the others that have phoned have been told they have to wait years and years to get housing.

Mr. Speaker, there’s a problem here. These people are facing eviction in days and weeks, or in less than three months. So I ask again, will the minister make sure that he is there with the people from his ministry to meet directly with them today and solve this problem once and for all?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Social Services.

Hon. Terry Jenson: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And the answer before, my previous answer to the member opposite, is yes, I’ll definitely sit down with these residents from Glen Elm.

Mr. Speaker, this is a relationship between a private landowner, a developer, and the homeowners themselves, Mr. Speaker. The ministry reached out to every residence of Glen Elm, providing the details on programs and services associated with the housing benefit, with different programs that the ministry operates. And again I’ll put on the record as well that when it comes to the reimbursement being paid by Glen Elm developments to the homeowners, the ministry will be exempting those compensation payments from SIS and SAID clients. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Saskatoon Stonebridge.

Government Procurement and US Contracts

Darcy Warrington: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last week when I asked the Parks, Culture and Sport minister about why she was continuing to let a Texas-based company run Saskatchewan’s parks, she said she couldn’t possibly risk putting our summer at risk. What a bunch of nonsense. The Premier also promised to end US contracts wherever possible, but the minister doesn’t seem to have gotten the message from her boss.

Can the minister tell this House how many contracts with US companies she’s ended since becoming the minister, and how many more are actively under review? We know there are more to review. Does she even know what is being reviewed?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Parks, Culture and Sport.

Hon. Alana Ross: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When the ministry procured a vendor for the parks reservation system in 2021, there were no Saskatchewan bids for this contract. When this contract expires in September of 2025, we will once again open a fair and competitive bidding process that ensures we get the best deal for Saskatchewan people. But what we will not do is cause mass disruptions to delivering high-quality services that the Saskatchewan people expect.

[14:30]

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Athabasca.

Mental Health and Addictions Supports for Northerners

Leroy Laliberte: — Mr. Speaker, the mental health and addictions crisis is impacting all corners of this province. The North is no exception. The crisis has been affecting all of our communities for years. We have some of the highest suicide and overdose rates, yet limited access to services and continued health care closures.

Mr. Speaker, this government is just not listening. Positions for addictions counsellors are still sitting vacant, and the Minister Responsible for Northern Affairs doesn’t seem to think that this is his responsibility.

What is the Minister for Northern Affairs going to do to address the mental health and addictions crisis in the North?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions.

Hon. Lori Carr: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I do thank the member opposite for the question. Mr. Speaker, stabilizing and strengthening health care services in northern communities is a priority for this government, and we are taking actions to help with that.

We’ve provided northern medical services with over $70 million in annual funding for physicians and specialist services in northern communities. We are now nearly 40 physicians and medical health officers working in northern Saskatchewan. That’s a 40 per cent increase since 2007, Mr. Speaker. We have remote presence technology in Stony Rapids, La Loche, English River Dene Nation, Pelican Narrows, Fond-du-Lac, Clearwater River Dene Nation, and Hatchet Lake. And it’s all supported by annual funding, Mr. Speaker.

And we will continue to put that funding into the North because we know how important it is for those individuals that live there. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Government House Leader.

Hon. Tim McLeod: — Point of order, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker Goudy: — Please state your point of order.

POINT OF ORDER

Hon. Tim McLeod: — Mr. Speaker, during question period, despite your repeated warnings to the member from Regina Elphinstone-Centre about her use of unparliamentary language when she was questioning the Health minister regarding the details of a contract, she used the phrase, “Hiding them behind a veil of secrecy.”

Mr. Speaker, this is unparliamentary language. I would ask that you find it as such.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Regina Elphinstone-Centre.

Meara Conway: — Mr. Speaker, I’m happy to withdraw that comment and apologize.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Health.

Hon. Jeremy Cockrill: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I ask leave to make an introduction.

Speaker Goudy: — The member has requested leave to make an introduction. Is leave granted?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS

Hon. Jeremy Cockrill: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Joining us in the House today from Saskatoon is Paul Hills who works as a paramedic in the city of Saskatoon for Medavie Health Services. Paul’s no stranger to this place. We see him often and often have the ability to speak with him directly about what he sees on the front lines every single day.

Paul was just able to sneak in just in time for question period, so we missed introductions earlier. But I just want to thank Paul and all of his colleagues for the important work that they do each and every day in Saskatoon serving the people of this province. So I would ask all members to join me in welcoming Paul Hills to this, his legislature. Thank you.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Deputy Leader of the Opposition.

Vicki Mowat: — I ask leave for an introduction, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker Goudy: — The member has requested leave for an introduction. Is leave granted?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Vicki Mowat: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to join in with the minister opposite in welcoming Paul Hills to his Legislative Assembly. I thank Paul for all of his advocacy over the years, for holding all of us members accountable for making sure that paramedics have the ability to provide the services that they’ve been trained to provide and work so hard to provide across this province. I want to thank him for his decade or more of leadership within the field and for his work every day in trying to make sure that health care is available when and where people need it. So I’d ask all members to join me in welcoming Paul to his Assembly today.

ORDERS OF THE DAY

GOVERNMENT ORDERS

ADJOURNED DEBATES

SECOND READINGS

Bill No. 3

[The Assembly resumed the adjourned debate on the proposed motion by the Hon. Tim McLeod that Bill No. 3 — The Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Amendment Act, 2024 be now read a second time.]

