CONTENTS
SECOND
SESSION — THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE
of
the
Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
DEBATES
AND PROCEEDINGS
(HANSARD)
N.S. Vol. 67 No. 4B Tuesday, October
28, 2025, 19:00
[The Assembly resumed at 19:00.]
EVENING SITTING
Speaker
Goudy: — It now being 7 o’clock, we will
resume debate.
SPECIAL ORDER
ADJOURNED DEBATES
ADDRESS IN REPLY
[The Assembly resumed the adjourned debate on the address in reply which
was moved by Michael Weger, seconded by Terri Bromm, and the proposed amendment
to the main motion moved by Jordan McPhail.]
Speaker
Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Health.
Hon. Jeremy
Cockrill: —
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. You know, part of being on a team, Mr. Speaker, is
sometimes you got to look out for your teammates. And I recently became aware
over the last couple hours that my colleague from Canora-Pelly forgot to
mention his lovely partner Renee. And so we just want to recognize Renee. And
so thank you, Renee, for supporting the member for Canora-Pelly, on behalf of
the legislature.
So before the recess, Mr. Speaker, I was
talking about really the strength of the Saskatchewan economy, and how all the
investment that we’re seeing into the province, you know, it’s creating jobs,
creating wealth in communities, and we’re also able to translate it into
measures that keep life affordable for our friends and our neighbours and our
families right across the province.
Mr. Speaker, I want to now transition
into talking about, you know, the parts of the Throne Speech here that really
speak about ensuring that our communities can be safe. And you know, sure
appreciate the investments that have been made by this government, certainly
into policing across the province. I’ve spoken before about how we actually
have the largest RCMP [Royal Canadian Mounted Police] detachment in the
province in my home community, The Battlefords.
The RCMP remain the police of
jurisdiction in most of the province, Mr. Speaker, besides municipal forces
that exist in several larger urban centres around the province, Mr. Speaker.
And you know, with the recent commitment by this government to fund an additional
180 RCMP positions across the province, that’s good news. That’s good news for
any community where the RCMP is the police of jurisdiction — certainly in my
community.
And there’s been several targeted
investments over the last number of years in The Battlefords to support the
detachment. We recently signed the lease between “F” Division and SaskBuilds on the old SLGA [Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming
Authority] store in downtown North Battleford. This is going to be an important
training facility for RCMP members, really in the whole northwest of the
province.
You know, previously many RCMP members
would have to travel from further north detachments — whether that be La Loche
or Buffalo Narrows or Beauval or Meadow Lake, North Battleford — they’d have to
travel all the way here to Depot for training, or maybe sometimes into
Saskatoon. And certainly while we want to support “F” Division, and you know,
the Depot operations in Regina, we know that the less time they spend driving
to training, the more time they can spend actually doing policing work in our
communities, and how important that is. And so we’re really excited to see that
training facility get up and running as soon as possible. I know “F” Division
is working hard on that.
You know, I think about the investments
that have been made into the SCAN [safer communities and neighbourhoods]
officers. And you know, while the SCAN officers are based in Regina, Saskatoon,
Prince Albert, there’s a presence in North Battleford already with many of
these officers coming to our community and having really an impact I would say,
certainly with properties where there might be activity going on that is
detrimental to the neighbourhood and the community. And SCAN has been very
helpful in that, and I expect as we fill out those positions those SCAN
officers will continue to be an important part of the policing mix in our part
of the province.
The other piece of this is the
Saskatchewan marshals service. And it’s really exciting to see the development
of the Saskatchewan marshals service, and again you know, this is something
that the opposition, I would say, has been critical of every step of the way —
the development of the Saskatchewan marshals service, setting up our
headquarters in Prince Albert, and now very soon this fall having our first
regional office in North Battleford. Bringing in more boots on the ground to
support the RCMP and other policing services.
You know, it’s going to be really
exciting to see the development of this, and we can’t wait in The Battlefords
for the marshals to land on the ground, and you know, again, continue to
provide that enforcement. That presence that is so key in terms of helping our
community members to feel safe.
You know, of particular note, last
Monday we had the opportunity in North Battleford to be present at the signing
of a new memorandum of understanding — the first one of its kind — between the
Saskatchewan marshals service and Red Pheasant Cree Nation, really marking, I
would say, the beginning of a relationship between Red Pheasant and the
Saskatchewan marshals service. And really I think, you know, Red Pheasant Chief
Cody Benson taking a step of welcoming the marshals service in terms of being
welcome to be present in their communities and support that community if the
need should arise, but really specifically around cultural awareness. You know,
people understanding people.
And I think in so much of what
government does each and every single day, sometimes it’s easy to forget that
there’s actually people doing this work. And the reality is, I think they do
better work when they understand each other better. And I think this MOU
[memorandum of understanding] really represents a positive step forward in
terms of that relationship. And I just want to give credit to Chief Cody Benson
for taking that step forward on behalf of his Nation, Red Pheasant Cree Nation.
You know, it’s not too many years ago
where the relationship between some of our local Indigenous communities and
local police forces, it wasn’t particularly strong. There had been some things
that had happened, some hurts, and the relationship wasn’t necessarily very
strong. But I’ve got to give credit to certainly our RCMP detachment — the last
few officers in charge that we’ve had — for making intentional steps in that
regard in our region of the province and improving relationships with our
Indigenous neighbours. And now the Saskatchewan marshals service, taking the
same step forward, really making life better for everybody in our region.
You know, of particular note, an issue
that I’ve been engaged on for some time now is really around bail reform. We
had the opportunity this summer to host my cabinet colleagues in the city of
North Battleford to meet with both the mayors of North Battleford and
Battleford. And you know, the primary concern around public safety was really
the need to get violent and repeat offenders off our streets. We are seeing our
local RCMP detachment and other policing services — in The Battlefords, but
across the province — spending far too much of their time picking up people
that are committing crimes over and over again and there isn’t consequences.
And you know, I just want to draw
attention to a quote. It was actually part of the Speech from the Throne, but
from our mayor of North Battleford, Kelli Hawtin, who I count not only as a
colleague, if you will, but also a friend. And you know, here’s what she said:
We really want
those violent repeat offenders dealt with and taken off our streets and out of
our communities. We’re not asking for more people in prison. We’re asking for
the right people to be in prison.
And you know, Mr. Speaker, Mayor Hawtin
had the opportunity to be down here for Throne Speech last week. This is a
topic that we continue to work on in our part of the world, engaging directly
with the Premier as well as the Minister of Corrections, Policing and Public
Safety. But we also wrote a letter to Minister Sean Fraser, the federal
Minister of Justice. And you know, it’s been encouraging to see the federal
government make some steps in this direction with recent legislation that was
introduced in Ottawa. Of course we’d always like to see more steps in this
direction.
People who are violent repeat offenders,
they don’t belong on our streets. They don’t belong in our parks, in our
playgrounds. I know that I’d like to take my son to the playground and feel
safe in my community. And that opportunity should be afforded to any family in
Saskatchewan as well without the worry of violent repeat offenders continuing
to be on the street.
You know, another big piece of keeping
our communities safe, I would say, over the last few years has been the
development of the complex-needs facilities in Regina and Saskatoon. And you
know, when the police in those communities come across somebody who is in a
state where they are a danger to themselves or a danger to others, the
complex-needs facility offers basically an opportunity for them to be taken to,
to be engaged directly with by addictions workers, health care professionals.
And then at the end of the 24 hours where they’re held in complex-needs
facilities then be referred on either back to the police station, to a family
member, or to a community-based addiction support program.
And you know, Mr. Speaker, I think it’s
really telling that 95 per cent, roughly 95 per cent of those individuals who
have been in a complex-needs facility in the first year have chosen that third
option. Chosen to be referred on to a community-based support program whether
that be an in-patient program, whether that be further detox, or an out-patient
program or other supports.
That tells you, you know, what we hear
from Saskatchewan people over and over again is Saskatchewan people want
recovery. They want recovery for themselves should they be in the throes of an
addiction. But if they have a friend or family member there, they also want
recovery for those people. They desperately want to see those people get better
and come back to their family and come back to their community.
So I think the question now is really,
what do we do with the others that are not choosing treatment? That are
presented with that option . . . And again, we’re building out
treatment options. We always want voluntary treatment to be the number one
choice, the easiest choice, for Saskatchewan people to make.
But what do we do with people that maybe
continue to be a danger to themselves or others and are not choosing that
treatment option? And this is exactly why we’re going to be introducing the
compassionate intervention Act this fall. You know, I think the member from
Moosomin-Montmartre, the Legislative Secretary for Health actually, I think
presented this beautifully in his comments yesterday.
And again really providing another
stream for folks that may not be choosing treatment to start down that path of
recovery. And I think, I look forward to some spirited debate on that piece of
legislation. It’s an important one for the future of this province and really
how we approach our recovery-oriented system of care that we’re moving down the
road on.