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Saskatoon Riversdale.

Kim Breckner: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is my pleasure to be on my feet to debate The Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Amendment Act, 2024.

Before I get into the substance of the Act, I’d just like to say a quick hello to my husband, Paul, who’s recovering from surgery. It’s just a nose job. He said some inappropriate words in high school and got a sucker to the face and is finally dealing with it. He can’t sit still so with not being there, in order to keep him on the couch, I asked him to watch legislative proceedings thinking it would be wonderful, relaxing, and entertaining. And I’m sure it was.

This bill, it’s really important to the people of my constituency, Saskatoon Riversdale. We have a large prevalence of dilapidated homes in the community, and I think that speaks to the need to deal with the root causes of this issue we’re seeing. And that is, in a large part, economic pressure.

We’ve seen really high inflation over the past several years. People can’t afford to pay their mortgage, to keep up with the property. I know we have a home renovation tax credit that this government introduced, but that’s not really helpful when you can barely make ends meet month to month. And to put that money upfront to repair your homes, you know, fix your fence, what have you, a tax credit doesn’t cut it for a lot of people.

And we know that people are suffering keeping up with their mortgage in Saskatchewan. We have — and I just checked this today to see the 2024 Q4 [fourth quarter] results — Saskatchewan still has the highest default rates among the provinces on mortgages. I am a corporate lawyer. I worked for the different banks on foreclosure files. And it’s never that these people just don’t want to pay their mortgage, I can tell you, working with many, many debtors. It’s really the cost of life going up, just being unable to make ends meet. And you see a lot of these properties; that’s what happens. They fall into disrepair.

We also saw changes with the SIS and SAID programs, removing the ability to have rent paid directly to landlords. A lot of landlords are unwilling to rent out properties to people on these programs now that they don’t have that guaranteed payment. And we see these properties sit empty. They become vandalized. We see that a lot, unfortunately, in my constituency.

This Act also contemplates powers to, you know, to demolish these properties. And we know that a lot of them, homeless people will use for protection. And you know, there’s a statement by the minister that they would have supports for homeless populations, but I know you’ve heard it throughout our budget deliberations. We just don’t feel that there’s adequate supports for people suffering from houselessness, and this could really impact them. So it’s important that, again, we’re doing the root causes of this issue and not just the issue itself, hoping that it’ll go away.

And this situation, it’s going to be more dire with tariffs. I know we dodged the worst of it this past week, but so many people, their investments, their savings accounts that are in the stock market are really taking a huge hit. And you know, if you don’t have that investment income coming, you might not be able to pay the mortgage. And so this is just going to be a bigger issue, so we need to address the cost-of-living crisis upfront. And you know, we’ve called for removal of PST [provincial sales tax] on a number of items to try and deal with that issue. So as the tariff situation progresses, this is going to be an even bigger issue.

And with that, I will move to adjourn debate on Bill No. 3.

Speaker Goudy: — The member has moved to adjourn debate. Is it the pleasure of the Assembly to adopt the motion?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Speaker Goudy: — Carried.

Bill No. 4

[The Assembly resumed the adjourned debate on the proposed motion by the Hon. Jim Reiter that Bill No. 4 — The Workers’ Compensation Amendment Act, 2024 be now read a second time.]

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Saskatoon Westview.

April ChiefCalf: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m still recovering from a cold, so I apologize; my voice is a little bit croaky.

I’m very pleased today to rise in the Assembly today to speak to Bill 4, The Workers’ Compensation Amendment Act. As I mentioned earlier, my father was a rehabilitation officer with the Workers’ Compensation Board for about 25 years, so this amendment is near and dear to my heart for that reason and for others.

This bill proposes several changes to workers’ compensation. This includes new policies around workers’ ability to collect compensation if they are in a prison outside of Saskatchewan, the participation of board members in hearings that are ongoing while a member’s term has expired, and the last one that was mentioned was publication of appeals. However the change that I wish to focus on with this bill relates to the extension of compensation to wildland firefighters. This is a proposal of which I am in full support, and I would just like to relay some personal experiences with this.

So during the 20 years that I lived in La Ronge and worked in other northern communities in Saskatchewan, it was apparent to me that the climate was changing and that there was an increase in the number of wildfires. These fires were starting earlier in the season, so we would often see fires starting in April and May and they were ongoing over the course of the summer in many northern areas. In 2015 many northern communities, including my community of La Ronge, were evacuated from northern Saskatchewan due to these extensive wildfires.

And if you looked at the wildfire map from that summer you could see that a storm system had come through the North, and there were lightning strikes all over that had started fires. And we were just so incredibly grateful to all of the firefighters that summer who saved our homes, businesses, communities, cabins, and of course the forests.

These wildland forest fire fighters, this is often a family tradition. So it’s not unusual to find people in the North whose fathers and mothers fought fires, their grandparents fought fires, and they carry on that tradition. They work in the most dangerous and difficult conditions possible. So I do remember in 2015 the story of a woman from the Montreal Lake Cree Nation who was fighting fires in other areas of the North when fires overtook her own home community and she lost her own home.

Again, Mr. Speaker, we cannot thank these heroes enough for all they do to endure to keep others safe. Smoke inhalation, burns, and other injuries are potential outcomes of the work of wildland firefighters — and of course cancer. And it is essential that they be eligible for compensation for this work if they experience injuries.

All employees in Saskatchewan deserve to work in safe environments. I look forward to more consultation and discussion on this bill. And with that, Mr. Speaker, I move to adjourn debate on Bill No. 4, The Workers’ Compensation Amendment Act. Thank you.

Speaker Goudy: — The member has moved to adjourn debate. Is it the pleasure of the Assembly to adopt the motion?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Speaker Goudy: — Carried.

Bill No. 5

[The Assembly resumed the adjourned debate on the proposed motion by the Hon. Jim Reiter that Bill No. 5 — The Saskatchewan Employment Amendment Act, 2024 be now read a second time.]

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Regina Walsh Acres.

Jared Clarke: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s an honour to be up on my feet today to enter into debate on Bill No. 5, The Saskatchewan Employment Amendment Act, 2024. A number of my colleagues have spoken to this bill already in the last couple weeks, but I’ll add a few comments to the record.

Good to see, you know, employers not being able to withhold or deduct from the tips that servers and other staff are making during their shifts. One of the things that is also good to see is sick notes are only required for employees who are sick for more than five consecutive days or were sick for two or more consecutive days at least twice a year.

I do want to touch on this a little bit though, Mr. Speaker. As we’ve canvassed a number of times in this legislature, there are approximately 200,000 people who do not have access to a family doctor in Saskatchewan. And so acquiring a doctor’s note, a sick note, is potentially quite problematic for folks who don’t have a doctor. And so what do they do if they’re needing a sick note, Mr. Speaker? And a lot of that is going, I think, to the emergency room or going without, going back into the workplace sick and spreading more disease or more illness when it doesn’t need to be.

[14:45]

I was looking at some stats here, Mr. Speaker. Doctors in Canada wrote about 12.5 million sick notes last year. That’s according to the Canadian Medical Association. That’s a lot of time and a lot of extra work for doctors. Again in Saskatchewan, where so many people are struggling to have access to a primary care physician, really taking a look at the need for sick notes is, I think, something that this government should endeavour to. I think this could be a win-win for both employees and employers, and also the health care system.

Good to see that we are aligning with most of Canada about protecting tips for workers when they are on shift. And then we will of course continue, as we always do, to engage with our stakeholders to dive deeper into this legislation and hear what folks are thinking about the legislation that has been put forward.

Certainly want to hear about, you know, how employees . . . Where was it? . . . that the changes to a work schedule and breaks, meal breaks, only need the written consent of an employee, not the union. So we want to make sure that we have talked with all relevant stakeholders to make sure that this is a good idea. We’re not sure at this moment, but endeavour to hear what Saskatchewan people have to say on this topic.

With that I will move to adjourn debate on Bill No. 5, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker Goudy: — The member has moved to adjourn debate. Is it the pleasure of the Assembly to adopt the motion?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Speaker Goudy: — Carried.

Bill No. 6

[The Assembly resumed the adjourned debate on the proposed motion by the Hon. Tim McLeod that Bill No. 6 — The Safe Public Spaces (Street Weapons) Act be now read a second time.]

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Saskatoon Riversdale.

Kim Breckner: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am on my feet again to debate The Safe Public Spaces (Street Weapons) Act. This is another Act that’s very relevant to my constituency of Saskatoon Riversdale. This Act seeks to prohibit the carrying of street weapons in public urban spaces. So examples of street weapons under this bill would be bear spray or machetes.

And especially all over Saskatchewan, you know, Saskatchewan has one of the highest rates of violent crime, and we do unfortunately see it quite a lot in Saskatoon, particularly with bear spray. I know there’s been multiple accounts over the past year or so about bear spray being used at the Midtown Mall which is very close to my constituency. And it’s very traumatic for people who happen to be affected by those attacks.

There’s also a problem with machetes. We’ve seen multiple attacks in Saskatoon of people who have been attacked with machetes. Just last month there was a report about that type of attack. So it’s important to be tough on crime — which this bill seeks to do, and we are thankful for that — but also to be tough on the causes of crime. For example, you know, economic factors are pushing people into desperate circumstances. Our education system, you know . . . The more we can do to support children as they grow up, after-school programs, things like that, that keeps them away from negative influences in their life like street gangs where we see a lot of these street weapons utilized.

And I know my colleagues have spoken to this bill, and our shadow minister for Justice continues to talk with stakeholders about the effectiveness of the penalties in this Act and whether they will serve the purposes that we hope to achieve here. And it is good that it’s an opt-in system, so places where you may need to use bear spray for outdoor purposes or machetes for legitimate purposes, that can still be done. But you know, urban places like Saskatoon where we see such a problem, I know that this will be . . . I’m hoping that this will be an effective tool for combatting those issues.

And with that, I seek to move to adjourn debate on Bill No. 6.

Speaker Goudy: — The member has moved to adjourn debate. Is it the pleasure of the Assembly to adopt the motion?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Speaker Goudy: — Carried.

Bill No. 7

[The Assembly resumed the adjourned debate on the proposed motion by the Hon. Tim McLeod that Bill No. 7 — The Court of Appeal (Residency) Amendment Act, 2024/Loi modificative de 2024 sur la Cour d’appel (résidence) be now read a second time.]