The last one is really building a secure
Saskatchewan. And you know, maybe I’ll speak specifically . . .
economy is strong, keeping life affordable, want to make sure our communities
are safe so that we enjoy living there and participating in everything that our
communities have to offer. But I think another big piece of that is really
having Saskatchewan people feel confident in the health care services that are
available to them in their communities.
And you know, Mr. Speaker, sometimes
some of the debate in this Chamber can be a little bit frustrating. And I think
everyone here, we all, all 61 MLAs [Member of the Legislative Assembly] hear
from their constituents when it comes to challenges around the health care
system.
And you know, certainly as the minister
I don’t want to minimize challenges that we have. They exist. They exist not
only in Saskatchewan; they exist in provinces right across this country. I just
came back from meeting with all the health ministers, in Calgary, a couple
weeks ago. The same challenges that we see in Saskatchewan are present in other
Canadian provinces. But the key thing is how we move through that, how we move
through those challenges and make life better at the end of the day for Saskatchewan
people.
And really how I’m thinking about that
is number one, more providers. We absolutely need to get more health care
providers on the front lines. We were talking earlier today about occupational
therapists. This is why we’re adding training programs in occupational therapy,
speech language pathology. This is why we’ve added hundreds of nursing seats
over the last several years to expand our training capacity because we know
that the more health care providers that we can train closer to home means
they’re going to stay closer to home.
If we can train health care providers in
North Battleford, there’s a good chance they’re going to choose a career at
Battlefords Union Hospital or Saskatchewan Hospital North Battleford or one of
our long-term care facilities in the region. Or maybe go out to a smaller rural
community, maybe that’s Turtleford or Wilkie. Lots of opportunities in our part
of the province, Mr. Speaker.
You know, as part of that, I think about
the Master of Physician Assistant program that we just started at University of
Saskatchewan this fall — 20 spots. It’s the first program of its kind in
Saskatchewan. We had 350 applications. 350 people from across Saskatchewan,
across Canada, wanted to be part of this innovative program to become a
physician assistant. And really, you know, we already have five physician
assistants working in the Saskatchewan health care system, many of them in
emergency rooms to help support physicians and nurses in busy emergency rooms.
And we’re excited to see how this program could expand in years to come and
really help to deal with some of the acute care challenges that we have in the
province.
And I was pleasantly surprised that
these seats are now going to be available to students through the CaRMS [Canadian resident matching service] match starting
this next summer, summer of 2026. This is going to make a demonstrable
difference in what the physician rosters look like in the communities of
Melfort and Nipawin and Yorkton, ensuring, I’d say, better stability of
service.
And we look forward. We look forward
really to further changes in the College of Medicine to make sure that the
College of Medicine is representative of our province. You know, we want to
make sure that the students that we’re training, that the residency
opportunities that we have reflect our province reflect challenges that we
have, and then are being responsive to what Saskatchewan residents need at the
end of the day.
[19:15]
I think about, you know, like going to
the second point around more scope, can’t emphasize enough we need to continue
to be ambitious and aggressive in allowing our well-trained health care workers
to do more in terms of providing care to patients. I think about nurse
practitioners. I think about pharmacists, optometrists. We recently announced a
pilot where optometrists can provide more glaucoma care for Saskatchewan
patients.
What are the opportunities? This is what
we talk about every single day. What are the opportunities for the care
providers that we already have in communities to do a wider spectrum of
services for Saskatchewan patients? And you know, obviously we have to do that
with a lens of quality care and safe care for Saskatchewan patients, but when
we talk about a government priority that there is access to primary care for
everybody in this province by 2028, these are the sort of innovative ideas that
we need to continue pushing on and being more aggressive on each and every
single day.
And then the last piece is really around
more places for care, and certainly we talk a lot about capital projects. Look
at the massive project that we’re doing at the Prince Albert Victoria Hospital,
really transforming that hospital into another tertiary care centre to really
look after Prince Albert, a fast-growing city, and really the whole North as
well.
But you think about some of the other
investments that are being made and going to be made over the next couple of
years. There’s some exciting capital projects. Some of the most exciting pieces
are really around the urgent care centres. The one in Saskatoon that we’re
building with Ahtahkakoop Cree Nations, we’re now over a quarter done that
project. That is going to be absolutely important in terms of again expanding
the acute care capacity in Saskatoon and making sure that patients can be seen
in a timely manner.
But as we roll out those urgent care
services in other communities and add a second facility in Regina and
Saskatoon, we need to provide more opportunities for places for patients to be
seen. But I think it’s also important for us to not just think about where care
is accessed in a brick-and-mortar sense. There are some incredible virtual care
opportunities that we’re looking at in the Ministry of Health and through the
Saskatchewan Health Authority. And we look forward to being able to share more
of that with the people of Saskatchewan very soon, again ensuring that care can
be as convenient as possible for our families.
I think about being a young parent, and
maybe your little one, you know, something’s going on that you haven’t seen
before and you’re concerned. And you know, I think there’s incredible
opportunities to better serve the young families in our province by ensuring
that there’s more virtual care opportunities available. And I just think
whether you’re a young parent, whether you’re an elderly person, just huge
opportunities in that space.
You know, Mr. Speaker, and that really I
think encapsulates what we’re trying to do over the next year as outlined in
the Speech from the Throne. You know, Mr. Speaker, though, I always like to
take a few minutes, and I think it’s important to contrast. Policy matters. We
talk about that all the time, and it is absolutely important that, you know,
the government has laid out a plan. It came from that seat last week. This is
where we’re going over the next year. But it’s also important to talk about
what other ideas are out there, and that’s what this room is all about.
And so I thought I’d maybe come up with . . .
You know, I’ve been watching what some maybe on the other side have been saying
in regards to the Speech from the Throne. And I just thought, you know we had
three S-words in the Speech from the Throne. I have three S-words, I think, to
summarize what I’ve heard from the other side of the aisle, Mr. Speaker.
And you know, and I’ll just go through
them quickly as possible, Mr. Speaker. Number one: “same ideology.” This is the
same ideology that we have seen from the opposition for many years about coal
power. You know, no coal power, no irrigation, to nationalize oil and gas
industries, and you know, the opposition party continuing to be tied to the
federal party.
And you know, if we look at, you know,
the New Democratic Party convention that happened just a few weeks ago, these
are all the resolutions that were in there. And you know, Mr. Speaker, it’s
very important, very important to remember there might be different faces but
it’s still the same ideology on the opposition benches.
The second S, Mr. Speaker, is really
around “small-province thinking.” And you know, Mr. Speaker, we’ve had a debate
recently around trade offices. And you know, I know that some of the members
opposite, some of the members opposite get so offended when praise is given to
our Premier for him making efforts around the world, whether that be China,
whether that be the United States, Mr. Speaker. You know, this is an
opposition, Mr. Speaker, they want to close trade offices.
Mr. Speaker, imagine doing that in a
context where our two largest trading partners are trying to reset their
relationships with trading partners around the world. Why would you close trade
offices in a time where diversification is absolutely essential? It’s
small-province mentality, and that’s not right, Mr. Speaker, okay? We need to
continue to think about how we grow this province, how we get to 1.4 million
people, how we expand our export markets, how we expand our private
investments, Mr. Speaker.
You know what? And on the health care
side, Mr. Speaker, terms that we’ve heard on the other side, “big, bold
thinking.” Mr. Speaker, big, bold thinking. This is an opposition that opposes
publicly funded, privately delivered surgeries. This is an opposition that
opposes virtual care being used in acute care settings. This is an opposition
that opposes community-based lab services in constituencies that I will remind
you they represent, Mr. Speaker, not to mention the criticisms around urgent
care centres and the breast health centre.
Mr. Speaker, again this is just what has
been said out loud in the last month or in the last few months and the last
year, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again if we want to talk about big, bold ideas,
we’re just getting started. We’re just getting started as the Saskatchewan
government, Mr. Speaker. We can look forward to continuing to bring bold ideas,
ambitious ideas to health care on behalf of the people of Saskatchewan. And we
sure hope the opposition will be supportive of our big, bold ideas. We look forward
to that certainly.
You know, Mr. Speaker, the last S-word
is “stuck in neutral.” And I know it’s not perfect. You know, Mr. Speaker, when
you have the same ideology that drove people out of this province — whether
that be doctors or nurses or young people — when you have the same ideology
that wants to nationalize the industries that generate wealth in this province,
and then you want to think like a small province, Mr. Speaker, you’re going to
get stuck in neutral.
Mr. Speaker, I can only speak for the
people of The Battlefords. We don’t want to be in neutral. We want to be in
drive, put our foot on the gas, continue growing this province. That’s what
this government’s going to do. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Speaker
Goudy: — I
recognize the member from Saskatoon Fairview.