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Regina Elphinstone-Centre.

Meara Conway: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s a pleasure to be on my feet to enter into debate on Bill No. 7, The Court of Appeal (Residency) Amendment Act, 2024.

My understanding is that this bill introduces a number of changes to existing legislation, namely by removing Humboldt from the definition for a “northern centre,” which is a legal centre referred to under the Act. The number of judges have been amended to reflect the reality today, the current number of judges. And there’s an amendment to allow for the Chief Justice to approve residency of those judges at Saskatoon if they so wish, which would require of course that they not necessarily move to Regina, Mr. Speaker.

The bill also indicates that a judge who is resigning, moving, or ceasing to hold office can still render decisions that were on reserve up to six months from the date of leaving office. I know there have been some delays in our justice system, Mr. Speaker. I know that judges really, judicial complements really across the province, they are struggling with their workload. An increased number of self-represented litigants even at the appeal stage, Mr. Speaker, which makes their life a little bit more complex.

And then lastly . . . No, that is the last change, is that ability to render a decision six months from the date of leaving office. You know, fairly straightforward, Mr. Speaker, not anything that appears on its face to be too spicy or controversial here.

You know, on this topic of the judiciary I was disappointed today in question period, Mr. Speaker, not to hear and not to see our current Justice minister take an opportunity to differentiate himself and even condemn the comments of his predecessor, Bronwyn Eyre, around judicial activism.

This is a line of rhetoric we’re seeing more and more, actually, in the States from Donald Trump and the Republican Party. It really chips away at a sense of faith in the pillars of our democracy, one of which is of course an independent judiciary. So you know, it was disappointing that he missed that opportunity. Interesting that he popped up on a question the other day that was posed to the Minister of Northern Affairs, and then we saw that answer go to the Minister of Health. So I really do think this is a moment where we are seeing some attacks to our democracy across the world, and we need to be very clear as leaders where we stand on that.

So with that, Mr. Speaker, I will move to adjourn debate on Bill No. 7, The Court of Appeal (Residency) Amendment Act, 2024.

Speaker Goudy: — The member has moved to adjourn debate. Is it the pleasure of the Assembly to adopt the motion?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Speaker Goudy: — Carried.

Bill No. 8

[The Assembly resumed the adjourned debate on the proposed motion by the Hon. Everett Hindley that Bill No. 8 — The Child Care (New Facilities) Amendment Act, 2024/Loi modificative de 2024 sur les garderies d’enfants (nouveaux établissements) be now read a second time.]

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Saskatoon Westview.

April ChiefCalf: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to rise again today in the legislature, this time to discuss Bill No. 8, An Act to amend The Child Care Act.

This amendment proposes a number of changes to The Child Care Act including replacing the definitions of “child care centre,” “facility,” and “preschool”; requirements for licensing; and changing the number of children in a group home setting.

Mr. Speaker, while there are many proposed changes to this Act, the one upon which I wish to focus is the expansion of the number of children in a group family child care home, which is going to be increased from 12 to 16. On the one hand, we know that it is very difficult to find child care in many communities in Saskatchewan, so allowing for more children in group family child care homes may create more options. But on the other hand, we need to think of what is best for children and workers. So increasing the number of children in these child care settings may add to the burnout and stress of workers. So we are interested to know what consultation was done on this change.

Mr. Speaker, child care is one of the most important issues for families today. Now it’s been a while since my children were small — they’re 29 and 31 now — but I do remember the struggle in finding accessible child care in both Saskatoon and La Ronge. I remember taking a cab from the west end of Saskatoon to the east end of Saskatoon with two small children in tow, trying to access child care. And I also remember the struggle of finding child care in La Ronge.

Today in La Ronge they’re really worried because they’re building the long-term health care facility and they want to attract workers, but they’re struggling to find housing and child care for those workers. And in my experience as an educator at the university level, I’ve also observed child care has been one of the biggest obstacles for my students who were parents.

So child care in our province needs to be accessible, affordable for the parents. It needs to be a healthy and thriving environment for children, and it needs to be a safe and positive work environment for child care workers. And we certainly need more child care workers.

I would like to see some clarification on some of the definitions, such as the definition or the changing of the term to “alternative child care services centre.” Otherwise, Mr. Speaker, I look forward to more consultation with stakeholders on this amendment and more dialogue on the bill. And with that I move to adjourn debate on Bill No. 8, the Act to amend The Child Care Act. Thank you.

Speaker Goudy: — The member has moved to adjourn debate. Is it the pleasure of the Assembly to adopt the motion?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Speaker Goudy: — Carried.

Bill No. 9

[The Assembly resumed the adjourned debate on the proposed motion by the Hon. Jeremy Harrison that Bill No. 9 — The Traffic Safety Amendment Act, 2024 be now read a second time.]

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Saskatoon Stonebridge.

Darcy Warrington: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s a pleasure to be on my feet to debate and discuss Bill No. 9, The Traffic Safety Amendment Act, 2024. Essentially the bill adds regulation-making authority to allow other forms of document delivery than in person or by mail.