Vicki Mowat: — Thank you, Mr.
Speaker. I was ready to hop up on my feet. I don’t think we were ready to go to
the vote just yet. But anyway, Mr. Speaker, I want to start by thanking my
family for their support over the last eight years. In particular I want to
thank my partner, Grayson. Many of you have met that fellow. None of my work or
travel would be possible without his support at home. And so I want to thank
him for being so consistent in that support over these years. From the first
day I said, hey I’m interested in doing this crazy thing, he’s been along for
the ride. And I am forever grateful for that.
I also want to thank my CA [constituency
assistant] of eight years, Twyla Harris Naciri, who’s been putting up with me
for a long time. And I want to thank her for always being willing to take on
new challenges as my roles have adapted over the years. She has never once
complained as we collectively as an office have taken on more and more. And I
would not be able to do this work without her as well.
Of course there’s a whole team
supporting us. There’s the folks that are here. There’s our staff in the caucus
office, our strong leader, Mr. Speaker. All of these folks make it easier to do
this work, and I want to thank them for that because none of us serves alone.
I’ve been reflecting on my role — and I
think we all do this after we’ve been around for a little while — and the
changes that have happened over the past eight years. And it’s certainly been a
wild ride in the world of politics in that period of time. And this work
continues to challenge me personally and professionally at every turn. And one
of the things that has changed this work a lot, Mr. Speaker, is I’ve served now
during two different Trump administrations in the US [United States], which has
had an incredible impact on the way we do business here as well.
And one of the ways that that has
changed things, Mr. Speaker, has been documented in The Washington Post
showing that there have been 30,000 false or misleading statements during
Donald Trump’s term in office, which was his first term. And that was 21 false
claims every single day. And this is the era of politics that we’re in right
now, and this has completely changed the political environment that we live in.
And these changes have bled into the political rhetoric in Canada as well and,
I think, have also affected our ability to have meaningful debate in this
space.
One of the most stark differences that I
see today is this degradation of meaningful debate and the bringing in of
hyperbole into the legislature. And I want to talk about some of the notable
discrepancies that exist between this side of the House and that side of the
House, Mr. Speaker. So let’s look at some examples of this conflicting
information. And the Minister of Health brought some of these forward in his
speech just now, Mr. Speaker, some of these pieces of conflicting information
that have existed since we’ve returned.
On our side of the House, Mr. Speaker,
last week we said we’re bringing forward an emergency motion under rule 61 to
send a message to Ottawa that we need to scrap EV [electric vehicle] tariffs.
We brought forward that motion, Mr. Speaker. We know that last week the
government took that motion, brought forward an amendment, changed the motion
to include some back-patting for themselves for all their hard work, and then
put out on their socials that day that the opposition voted to keep EV tariffs.
Mr. Speaker, the reality is, we brought forward the motion to scrap EV tariffs.
And I think you can see where I’m going with this.
Another discrepancy, Mr. Speaker. The
government brings up, and the Minister of Health just brought this up as well,
that at the Sask NDP [New Democratic Party]
convention . . . Talking about resolutions that directly contradict
our policies, Mr. Speaker. Well I was there, as were my colleagues here, Mr.
Speaker, and the reality is that these resolutions did not see the light of
day.
These resolutions did not get voted on
by our members. These resolutions were not supported. They were not supported
by our members, Mr. Speaker. They did not pass on the floor of convention. And
if there’s any confusion about that with members opposite, I’ll clear it up
right now. And if there’s no confusion, stop saying it. It simply does not
reflect our policies and does not reflect reality, Mr. Speaker.
Another discrepancy, Mr. Speaker. Today
the member for Dakota-Arm River talked about the Berlin trade office, Mr.
Speaker. He talked about visiting the Berlin trade office and all the great
relationships he was able to create. In the same breath he talked about how
anti-trade we are, Mr. Speaker.
Well how rich that that member forgot to
mention . . . I’m going to wait until the Premier is done because I
want him to hear this. How rich that the member forgot to mention that I was
right beside him in these meetings in Berlin, Mr. Speaker. How rich, how
convenient, Mr. Speaker, that that was omitted.
Mr. Speaker, in fact, in reality, we
support trade diversification. We’ve been talking about this for over a year
now. The members like to talk about what we’re talking about; there’s also a
listening component to this. And every press release, every time our leader
stands up and talks about this, every time our Trade critic stands up and talks
about this, we have been wildly consistent in our messaging here, Mr. Speaker.
We have left nothing on the table here.
We support trade diversification. We’ve
been vocal about ending contracts with US companies, Mr. Speaker. We know that
we are in very concerning times right now, unprecedented times. We know that
this work needs to happen, and to say otherwise is embarrassing for our whole
province. It shows that they have not been listening, or they’re intentionally
not listening, Mr. Speaker.
[19:30]
And I’d like to believe that we need to
raise the bar in this space. We need to raise the bar. We need to debate ideas.
We need to talk about real ideas. You know what, criticize us on something
real. Criticize us on something substantive that we’ve brought forward. Stop
scraping the bottom of the barrel, throwing mud at the wall and hoping
something will stick, Mr. Speaker.
We need to hold ourselves to a higher
standard. And I’ll focus on members on this side of the House. I’m reminded of
a Michelle Obama quote: “When they go low, we go high.”
Mr. Speaker, I’m so proud of our leader.
I’m so proud of this team for bringing forward inspirational, future-focused
policy solutions at every turn, for staying focused on the future amidst this
environment, Mr. Speaker. I’m so proud of this team for staying focused.
Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about . . .
I’ve had the opportunity to travel more as Deputy Leader, an opportunity to
connect with people across this province as my role has also been diversified
and I haven’t been as singularly focused on Health. And we have some very
capable colleagues who are continuing that on and doing that work, Mr. Speaker.
And in doing this, I have allowed myself to pull back a little bit and look at
the 30,000‑foot of what’s happening in this province. And that has also
allowed me to really focus on what people care about, Mr. Speaker.
People are really concerned about
tariffs. Businesses, people across this province are concerned about the impact
that it’s having on them. You know, even this week we’re seeing damaging
tariffs coming forward by Donald Trump. We know that this is a constant issue,
and to not see the government address the EV tariffs in their Throne Speech,
Mr. Speaker, knowing how damaging this has been to Saskatchewan producers,
knowing the fact that we need to scrap these tariffs.
We’ve been consistent from the get-go on
this, Mr. Speaker, for over a year. Despite the facts that the government tries
to bring forward that contradict that, we’ve been consistent on this. It is
really disappointing to see quibbling on this when it’s an opportunity for us
to be a united front, to present that united front to Ottawa and to be strong
as Canadians and pull together, Mr. Speaker.
I also want to talk about cost of
living. And in door knocking this summer, it certainly is one of the biggest
concerns that I hear from constituents and as I’ve door knocked in some of my
colleagues’ ridings as well. There are all kinds of measures that back this up
in terms of where the stats are, Mr. Speaker.
We know that an Angus Reid report showed
that Saskatchewan people are the most stressed about money in Canada, which I
think is something we need to take very seriously and ask ourselves why. It’s
not the time to be patting ourselves on the back and saying, job well done, Mr.
Speaker. It’s time for us to be looking at what we need to do differently, and
that’s what this government needs to do.
On Thursday the Premier said that he’s
heard Saskatchewan people on affordability and cost-of-living concerns. And yet
the provincial sales tax remains on groceries, on children’s clothes, and rent
has increased in Saskatchewan for eight straight months. There are zero new
measures to make life more affordable in this Throne Speech. The industrial
carbon tax remains, Mr. Speaker.
The Sask Party
pats themselves on the back while still collecting money. They want us to
believe that we’ve never had it so good, Mr. Speaker. And you know, I am a
pretty positive person. And there’s lots of jokes about, oh you know, the
opposition needs to be a little more positive. You know, ask my colleagues. I’m
a pretty positive person. I’m not really pessimistic. I’m a realist. I’m a
realist, Mr. Speaker.
But we need to acknowledge where we’re
at and work to make this the best province it can possibly be. And that is the
work that I am committed to continuing doing. And that involves meaningful
cost-of-living measures to address the crisis that people are living with right
now, meaningful cost-of-living measures that will help people keep their homes,
that will prevent them from becoming homelessness, that will allow them to buy
meat when they’re at the grocery store, Mr. Speaker, will allow them to buy the
clothes that their kids need when they’re going back to school. These are the
things that we should be making sure everyone can afford in our province, Mr.
Speaker. And I don’t think that’s a controversial stance.
We talked about food prices. We also saw
that Saskatchewan food banks have had a 50 per cent increase in demand since
the Premier took leadership. 37.8 per cent of those users are children, Mr.
Speaker, kids living in poverty having to go to the food bank. We need to
re-examine what we’re doing here.
On rent, on top of food costs, the rate
of rent in Saskatchewan has risen dramatically at three times that of inflation
— three times, Mr. Speaker. In response we’ve been talking about bringing
forward rent control, Mr. Speaker. That argument has fallen flat with the
members opposite despite the fact that we had seniors here talking about their
rent going up by hundreds of dollars a month in a short amount of time, Mr.
Speaker. I don’t know what else to bring forward to show that people are
struggling.
And so if the government needs to hear
from more folks, I’ll encourage them to visit RentControlNow.ca
to share their stories and to allow us to be those advocates, Mr. Speaker,
until they listen or until we have an opportunity to form government and make
things better for the people of this province.
Now I’m not the Health critic anymore,
but I still have a few things to say on health care, Mr. Speaker. Nothing new
to announce here on health care in the Throne Speech. And this comes as rural
emergency rooms across the province close their doors. It comes as our
province’s largest hospitals are bursting at the seams.
And you know, it’s one thing to hear from
health care workers. It’s another thing when you see it with your own eyes, Mr.
Speaker. My father’s been in and out of the hospital several times over the
past couple of years with an ongoing infection that won’t go away. He recently
spent a couple of weeks at RUH [Royal University Hospital] and wanted me to
know as an MLA how bad things were, wanted me to pass along that information.
Was angry enough that he was writing up a big note, you know, praising the
staff that were there but also just talking about how completely overstretched
and stressed the workers are in that facility.
And we’ve seen this borne out. We saw
the letter of 450 health care workers come forward — an unprecedented amount of
folks signing on one letter across many different occupations, which you don’t
always see — uniting in the call for better, who are stretched and stressed and
need to be acknowledged, Mr. Speaker. Because these folks are at their breaking
point. And we have asked so much of them. And we need change, Mr. Speaker. We
need change for the positive.
We’ve called for an investigation into
workplace safety at RUH. We’d like to see the government move forward with that
as well. And if everything’s going as well as they say it is, you know, there’s
no need to hide from investigations. There’s no need to ignore the folks from
the North when they come forward and ask for a public inquiry into the
wildfires. If there’s nothing to hide, you know, bear it out so everyone can
see it, Mr. Speaker. Show the public.
We also have launched a massive
province-wide consultation on health care called YourCareYourSay.ca,
which folks can go to if they want to provide solutions in a meaningful way.
I think I’m running out of time here,
Mr. Speaker. I really want to talk about homelessness and public safety. I’ve
had a chance to bring forward some concerns in the legislature so far on this
front. But I just want to address the fact that this government is failing when
it comes to housing and the mental health and addictions crisis in Saskatoon.
Homelessness has tripled in two years.
Encampments are way up. They’re on track to be triple what they were in 2022 as
well. This is not how people should be living, Mr. Speaker. It’s cold outside.
How has this become the norm for folks? It’s not right. We should be working to
make sure that people get access to treatment they need if they are struggling
with addiction, Mr. Speaker.
We should be making sure that people get
access to housing. That’s not always just an emergency shelter, Mr. Speaker. We
have to have the housing stock. We have to have the housing supply to make sure
that people can get into housing when they’re ready for that step. And there’s
all of these supports, you know, restoring direct payment to landlords for
folks who are on SIS [Saskatchewan income support], fixing up the vacant
housing units.
There’s all these solutions that we’ve
brought forward. It’s almost laughable sometimes when members opposite say that
we aren’t bringing forward solutions; we’re just complaining. We are full of
solutions, Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House. We are bringing forward
solution after solution after solution. All they have to do is pick some of
them up, Mr. Speaker.
On education, there seems to be a
renewed focus on kindergarten through grade 3 reading outcomes, which is great,
Mr. Speaker. But you know what would really help with reading outcomes is
having supports in the classroom when kids need them. Not cutting supports from
classrooms. Not making it so that teachers are struggling with large class
sizes, with tons of complexity, with folks who need intensive supports but just
don’t have the EA [educational assistant] supports available. That would also
improve reading outcomes, Mr. Speaker.
And post-secondary, there’s been no
acknowledgement of the mass layoffs that we’ve seen. My colleague has brought
forward the fact that 128 employees have been fired at Sask
Poly. Campus bookstores closing without notice, Mr. Speaker. Can you imagine
being a student and your bookstore closes without notice? This is what’s been
happening this fall. Rising tuition rates, yet the Throne Speech says that
post-secondary institutions have found certainty because of the multi-year
funding agreement. There’s nothing more uncertain than what’s happening in
post-secondary right now, Mr. Speaker. I’m sorry.
I’m completely out of time, Mr. Speaker.
And thank you to my colleagues for indulging me. So I’ll conclude by saying
that for all of the reasons I’ve identified, I will not be supporting the
Throne Speech, and I will be supporting the amendment put forward by my
colleague, the member from Cumberland. Thank you.
Speaker
Goudy: — I recognize the member from Batoche.
Darlene Rowden: — Good evening, Mr.
Speaker. It is an honour to rise in this Assembly today to respond to the
Speech from the Throne. First I want to thank the people who make it possible
for me to stand here and serve. To my family: thank you for your patience, your
love, and your support. I am blessed to have a smart, capable ranch family back
home keeping our cattle operations strong.
My husband and son are two of
Saskatchewan’s best at raising top quality cattle. And my son-in-law is a
master at keeping all the machines rolling. My two daughters love their careers
in the ag industry while having skills that nearly match their father and
brother for cattle management. I am just so proud and grateful to my family. I
look forward to my kids showcasing our cattle at Agribition
next month. Long live cowboys, cowgirls, and farmers, Mr. Speaker.
A special thank you as well to my
constituency assistant, Beau Fouquette — forgot him last year, Mr. Speaker —
for your dedication and steady hand in helping our office serve people each and
every day. I want to also thank my MLA colleagues for your friendship and
teamwork this past year. And to all the professional staff here at the
Legislative Building, thank you for your hard work and the important role you
play in keeping this government strong, safe, and secure for the people of
Saskatchewan.
[19:45]
Mr. Speaker, this past summer was one of
the most difficult in recent memory for our northern communities. Unprecedented
wildfires burned for months, devastating landscapes and forcing people from
their homes for extended periods of time. I want to take a moment to recognize
the community leaders, the SPSA [Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency], and
volunteers who worked tirelessly to keep their communities safe and supported.
Our Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency
coordinated efforts for months on end, providing the best information they
could under fast-changing circumstances. And to the many volunteer
firefighters, farmers, and others from Batoche constituency who spent much of
their summer north, thank you. You are a source of pride for all of
Saskatchewan. Your government will recognize these great efforts through the
Premier’s Commendation Awards, honouring each level of fire protective service
for their bravery and dedication.
Mr. Speaker, Saskatchewan continues to
lead the way. We have the strongest economy in Canada. Private capital
investment has grown to $14.7 billion and is expected to rise again this
year to 16.2 billion. Some examples of this are BHP approved a
6.4 billion investment in stage 2 of the Jansen potash mine. A sod-turning
ceremony was held in September this year at K+S
Potash Bethune mine to mark the start of a 3 billion expansion project,
and 70 new jobs will be created. Louis Dreyfus and Richardson expansions in the
Yorkton area, and Cargill at the GTH [Global
Transportation Hub], creating new jobs and full-time positions. Drake Meats is
building a 53,000 square foot facility in Saskatoon, expected to employ 200
local people once operational.
The list is long and impressive, Mr.
Speaker, and it’s all private investments. That’s the proof of the health and
confidence in a province’s economy — private investment, not taxpayers.
More people are working today in
Saskatchewan than ever before. This includes First Nations, Métis, young
people, and women. We’ve led the nation most of this year in year-over-year job
growth and in having one of the lowest unemployment rates in Canada. We are
building a strong, safe, and secure future by supporting businesses through
initiatives like the small and medium enterprise tax credit and the youth
entrepreneur bursary. And our commitment to reducing red tape and cutting
regulatory burdens has saved businesses nearly 690 million so far. That’s
progress.
Saskatchewan is home to an abundance of
many different natural resources. Once again we rank as the top region in
Canada for mining investments attractiveness. Through the Saskatchewan critical
minerals innovation incentive, the targeted mineral exploration incentive, and
the Saskatchewan value-added agriculture incentive, we continue to build and
strengthen our economy.
We know that expanding export markets is
key to long-term success. When tariff and trade disputes arise, Saskatchewan’s
resilience is diversification. In 2007 our exports were valued at under
$20 billion. Today they are nearly 50 billion. That’s more
opportunity, more jobs, and more prosperity for our people.
And how did we do it, Mr. Speaker?
Through our trade offices and trade missions that showcase Saskatchewan to the
world. We have what the world needs — food, fuel, fertilizer, critical
minerals, and the innovation to deliver it. With trade offices in nine
countries and exports to 160 nations, Saskatchewan’s global presence is
stronger than ever. And the other side of the House campaigned on shutting
these offices.