So it’s always great to have consensus with the other side. We support this bill. We look at ways that delivering these materials electronically, whether you’re confirming identity, whether you’re asking for passwords, whether you’re just renewing your licence. Many other objectives can be accomplished in person, whether you’re getting your licence for the first time, or you’re getting your picture taken, or you’re registering a vehicle that already existed in the province or came in from outside the province.

There’s still something to be said about the importance of being in person or mailing out some of these details. But there can be disruptions to mail services, so mailing isn’t always an option for people. And not everyone has the luxury of being able to make their way in person.

So for various reasons our opposition is supportive of Bill No. 9, and we look forward to discussing it further. And I seek to move to adjourn debate on Bill No. 9.

Speaker Goudy: — The member has moved to adjourn debate. Is it the pleasure of the Assembly to adopt the motion?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Speaker Goudy: — Carried.

Bill No. 10

[The Assembly resumed the adjourned debate on the proposed motion by the Hon. Tim McLeod that Bill No. 10 — The Miscellaneous Statutes (Public Registries Enhancement) Amendment Act, 2024 be now read a second time.]

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Regina Elphinstone-Centre.

Meara Conway: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s a pleasure to enter into debate on Bill No. 10, The Miscellaneous Statutes (Public Registries Enhancement) Amendment Act, 2024. I understand that this bill contains some common sense changes around digital signatures, which I believe the hope is that it will be more convenient for individuals and businesses that work with these registries.

I did have questions, Mr. Speaker, around some changes under information that can be disclosed to certain entities — CRA [Canada Revenue Agency] and law enforcement. I see that there are some changes around the registrar disclosing individuals that are searching the registries.

So that was interesting to me, and you know, I would look forward to, in perhaps committee, canvassing the reason behind some of these changes. When you think of the act of just searching for information, that then becoming something that can be disclosed to law enforcement, it’s just an interesting change under this Act that I would want to explore more. But certainly it’s not my area of expertise, Mr. Speaker. It’s just simply perhaps a flag for further inquiry.

[15:00]

The other changes under this Act do appear to be fairly straightforward and I know that the critic will have questions come time for committee. So with that, I would move to adjourn debate on Bill No. 10. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker Goudy: — Moved to adjourn debate. Is it the pleasure of the Assembly to adopt the motion?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Speaker Goudy: — Carried.

Bill No. 11

[The Assembly resumed the adjourned debate on the proposed motion by the Hon. Tim McLeod that Bill No. 11 — The Miscellaneous Statutes (Public Registries Enhancement) Amendment Act, 2024 (No. 2)/Loi modificative diverse (amélioration des registres publics) de 2024 (n° 2) be now read a second time.]

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Regina Elphinstone-Centre.

Meara Conway: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s a pleasure to enter into debate on Bill No. 11, An Act to amend certain Acts to address Public Registries Enhancement (No. 2). It appears something of a sister bill to the previous bill that I spoke to, and I would just perhaps, you know, reiterate some of the comments I put on the record under Bill No. 10.

Again there appears to be a change here under identity verification that would allow for the disclosure of the person actually conducting the search of a registry to be disclosed to law enforcement. So again just a very, very interesting change under the Act, you know, the mere searching of information.

And you know, in this age perhaps it’s just being a member of opposition, Mr. Speaker, and struggling to often access information and knowing how hard that struggle can be, and knowing the importance of access to information in a functioning and healthy democracy. It’s just an interesting change that I would be interested in exploring more with the fine civil servants that have been working with the minister, no doubt, on this bill.

So I will look forward to my colleagues exploring that further I hope, and again there are other changes under this bill that appear to be quite common sense, such as the digital signatures for example. We’re seeing a lot of those types of changes just to increase efficiency and meet the modern world where it is at, Mr. Speaker.

So with that I would adjourn debate on Bill No. 11, the miscellaneous statutes amendment Act, no. 2.

Speaker Goudy: — The member has moved to adjourn debate. Is it the pleasure of the Assembly to adopt the motion?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Speaker Goudy: — Carried.

Bill No. 13

[The Assembly resumed the adjourned debate on the proposed motion by the Hon. Jim Reiter that Bill No. 13 — The Income Tax Amendment Act, 2025 be now read a second time.]

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Saskatoon Stonebridge.

Darcy Warrington: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s a pleasure to be on my feet to discuss and debate Bill No. 13, The Income Tax Amendment Act, 2025. This is an important bill to help us try and combat the rising cost of living.

There’s exemptions rising $500 a year for the next four years for basic personal income, spousal, dependant child, and senior. They aren’t active until next year, when you file your taxes next year. Low-income credit up to 5 per cent per year for the next four years. We wonder if there’s more that can be done than that for low-income residents of Saskatchewan.

Encouraging graduates to remain in the province is important and admirable, so we want to look closer at that. There’s also a fertility credit that I’ll talk about more in a moment, and some changes to deductions when there’s a bankruptcy. Or if someone lives in the province for a portion of time, or someone who doesn’t reside here but works here, what happens when people file multiple returns for the same person? So we have some questions around some of these things.

But when it comes right down to it, people need the relief right now, but these tax cuts won’t see us have any relief through this bill until 2026. This is why we have proposed PST cuts in various areas such as groceries, kids’ clothing. Personally I always like to throw out that when it comes to tickets for major events, we just toured SaskTel Centre the other day, and they say that that’s becoming an issue for people to go attend some of the great acts that they bring in.