An
Hon. Member: — No.
Darlene Rowden: — Yes, you did.
The Premier and our government have
worked on relations with Ottawa and the new Prime Minister. Our Strong
Saskatchewan, Strong Canada plan is road-mapped for a stronger Saskatchewan and
Canadian economy. Some of the actions to work on include negotiating with China
to remove tariffs on canola, pork, peas, and seafood; repealing the
unaffordable and unachievable clean electricity regulations; extending the life
of coal-fired power plants; expanding new economic corridors across the country
to get goods to market; and expanding pipelines. The international trade
promotion Act will strengthen trade here at home and make it easier to do
business within Canada, cutting barriers and keeping our economy strong and
secure.
Mr. Speaker, energy security is vital to
our future. That’s why we are expanding the life of coal-fired power plants and
investing in nuclear energy. Our Saskatchewan First Energy Security Strategy
and Supply Plan will ensure reliable, affordable electricity for families,
farms, businesses, and industry across our province for decades to come. A
strong, safe, and secure energy plan means Saskatchewan power for Saskatchewan
people.
While Saskatchewan remains the most
affordable place to live in Canada, we know families are feeling the strain of
rising costs. Through the Saskatchewan affordability plan, we continue to act.
We have raised the seniors’ income supplement and the personal care home
benefit. We’ve increased the low-income tax credit, the first-time homebuyers
tax credit, and the graduate retention program benefit to keep our talented
youth at home.
We’ve also renewed supports like the
home renovation tax credit, active families benefit, and the disability and
caregiver tax credits, making life more affordable for all ages. And we’ve kept
the small-business tax rate at 1 per cent, encouraging local entrepreneurship
and community growth.
Mr. Speaker, our government is making
sure Saskatchewan remains the best place to live, work, start a business, and
raise a family; a province that is strong, safe, and secure. Every person in
Saskatchewan deserves to feel safe and secure in their home and community. So
much of the crime we see today is tied to the trafficking and use of illegal
drugs. Our government has responded with real action, hiring more municipal,
SCAN, and marshals service officers, along with dedicated funding for more RCMP
to go after those who bring drugs and crime into our communities.
Can you imagine campaigning on
cancelling the marshals and giving us a doorbell camera? The safe public spaces
Act, along with amendments to The Trespass to Property Act, The Safer
Communities and Neighbourhoods Act give police officers and communities
stronger tools to combat crime and disorder.
But, Mr. Speaker, we also know that
safety and compassion must go hand in hand. Many of us have friends and family
struggling with addiction. We believe giving them more drugs is not compassion;
it’s surrender. True compassion means care, treatment, and hope. Through our
recovery-oriented system of care, nearly 300 of the 500 planned treatment beds
are already helping people rebuild their lives.
We are also investing in complex-needs
facilities for those who require specialized care. There are new facilities
planned for Prince Albert and North Battleford, Mr. Speaker. And for those who
cannot or will not seek help on their own, our government will introduce the
compassionate care Act this session to ensure they receive the care and support
they need, while protecting our communities.
Our children and young people will get
every opportunity to learn and succeed. This year a new teachers’ collective
agreement was signed, providing 131 million to address enrolment and
classroom complexity. Specialized support classrooms have expanded to every
school division, with plans to grow to 200 classrooms over the next four years.
The results from pilot divisions have
been encouraging, improving learning and well-being for students. Our
government will also be entering a new multi-year funding agreement with
post-secondary institutions, ensuring stability and predictability while keeping
tuition affordable for students and families.
Saskatchewan was the third province to
reduce child care fees to $10 a day, and we will continue to work with the
federal government to negotiate an even better child care agreement by March
2026.
Like every province, Saskatchewan faces
challenges recruiting and retaining health care professionals, but through our
health human resource action plan we are making progress. There are now 346
more doctors and 2,083 more nurses working in Saskatchewan. Seventy communities
qualify for our rural and remote recruitment incentive, helping bring care to
rural areas.
Our goal remains that by 2028 every
person in Saskatchewan will have access to a primary health care provider. The
new urgent care centre is also making a difference, relieving pressure on
emergency rooms and bringing care closer to home.
In its first year, the Regina Urgent
Care Centre treated more than 41,000 patients. The Saskatoon centre being built
in partnership with the Ahtahkakoop Cree Developments is over 25 per cent
complete. We were there earlier this summer. It was nice to see, with more
centres are being planned for Prince Albert, Moose Jaw, North Battleford, and
additional sites in Regina and Saskatoon. Mr. Speaker, these are a few examples
of progress towards a strong, safe, and secure health care system.
Agriculture remains the backbone of our
province. The 2025 growing season was difficult for many producers. Dry
conditions in southern Saskatchewan, some in the Lloydminster area and parts of
the Premier’s constituency, along with market pressures continue to challenge
producers. Our government has worked with the federal government to strengthen
AgriStability, ensuring producers have reliable risk management programs to
stay resilient.
We also continue to protect the pride of
farm land ownership. The Saskatchewan Farm Security Act will be
strengthened to prevent foreign ownership and keep our land in the hands of
Saskatchewan families. A strong agriculture sector means a strong, safe, and
secure Saskatchewan.
In today’s world of increasing AI
[artificial intelligence] and cybersecurity attacks, the people of Saskatchewan
want assurance that their data remains safe and secure. Through SaskBuilds our government is partnering with the federal
government and other provinces to prevent and mitigate security threats using a
cybersecurity collaboration agreement to exchange information, expertise, and
knowledge.
And, Mr. Speaker, in my area of the
province highways projects and conditions are the number one topic of
discussion people have with me. Well that and how are the guys doing at home,
and how are they making out without you?
More than 96 per cent of highway
contracts were awarded to Saskatchewan companies, keeping jobs and dollars here
at home. We thank the Saskatchewan Heavy Construction Association and all those
who build and maintain our roads, ensuring safe and secure travel for families,
farmers, industries, and truckers alike. And thanks for the visit tonight to
the Heavy Construction Association.
Mr. Speaker, we are grateful for
everyone who calls Saskatchewan home. Our diverse people, cultures, and
communities make this province strong. This session we’ll see the introduction
of the “from many peoples, strength” Act, a celebration of the
contributions of all who helped shape this province. Together we are stronger,
safer, and more secure because of our shared values and collective efforts.
Mr. Speaker, there is an abundance of
positive, forward-looking direction in this year’s Speech from the Throne. It
reflects the resilience, optimism, and strength of our people. We are building
a strong, safe, and secure Saskatchewan for our families today and generations
to come.
[20:00]
I will be supporting the motion put
forward by the MLA from Weyburn-Bengough, seconded by the member from Carrot
River Valley. I will not be supporting the amendment from the opposition. Thank
you, Mr. Speaker, and God bless Saskatchewan.
Speaker
Goudy: — I recognize the member from Yorkton.
David Chan: — Thank you, Mr.
Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there’s a prayer I pray over my constituency and over our
province. It comes from Psalm 46.
As I rise today to give my response to
the Speech from the Throne, I pray this prayer over Yorkton and Saskatchewan:
God is our place of
safety. He gives us strength. He is always there to help us in times of
trouble. The earth may fall apart, the mountains may fall into the middle of
the sea, but we will not fear. The waters of the sea may roar and foam, the
mountains may shake at its swelling, but we will not be afraid.
God’s blessings are
like a river. They fill the city of God with joy. That city is the holy place
where the most high God lives. Because God is there, the city will not fall.
God will help it at the break of day.
Nations are in
disorder. Kingdoms fall. God speaks and the people of the earth melt in fear.
The Lord who rules over all is with us. The God of Jacob is our place of safety
and strength. Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations he has
brought on the earth. He makes wars stop from one end of the earth to the
other. He breaks every bow. He snaps every spear. He burns every shield with
fire.
He says, “Be still,
and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted
in the earth.” The Lord Almighty is with us. The God of Jacob is our place of
safety and strength. Amen.
Strong, safe, secure. That is the theme,
Mr. Speaker, of this year’s Throne Speech. Strong economy, safe communities,
secure future. Once again, Mr. Speaker, this government demonstrates that it is
putting the people of Saskatchewan first, that it is listening, and that it is
responsive. And once again this government is delivering for the people of this
province.
Strong, safe, secure. This session’s
legislative agenda is exactly what the folks from Yorkton and across this
province want their government to focus on — a strong economy, safe
communities, and a secure future. It is exactly what you would expect from a
solid, stable government, from steady leadership amidst turbulent times.
And we are living in some turbulent
times. The challenges our province, our nation, our world is facing are growing
and they directly impact our communities: continued rising inflation; continued
wars, a US empire that is resetting its trade relations all at once; an
economic cold war between the two largest and most powerful nations in the
world, the United States and China.