And then this government really wanted to make people’s lives more . . . If you wanted to make the lives more affordable, they’d be considering how tariffs impact our province with a contingency plan of some sort. They didn’t, and there’s no way for people to trust the projections. We need to plan for the future.

And the average around . . . As I said, I wanted to return to talk about the fertility treatments. $10,000 isn’t enough; 15,000 to 20,000 is what it costs, and it’s only for in-province treatment. But we thought the Sask Party, you know, they were used to sending women out of the province for health care, but it turns out that you can only access this $10,000 if you stay here in the province of Saskatchewan for that treatment.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I seek to move to adjourn debate on Bill No. 13.

Speaker Goudy: — The member has moved to adjourn debate. Is it the pleasure of the Assembly to adopt the motion?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Speaker Goudy: — Carried.

Bill No. 14

[The Assembly resumed the adjourned debate on the proposed motion by the Hon. Jeremy Harrison that Bill No. 14 — The Power Corporation Amendment Act, 2025 be now read a second time.]

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Saskatoon Chief Mistawasis.

Don McBean: — I’ve just been invited to speak until 5 o’clock. Mr. Speaker, I’m pleased to rise to speak to Bill No. 14, The Power Corporation Amendment Act, 2025. And my explanatory notes are pretty thin. There’s a lot here that seems very self-evident. There’s a tightening of some language.

You know, it says to me we’re not sure why this has to be, but obviously someone within the Power Corporation and the government has decided that these provisions are important. And to that end I do embrace the idea that words are important. You know, our meaning can be misconstrued. It’s what lawyers do. I’m not a lawyer, even though I had a lot of lawyer friends who wondered why I didn’t try to become a lawyer, but you know what, it’s because those words are way too much detail.

The things that are being asked for here are pretty self-evident. There must be a reason that it’s come behind and that we are making these amendments.

What I find particularly interesting is the one kind of concrete provision that’s come here, that the SaskPower borrowing limit be increased from $10 billion to $14 billion. Now $4 billion is nothing to be sneezed at. Obviously there’s a projection that the lending rate will be . . . There will be necessity that they will be lending over the amount of 10 billion which is currently in the Act.

I find it intriguing, I’ll say, to pick the word that someone somewhere is looking at this and saying, yeah, we’d better pad this by $4 billion of borrowing or loaning. And I compare that to the absolute specific amount of the so-called balanced budget which provides a surplus of $12 million whereas in the other hand we’re playing with 4 billion.

I’m sure there is something in my background, in my understanding of economics, finance, that is lacking in order to understand how those two things fit together, but I just know that listening to the budget debate for the last couple of weeks, the oft-repeated claim of a balanced budget with a $12 million surplus sounds very thin. And yet here I am standing on my feet to propose an amendment to add $4 billion on the other side.

So obviously the opposition member that will take this to committee and study this a little more carefully and ask the right questions, I might get some clarification on that. Otherwise I embrace the necessity of making very precise language in the two or three clauses in which that change of language needs to be made. All that that I move to adjourn debate on Bill No. 14, The Power Corporation Amendment Act, 2025.

Speaker Goudy: — The member has moved to adjourn debate. Is it the pleasure of the Assembly to adopt the motion?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Speaker Goudy: — Carried.

Bill No. 15

[The Assembly resumed the adjourned debate on the proposed motion by the Hon. Alana Ross that Bill No. 15 — The Alcohol and Gaming Regulation Amendment Act, 2025/Loi modificative de 2025 sur la réglementation des boissons alcoolisées et des jeux de hasard be now read a second time.]

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Regina Elphinstone-Centre.

Meara Conway: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A pleasure to be on my feet to enter into debate on Bill No. 15, The Alcohol and Gaming Regulation Amendment Act, 2025.

It’s a short bill, Mr. Speaker, about one page in length, but it does contain some rather pithy changes, including a mechanism for SLGA [Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority] to be able to collect on their debts by establishing terms of payment for transactions related to the sale of beverage alcohol by the authority and charging and collecting interest on overdue accounts related to the sale of beverage alcohol by the authority, Mr. Speaker.

It also contains a provision that would provide for a fine if the terms of a director’s registration are not abided by in the on-reserve context, I believe, Mr. Speaker. I might be wrong about that. In any event, these are significant changes. In theory we do support, you know, our Crowns’ ability to collect on their debts. They need to have these tools available to them.

I know that back when this Sask Party government made the very short-sighted and rather tragic decision to shutter liquor stores across the province, one of the complaints from workers and those folks was that they weren’t able to . . . their hands were often tied behind their backs. They weren’t given the tools to sometimes compete with the private market. I remember one example being, you know, Sobeys offers snacks at checkout and these workers had said, you know, why can’t we do that too? They weren’t permitted to do that.

And when we think about the implications of when we privatize these kinds of services — we saw 34 stores shutter across the province — often these were economic hubs for smaller rural communities. These were mortgage-paying jobs at a time of economic uncertainty in an affordability crisis. We know that many of these private distributors are paying minimum wage, for example. These are not mortgage-paying jobs. These are not the kinds of jobs that will sustain rural communities across our province, Mr. Speaker.

So this opposition is very in favour of giving our beloved Crowns the tools they need to remain relevant, to remain competitive in the ways that they need to remain competitive in any given area of operation, Mr. Speaker.

So with that I look forward to hearing more from the shadow minister on this file in committee and in the days to come from my colleagues. And I would move to adjourn debate on Bill No. 15, The Alcohol and Gaming Regulation Amendment Act, 2025.

Speaker Goudy: — The member has moved to adjourn debate. Is it the pleasure of the Assembly to adopt the motion?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Speaker Goudy: — Carried.

Bill No. 16

[The Assembly resumed the adjourned debate on the proposed motion by the Hon. Jim Reiter that Bill No. 16 — The Provincial Sales Tax Amendment Act, 2025 be now read a second time.]

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Saskatoon Riversdale.

Kim Breckner: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s a pleasure to speak today on The Provincial Sales Tax Amendment Act, 2025.

Before I get into the substance of the Act, I know everybody is curious to know, so I will offer an update on my home life. I was informed by my husband, who’s supposed to be resting, that he doesn’t know how my speech went because he’s away doing errands. He did try and watch the first 45 minutes, but it was “boring as hell.” And so he had to finish some errands before the curling game; Homan versus Scotland’s Mouat is on at 5, so he couldn’t miss that.

And so in respect to the bill here this essentially removes the PST exemption on vape products. And this is definitely something we stand in support with the Sask Party government on when it . . . We supported them when it came to the tobacco and vapour product initiatives to encourage good health, such as in November 2023. We were happy to help them and Youth4Change push through The Tobacco and Vapour Products Control Amendment Act to raise the minimum age for purchase.

[15:15]

And you know, I have a personal stake in this, and so even though it’ll affect my family income, I’m happy to support this motion. And you know, I won’t name the family member in case their mother is watching. She’s been known to watch from time to time and . . . Not that he’ll be watching. He’s supposed to be on the couch but clearly is not.

Vapes have been used, you know, for those who are quitting tobacco, cigarettes. They’ll move on to vapes and some will just get stuck there in their nicotine-quitting journey. And I hope that this is a good incentive when everybody sees the news releases: your vapes are now subject to PST. That’ll really be the push to get them off these products and commit to better health.

You know, we would like to have seen other changes to the PST Act to make life more affordable on things that people actually need, things like children’s clothes and groceries. We’d like to see PST removed from those. But this is nonetheless a good initiative, so we’re happy to support The Provincial Sales Tax Amendment Act, 2025. And with that I will move to adjourn debate on Bill No. 16.

Speaker Goudy: — The member has moved to adjourn debate. Is it the pleasure of the Assembly to adopt the motion?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Speaker Goudy: — Carried.

Bill No. 17

[The Assembly resumed the adjourned debate on the proposed motion by the Hon. Warren Kaeding that Bill No. 17 — The Saskatchewan Commercial Innovation Incentive (Patent Box) Amendment Act, 2025 be now read a second time.]

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Saskatoon Westview.

April ChiefCalf: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m honoured to rise again in the legislature today to speak to Bill No. 17, the Saskatchewan commercial innovative incentive amendment Act.

And in perusing through the bill and the media releases and some of the notes from Hansard, I have concurred that the purpose of this bill is to improve the program’s eligibility requirements and simplify the application process. And this will be done by removing the economic eligibility test from program requirements.

I do have some questions as to why the economic eligibility test has been disbanded. It is hoped that the improvements to this bill will encourage investment and innovation in the province of Saskatchewan. And I would say that given the current circumstances in which we find ourselves, that sounds like an excellent idea.

It’s imperative right now that we do everything we can to invest in our province, support local businesses, and support made-in-Saskatchewan innovation. And we need to be vocal. We need to take action.

And with that I guess I will move to adjourn debate on Bill 17. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker Goudy: — The member has moved to adjourn debate. Is it the pleasure of the Assembly to adopt the motion?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Speaker Goudy: — Carried.

Bill No. 18

[The Assembly resumed the adjourned debate on the proposed motion by the Hon. Jeremy Cockrill that Bill No. 18 — The Regulated Health Professions Act be now read a second time.]

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Saskatoon Chief Mistawasis.

Don McBean: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise to address Bill No. 18, The Regulated Health Professions Act together with the regulated health professions consequential amendments . . . I think I need to keep 18 separate from 19 at this point.

As I’m understanding this, there’s quite an amalgamation of regulatory bodies coming together under the health profession Act. There’s no question that we need regulated colleges. A previous member standing has made mention of how she was a member of this regulatory college.

And I never have been but I do have a great memory of when the teaching profession adopted this sort of oversight, the SPTRB, the Saskatchewan Professional Teachers Regulatory Board. It caused all sorts of consternation in the teaching world at first because we just weren’t quite sure what it meant. And as is often the case with those sorts of new initiatives, you know, a few bad stories circulated and made us think that they were coming into our classrooms to take over what we were doing and making sure of everything.

But the truth is, is that there does need to be regulation. There are bad actors in every profession, and we need something on the order of professional conduct and discipline. And — this idea just popping into my mind — perhaps this is what your job is, Mr. Speaker, to a degree.

As I’m understanding it here, there are all sorts of regulatory bylaws that are being approved by the minister, conditions of licensing, specialties, maintaining the registries. You know, there’s been a . . . Again to go back to the important need of a word, we’re not doctors anymore; we’re going to be medical practitioners.