And here we are, beautiful, vibrant,
industrious Saskatchewan caught in the middle of an economic conflict between
these two giants. While it may be good politics to offer trite solutions or
push feel-good slogans, the truth is no easy solution exists, and we are in no
way in any position to go toe to toe with either of these two heavyweights.
Fact is we need access to the US market and we need access to the Chinese
market, but instead we are facing challenges on both fronts.
Canada’s tariffs on Chinese EVs has
resulted in 100 per cent counter-tariffs by China, affecting our province’s
canola, pork, and peas. At the same time, while for now most of our exports to
the US are protected under the USMCA [United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement]
agreement, America’s next move is anyone’s guess. Just days ago we saw the
addition of another 10 per cent to the existing tariffs on Canadian goods.
Mr. Speaker, to put it in perspective,
Saskatchewan’s economy is one-quarter of 1 per cent the size of the US economy
and less than half a per cent of China’s economy. A whopping 80 per cent of our
canola exports end up in China and the US. We are an export economy and like it
or not, just as with every province in Canada we depend on these two giants to
purchase our exports.
So while we can’t wage or win a trade
war from the sub-national level against the US nor negotiate an end to the
devastating tariffs by China, what we can do, we have done. And more. In
typical Saskatchewan style, we continue to punch above our weight. Our nine
trade offices around the world have been vital in expanding our export markets.
As a result our exports are diversified across 160 countries around the world.
This last year alone, we saw trade
missions to 15 countries, including China and the US. And I’m proud to say that
it was our Premier, Premier Scott Moe, who didn’t wait around for someone else
at some other level of government to do something, who didn’t spout platitudes
or posture on social media, but rather took decisive action, took the
initiative to conduct a diplomatic mission to China, the first premier to do so
in six years.
Mr. Speaker, I believe this was well
received by Chinese officials. In fact, I know it was. In Chinese culture,
there is a concept called saving face and giving face. Our Premier’s actions
accomplished both. It saved face for Canada, and it gave face to the Chinese
government. In short it earned us social capital with the Chinese.
That leadership mattered. It went a long
way in creating positive rapport between our province and the Chinese. It
earned Saskatchewan respect, it was the right thing to do for the moment we
were in, and it was our Premier who did it. I say with hopeful optimism, our
farmers, our industries, and our province will see the benefit in years to
come.
Mr. Speaker, nowhere is that leadership
more appreciated than in Yorkton. Saskatchewan is the world’s largest producer
of canola, and my constituency, Yorkton, plays a prominent and primary role in
that success. With giants like LDC [Louis Dreyfus
Company] and Richardson both situated in my constituency, we have the largest
canola crush operation not only in this province but in the world. So when the
two largest importers of canola wage a trade war, we feel it.
We don’t have the luxury of ignoring
global markets because our livelihoods depend on them — our farmers, our
truckers, our small businesses. That’s why our government under Premier Moe
continues to work with the federal government on the Strong Saskatchewan,
Strong Canada plan, and Yorkton plays a key role in that plan.
Earlier this summer the Premier and
cabinet were in Yorkton to announce the government’s 50 per cent funding
commitment to upgrade Grain Millers Drive, a key piece of economic
infrastructure connecting our growing processing sector to the world. While that
road technically belongs to the RM [rural municipality] of Orkney and the city
of Yorkton, our commitment sends a clear message: this project matters, and
we’re here as a strong partner to get it done.
Well, Mr. Speaker, good news begets more
good news. Just days after our announcement, Legacy Co-op announced an
$18 million truck stop investment along Grain Millers Drive, the largest
capital project in its history. That’s confidence in Yorkton’s future. That’s
confidence in our province.
Now, Mr. Speaker, we need to talk about
rising inflation. Many working folks and small businesses are feeling the
impacts of rising inflation. It’s putting pressure on affordability for
everything and everyone. When more dollars chase less goods, the price of
everything rises, and the purchasing power of each dollar is diminished.
The reality is that inflation is the
effect of monetary policies at other levels of government beyond our reach and
even beyond our borders, yet it is creating an affordability challenge here in
our province. But, Mr. Speaker, I’m proud to say our government is doing all
the right things in response to these external pressures.
We’re attracting investment,
diversifying our markets, supporting small businesses, lowering taxes on
working folks, and enacting some of the most ambitious affordability measures.
We’re also helping keep at least one input cost low — energy. By committing to
reliable, affordable energy, we are keeping it affordable for individuals to
heat their homes and businesses, to keep their lights on. That’s what
leadership looks like, and it’s working.
Saskatchewan is number one in Canada for
growth in capital investment. We have the lowest unemployment rate and the
highest job growth in the nation. Thanks to our affordability measures,
Saskatchewan workers pay among the lowest provincial income taxes in Canada.
Now, Mr. Speaker, public safety and
homelessness is a rising concern in Yorkton. Over the past year I’ve had the
opportunity to meet with the city, first responders, business owners,
homeowners, and various community-based organizations to listen to their
concerns. And they’ve all identified homelessness and public safety as a
growing issue here in Yorkton.
Now just to zoom out for a moment, we
are seeing a rise in addictions, homelessness, and crime, not only in our
province but nationwide. And these are issues that are more often than not
interconnected. I appreciate the comment earlier — from across the aisle — that
folks here in Saskatchewan want to see our government both tough on crime and
tough on the root causes of crime. I believe that summarizes things quite well.
However I’d like to point out that being
tough on crime in large part depends on federal legislation. But instead of
giving police and courts the tools they need to keep our streets safe, what we
are seeing is our federal government tying their hands and violent repeat
offenders being released over and over again.
A huge part of what’s really going on in
our province is we are again experiencing the fallout of failed Liberal
policies, this time on crime. Ultimately I think it’s fair to say we are at
odds with Ottawa’s approach to these issues. Whereas Ottawa targets law-abiding
gun owners, we’re focused on getting drug dealers off the streets. While they
prioritize leniency for offenders, we prioritize protection for victims.
Mr. Speaker, this has touched my life
personally. Just a matter of weeks ago there was a young woman that my wife and
I know, that we’ve known since she was a teenager, and now she’s a young
mother. And a young man who is known to be violent, who had committed violence
before, in a fit of rage assaulted her with a baseball bat and it ended up
sending her to the hospital with a fractured skull and bone fragments in her
eye socket. I’m so grateful that the prognosis is that she will recover without
any permanent damage. But in reality the situation could have been so, so much
worse.
That young man was apprehended by the
police, he was charged, and today he is free. Most folks, including in Yorkton,
are fed up with soft-on-crime policies. And that’s why they’ll be happy to know
that our government is advocating with the federal government to be tougher on
crime, to keep repeat offenders in prisons, off our streets. I often think,
what about the safety of this young woman? What about her sense of safety? What
about her rights? What about her protection?
Folks in our province will be happy to
know that our government is investing into putting more boots on the ground in
areas that need it most: 180 new RCMP, 70 Sask
marshals, 100 additional municipal police, 14 new SCAN personnel. Our
government is committing to funding and hiring them all.
Folks will be happy to know we are
giving police and municipalities more tools to keep our communities safe
through measures like the safe public spaces Act and other legislative
amendments. Our response to illicit drugs Act will focus on cracking down on
illegal drugs. And these are just some of the measures that are aimed at
improving public safety. This will all be welcome news in Yorkton.
Now, Mr. Speaker, we cannot talk about
public safety without talking about drug addiction, and that’s why our
government will be introducing what could be one of the most significant pieces
of legislation this session, the compassionate intervention Act. This Act will
give families and communities the tools they need to get their loved one into
treatment when that person is unable to seek treatment on their own and their
addiction has become a danger to themselves and to others.
Mr. Speaker, we know that so much of
what we see on our streets and in our emergency rooms are the impact of drug
addiction. Now I come from the mental health world. I agree that drugs are not
the root issue, that it is trauma. I agree that wraparound supports need to be
in place to help individuals escape addiction and heal from their trauma.
Anyone who has worked with addictions
and trauma knows you cannot make a person change if they’re not ready to. Yet
while this is true, I’ve heard many former addicts testify that “prison was the
best thing to happen to me.” I quote: “Prison was the best thing to happen to
me because it forced me to get clean and sober.”
The truth is, for many people struggling
with addiction there are two minds. On the one hand there’s a person who deeply
desires to be free from their addiction, to be present for their kids, to be
able to live a healthy, flourishing life. And yet there is another mind at
work, the mind of the addiction. The addiction — the alcohol, the meth, the
fentanyl — it doesn’t care who it hurts, who it lies to, who it uses, or whose
safety is put at risk to get its next fix, its next high, its next hit.
Mr.