I will throw in my personal note that I had the great pleasure just last evening to have my daughter over to the house while she made a 48‑hour visit to Saskatchewan, and that after four years of pediatric residency in Ontario, we’re looking forward to her moving back to Saskatchewan with her family rural medicine partner, now fiancé. And I think that if I were to take this very much further, I might have to get a hold of Sophie and Reed and see if they can provide some insight into what it is that we’re making better through this regulation or this bill.

We talk a lot about health in this Assembly. There is a lot of concern about the health system, the health care workers. We certainly need to ensure that everything is being done to positively support these people in these very difficult circumstances that they find themselves.

Some of the tinkering, the wordsmithing inside here no doubt will be part of that, but we think that there are greater and more important foundational and fundamental things that need to be addressed in order to bring our health care system back to the high level of standard, which we were so very proud, including the fact that we were the first ones bringing in medicare, etc.

We are proud of the health care system. We think that everything needs to be done to support these workers. And I’m very confident that the shadow minister for this portfolio will be reaching out to stakeholders, investigating what it is exactly. And we look forward to more of that in committee.

And at that point I move to adjourn the reading of Bill No. 18, The Regulated Health Professions Act.

Speaker Goudy: — The member has moved to adjourn debate. Is it the pleasure of the Assembly to adopt the motion?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Speaker Goudy: — Carried.

Bill No. 19

[The Assembly resumed the adjourned debate on the proposed motion by the Hon. Jeremy Cockrill that Bill No. 19 — The Regulated Health Professions Consequential Amendments Act, 2025/Loi de 2025 corrélative de la loi intitulée The Regulated Health Professions Act be now read a second time.]

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Saskatoon Chief Mistawasis.

Don McBean: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I studied this, my first question was, are Bill 18 and 19 together or separate? And they’re practically together, but we have them under two different places. My colleagues that have spoken to this and even the minister when he presented it piggybacked 19 on top of 18 to a great degree.

I’m tempted to read it because for some reason this one’s coming up all in French and I was wondering about reading it into the record in French, but I’ll spare you. I see a few head shakes over on that side. But that it hasn’t been addressed in French previously is obviously an oversight because I understand that one of the three times in Saskatchewan that we’re absolutely obligated to have everything happening in French is in this Assembly, so I applaud that.

Again I look forward to the shadow minister for Health taking this to committee, finding out if there are wordsmithing techniques that are obfuscating or if they’re helping. And with that I move to adjourn debate on Bill No 19.

Speaker Goudy: — Member has moved to adjourn debate. Is it the pleasure of the Assembly to adopt the motion?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Speaker Goudy: — Carried.

Bill No. 20

[The Assembly resumed the adjourned debate on the proposed motion by the Hon. Warren Kaeding that Bill No. 20 — The Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Investment Tax Credit Act be now read a second time.]

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Saskatoon Riversdale.

Kim Breckner: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m happy to speak today on Bill No. 20, The Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Investment Tax Credit Act. This bill introduces a tax credit focused on small and medium-sized businesses. Businesses must register with the ministry to be eligible, and venture corporations can too but they can’t invest in a business if someone at the venture corporation is related or had financial dealings with anyone at the business.

This bill is really important in creating opportunities to help grow our small and medium enterprises, as well as allowing Saskatchewan investors to invest here in this province. In particular, my constituency of Saskatoon Riversdale, it’s known for its restaurants and retail shopping. That’s the first thing people think of when they think Riversdale. But there’s also a thriving commercial and industrial business area full of small and medium-sized businesses kind of in the Holiday Park area, the South West Development Area.

When I’m looking at this bill, in particular I’m anxious to see the qualifications for being an eligible business to have these third parties invest in and receive the tax credits. I know the news release, it states that it was targeting food and beverage manufacturing and the machinery and transportation equipment sectors.

I know there’s far more sectors than these that could benefit from third-party investments, not just in what we sell and what we distribute but also the services that we’re providing here. It would be great to see small businesses expand their services so that the next time the government opens a procurement process, we do have Canadian and Saskatchewan companies bidding on these contracts and we can continue to grow our own here.

A few other details of the Act. So eligible equity investments, they have to be directly issued by the business to the investor, paid upfront with cash, not buying a controlling stake in the business. That’s good because, you know, it’s not certain if this will be open to just Saskatchewan investors or from outside Saskatchewan, so we want these to remain Saskatchewan-owned businesses. There’s a minimum threshold and not more than 500,000 per year. And the deadline for businesses to register and investors to invest is June 30th, 2028.

And again just reiterating our strong support for made-in-Saskatchewan small and medium enterprises and wanting to encourage investment. And with that I’ll move to adjourn debate on Bill No. 20.

Speaker Goudy: — The member has moved to adjourn debate. Is it the pleasure of the Assembly to adopt the motion?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Speaker Goudy: — Carried. I recognize the Deputy Government House Leader.

Hon. Lori Carr: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To facilitate the work of committees, I move that this House do now adjourn.

Speaker Goudy: — It has been moved that this Assembly do now adjourn. Is it the pleasure of the Assembly to adopt the motion?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Speaker Goudy: — Carried. This Assembly now stands adjourned until tomorrow at 1:30 p.m.

[The Assembly adjourned at 15:29.]

Published under the authority of the Hon. Todd Goudy, Speaker

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