Speaker, I’ve sat with folks, and I quote: “I lost my baby. I lost him to
addiction. Drugs took my son.” How many times have we heard in recovery support
groups, “I was not in control. My addiction had taken over my life.” You see,
just as with the person who said that, you know, prison was the best thing that
had happened to him, when the drug is in control, when the substance is in
control of their mind, many people are not in their right mind. And without
going into detail, we have never seen a drug like meth before. It is a whole
different beast.
[20:15]
And
so quite often there are folks with addiction who want to be free, but because
of the power — the overwhelming power, the overwhelming destruction, and the
damage of that addiction and of that substance — they cannot make the decision.
They don’t have the authentic opportunity to make a decision for themselves to
be free. They are driven by the need to have more of that substance.
Mr.
Speaker, I remember speaking with a mother who was overwhelmingly grateful to
hear that her son was in prison. And she was desperate for him to not be
released because there at least he was safe away from the dangers that often
come with drugs.
Mr.
Speaker, there are times, there are circumstances, there are situations where
the most compassionate thing we can do is intervene. Families and communities,
officers, first responders, many who serve in these spaces are hopeful that the
compassionate intervention Act that our government is introducing, that it will
make a difference, perhaps save a life — perhaps save many lives.
Mr.
Speaker, finally I want to move on to security and what it means to the people
of Yorkton. When we talk about security, one of the most important things
people in Yorkton are asking for is secure access to health care.
Over
the past year I’ve had the privilege of meeting with so many constituents,
hearing their experiences, their needs, and their concerns. I’ve met with our
health foundation, local SHA [Saskatchewan Health Authority] leadership, union
representatives, nurses, and front-line staff. And I can tell you improving
access to health care remains one of the top priorities for Yorkton, and
therefore it is one of my top priorities as their MLA.
Much of this past year has been spent
working closely with our cabinet ministers to advocate for Yorkton’s health
care needs. And while every province is facing challenges in recruiting and
retaining health care professionals, I am proud that Saskatchewan is making
real progress.
Since
our government took bold and aggressive steps to attract, hire, train, and
retain the health care professionals we need, 346 more doctors and over 2,000
more nurses are now working in Saskatchewan. And Yorkton is seeing that
progress first-hand. Since last year, Yorkton has welcomed new physicians, new
nurse practitioners, and new health care workers, as well as an additional seat
for local residency training.
Since
November of last year, 48 external health care professionals have been
recruited to the Yorkton area. Three new family physicians have begun practice
and three more, including a general surgeon, are preparing to start soon. In
addition, a new medical clinic has opened on Broadway, providing a full range
of services. And most recently, Yorkton has received an additional family
medicine core residency seat, which matters to a community like Yorkton because
doctors who train here are far more likely to stay here.
Mr.
Speaker, for the people of Yorkton, securing health care also means building
our new hospital. As the MLA for Yorkton, ensuring this project gets under way
is one of my highest priorities. Our new regional hospital is not a luxury;
it’s a necessity. And our population is aging and the demand for services is
growing. That’s why I’m pleased to see planning dollars flowing into this
project, both last year and this year. Our government has already approved and
initiated planning, and I’ve personally hosted the Minister of Health and the
Minister of Rural and Remote Health in Yorkton multiple times to advance this
critical project.
For
Yorkton, the planning and design of a new regional health centre are already in
motion. This hospital will not only serve Yorkton; it will serve the entire
Parkland region. And this, along with our continued efforts to increase
surgeries performed and reduce waiting times, is just one of our government’s
broader commitments to securing health care for every family in Saskatchewan.
Strong,
safe, secure. Mr. Speaker, that is not just a slogan; it’s a promise. And as
Psalms 46 reads, “Though nations are in disorder, God is our refuge and
strength.” Mr. Speaker, may God be our refuge and our strength here in
Saskatchewan. With his help, we will remain strong, safe, and secure. I will be
supporting the motion. I will not be supporting the amendment. Thank you, Mr.
Speaker.
Speaker Goudy: — I
recognize the
member from Regina South Albert.
Aleana Young: — Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr.
Speaker. It is always an honour to rise in this Assembly. And you know, Mr.
Speaker, it’s good to be back. Some may call it a peculiar kind of love, being
eager to return to session. But you know, Mr. Speaker, I love every day that we
get to spend in this place, not just for my wonderful colleagues, not just
because of my wonderful leader and incredible staff, but because democracy
matters, Mr. Speaker. Accountability matters, and the work we do here matters
to the people who sent us here to do that work.
Of
course it was a full summer here in the city, Mr. Speaker, at home knocking
doors across South Albert, hearing from families who love this province but are
a little worried about their future in it. And I’m grateful for the warmth, for
the welcome and the honesty that I hear every day from my constituents. And I
don’t take a single day in this place for granted, Mr. Speaker.
I
want to start just by thanking my wonderful CA, Eliette. She’s less than a year
into this job and already thriving. For me, anyone who could run Leo’s OG on a
busy night could absolutely handle managing one member of the legislature. She
brings compassion and competence to the role, Mr. Speaker, a true community
servant and a good reminder for all of us, especially in a small province like
Saskatchewan, to always, always be kind to your servers because you never know
where they may pop up.
I’m
also so, so lucky in my excellent constituency executive, Mr. Speaker. I have
engaged constituents. I have volunteers. My constituency president, Kent
Peterson, is a friend and a force. Donna and Bert Ottensen
— you couldn’t find more dedicated community-minded people in and outside of
politics, Mr. Speaker. Susan, Ahmed, Zoé, Elie, Mary Lou, and Alex, I’m really
grateful for the good folks who help me do the important work outside of this
building in the community and on the door steps.
And
to our caucus office staff, Mr. Speaker, like what a team. There’s been a lot
of change in the past year, Mr. Speaker, certainly inside this building for
those of us who were elected, but also for us in our caucus office. It’s been a
wild year and it’s been led by our incredible leader, the member from Regina
Lakeview, and chief of staff, Jeremy Nolais — with a
work ethic that borders on medically concerning — but could not find a more
dedicated professional, compassionate, and harder working crew. And the team
that he’s built with some familiar faces and also people who are brand new to
this building, brand new to politics, and just bring a hunger and a commitment
to the project, is nothing short of amazing.
I’d
also like to thank my family, especially my husband, Taylor, who’s not only
enjoying a new career in real estate, but who allows me to do the work right
here, right now like an absolute legend who’s probably pacing trenches in our
living room carpet right now as he watches our five-year-old and our
two-and-a-half-year-old, and of course the Blue Jays. Go Jays, 6‑1. You
know, if the Government Whip were cooler, maybe as cool as my favourite
government member, maybe we’d break for the World Series, but . . .
No? All right. Just kidding, this is important work to do here, Mr. Speaker.
But go Blue Jays, 6‑1.
My
kids, of course, are the dominant force in my life. Some folks may remember
Hara from earlier today who is now just five, just got her first haircut, is at
kindergarten and loving it, although she does have mixed feelings on riding the
bus. She loves the monkey bars, time with her mama, singing, dancing, being
very active, mostly naked most of the time, and snuggling my son Kit, who is
very much my second child.
He
is sturdy, jolly, blindly enthusiastic, and a very jovial little two-year-old,
with what I think is the best mullet in the city of Regina. He’s just starting
to talk which is really fun, as any parent will know, when your kids really
start to tell you what they see in the world and what’s important to them.
Although most of the things he says at this point are “It’s Kit’s turn now” and
“Hara did that.” But he’s just the sweetest little guy. He loves to cuddle,
shrieks like an absolute banshee when thwarted, and as of last week has
inexplicably decided he will only sleep on the living room couch. So Godspeed,
Kit Roadhouse.
It’s
such a joy to have them and I am really thankful. And it is such a unifying
experience, you know, for me being not such a new parent, but you know,
relatively new to it in this chapter of my life. Instant bonds with other
parents and the relationships that you build with those folks and the
opportunities that those relationships present.
Especially
for those of us here in this Assembly obviously who serve as elected
representatives of the people of Saskatchewan, people really tell you what they
think about things. You know, like just last week, Mr. Speaker, at the nuclear
conference in Saskatoon — an event we support and we attended, in case members
opposite are unclear — I had three guys come up to me. And I thought, oh yeah,
they’re going to want to talk about our rock-to-reactor strategy or, I don’t
know, big nuclear versus small or something. But no, these three guys — an
engineer, steelworker, physicist — they wanted to talk about child care, Mr.
Speaker.
They
all had this one question, and they said, why hasn’t the government . . .
Like, you’re an MLA. Why hasn’t the government signed this child care deal? I
don’t have a good answer for them, Mr. Speaker. And I really do hope members
know this: for working families, access to child care is not ideological; it is
not a partisan issue. This is essential.
When
I was a school board trustee, I used to hear this from ministers past and
they’d say, “Oh you know, like the folks who care about education, yeah,
they’re mostly New Democrats.” Like no, if that were true, we’d be in
government forever, Mr. Speaker. And it’s the same with child care. People care
about child care. It is not just New Democrats.
I
was chatting across the floor with the minister about this earlier this week.
Hopefully he was listening. This is not a partisan issue. It’s a unifier for
everybody with young children. Child care is essential to the functioning of so
many families and to our economy. Get a deal done.
And,
Mr. Speaker, surprisingly that wasn’t the start of my serious Throne Speech
remarks. I haven’t actually been around all that long, Mr. Speaker. We’ve been
talking about a lot of our anniversaries in this place. I guess a year since
the last election. I think for me it’s five years since I found out I’d have
the privilege of serving as an MLA in this place.
But
every Throne Speech, every budget reply I genuinely do . . . I
approach it with excitement both because I think it matters — I believe in what
we do here — and I’ve said it before on this floor of this legislature; I just
love politics, Mr. Speaker. I’m interested, you know, and a little bit nervous
as a member of the opposition.
Every
time a budget or a Throne Speech comes out, I’m like, oh, what are these guys
going to do? What are they going to put forward? Are they going to get it
together, come out with a big vision for the province, realize that they’re the
government? They’ve been given the privilege of serving, of building,
shepherding, shaping this province.
And
then we get to the day and it’s a great day in here, Mr. Speaker. People come
from all over. We get to celebrate the institution, celebrate democracy. And
every time I’m a bit disappointed, to say the least, because despite having
said they’ve changed, despite having said that they heard the message sent to
them by people in the last election . . . And by the way, to members
opposite who are trying to characterize and use what I think the Speaker said
we can say are untrue statements about our election campaign, we remember what
your first priority was in that election. It was not affordability, Mr.
Speaker.
You
spent a lot of time trying to tell us what you think we ran on in the last
election campaign, Mr. Speaker, and you’re right. We don’t think your
colleagues should have spent $80,000 of taxpayer money for a two-day trip
somewhere with no results and no accountability. That doesn’t mean we hate
trade. That means we respect public dollars, Mr. Speaker.
But, Mr. Speaker, if we’d like to
revisit the election campaign, I would remind members opposite that a year ago
we sat in this legislature and you sat here a bit shell-shocked. The only
iteration of your government that’s lost seats, and lost a whole bunch of them,
and you said that you’d learned. You said that you’d listen to the people of
this province, that they didn’t like your first priority. Because we will
remember that, Mr. Speaker. We will not let you forget. And the people of
Saskatchewan remember that very, very well.
So if there is ever proof, Mr. Speaker,
that this government is tired, out of touch, out of ideas, the Speech from the
Throne was it. Same old entitlement, same old promises, same old Sask Party government. Because after nearly two decades in
power, you’ve become what you feared most — a party that’s run out of gas, run
out of compassion, and run out of credibility on some key files.
[20:30]
You know, Saskatchewan people are
working harder and harder to tread water. Bills are piling up. Groceries cost
more. People in this province are choosing between heating and eating. We heard
it today in question period, Mr. Speaker, highest number of children anywhere
in the country using the food bank. Twenty per cent of people in this province
who use the food bank are working full-time. Those are serious issues, Mr.
Speaker. They merit a serious response.
And you know, many of my colleagues here
have touched on affordability. I’m not going to get into it. But on the subject
of rent control, Mr. Speaker, I have a genuine question for members opposite:
why? Why would you decide that people keeping more money in their pockets to
realize the value of home ownership is something you are fundamentally opposed
to?
Why are you carrying water for giant
real estate investment trusts that own thousands and thousands and thousands of
units here in Saskatchewan, pushing out mom-and-pop landlords, pushing out
generational landlords, these massive companies that boast quarterly out loud
that their profits are increasing at record rates because rents are up and
tenant incentives are down?
We want people in this province to be
able to buy houses, realize that dream of home ownership, not be stuck in a
cycle of paying more and more and more to rent. These are people all across the
province.
So a genuine question for members
opposite, one that I hope you dwell on, because these are real Saskatchewan
people. These are very credible, hard-working, sympathetic seniors who are
coming to this legislature. Normal people. These aren’t New Democrats. These
are just average people worried about the fact they’re seeing their rent go up
$200 from one month to the next. And oh, plus they’ve had parking tagged on for
an extra 75 bucks a month that they didn’t pay for — oh, guess what; it’s not
included this month. We see people with hundreds of dollars of increases in a
month, sometimes twice in a year.
I’d like to leave that question with
members opposite, Mr. Speaker, because families in this province — hard-working
seniors in this province — they don’t need another speech. They need a break.
They need a government that understands that affordability isn’t just a talking
point. This is a daily crisis, Mr. Speaker. You can’t fill a gas tank or a
grocery cart with a photo op. We need real affordability relief for people in
this province today.
Oh, Mr. Speaker, there’s so much I want
to talk about. And I’m wondering right now, on my feet, if I’m going to take
the bait and get into a discussion on our electricity system here in
Saskatchewan, because I’ve had some members again mischaracterize positions of
the opposition. We hear it.
I like to think back to the member from
Cypress Hills, who finally said the quiet part out loud. I think it was this
spring, maybe it was last year, but my favourite guy when he said out loud, you
know, we know you guys don’t really support the carbon tax; we just like to
talk about it in here. And amen, Mr. Speaker. I thank him for that honesty.
There’s a lot of things that have been
said, Mr. Speaker, about our position, so let’s be very clear about where this
government’s at. When it comes to building tomorrow’s economy, they’re
completely missing in action. There’s no real plan for value-added
manufacturing, no plan for advanced nuclear. There’s no real plan for critical
minerals, just slogans and running down the opposition. Because when you’re all
out of ideas, you got nothing else to do. What’s the only way to stay in power?
You try and demonize your opponents, right. Like this is textbook.
But the people of Saskatchewan aren’t
stupid, Mr. Speaker. They see through this. And they see a team, a hard-working
team led by a credible leader, an incredible leader who wants to take the
politics out of this. This is about real solutions. This is about building the
province. This is about the next chapter for Saskatchewan, Mr. Speaker. This is
too big a project for any of us to get wrong.
So, Mr. Speaker, I don’t know if it was
bait, but I’m going to take a little bit on power generation, Mr. Speaker.
Folks on the other side will tell you that everything’s fine. They’ll tell you
that they have a plan. But the truth is, Mr. Speaker, that the emperor has no
coveralls. SaskPower’s in significant deficit. Debt is up. They’ve allowed the
Crowns and their own government, as we saw in this year’s budget, to become so
reliant on their own carbon tax dollars that they are bleeding hundreds of
millions of dollars each year now that the government has paused it. Never met
a tax they couldn’t become immediately reliant on.
The only thing rising faster than their
losses is the impatience that their customers feel carrying the liability for
that OBPS [output-based performance standards] forward the government has stuck
them with.
You know, the Minister of Health talked
about wanting to avoid bills doubling or tripling. What’s the plan for
SaskPower showing hundreds of millions of dollars in losses year after year if
the plan is not to increase rates? Which again government didn’t do in an
election year, but we saw them do three times in a single calendar year last
year at just about this next year in the election cycle, Mr. Speaker.
And you know, depending on which day of
the week you ask members opposite, coal is either being rebuilt for a
generation of coal renaissance, providing that important generational job
security to people in the Southeast, or depending on who they’re talking to
they’ll also say out loud that for every megawatt of nuclear they bring online,
they’re bringing offline a megawatt of coal. Unless the government is also
going to stand up and tell us that their SMR [small
modular reactor] plan is a decade behind schedule, that is not generational job
security for the people in those communities who are believing in and relying
on these government announcements.
You know, and very recently, Mr.
Speaker, this government said the quiet part out loud in The Globe and Mail.
And they said that affordability didn’t play a major factor in their decision
in coming up with their plan for power for this province. And what a shame,
because that should be the priority, Mr. Speaker. They said their priority is
energy security. But that logic kind of collapses in on itself when they’re
saying that we can’t trust natural gas imports from Alberta, because energy
security . . . Maybe it’s actually natural gas capacity we don’t
have, but they’re saying energy security is a priority.
Meanwhile they’re spending a billion
dollars building an import-only line from the United States right now. Like
that’s, that’s wild. The member from Estevan is saying it goes both ways. We
know that you have no plan. You have no deals in place to sell into the United
States. Read your own documents that your government has filed with the
Canadian energy regulator. I’ve read them. They’re on the internet. Don’t take
my word for it. Go out there. Find them.
You know, the same government claims
natural gas is too expensive. Just next door in Alberta, TransAlta spent
$300 million refurbishing nearly 1700 megawatts of power generation to
natural gas, which is about $600 million less than the numbers the
government just wants us to trust them on for the capex [capital expense], Mr.
Speaker.
And I’d like to also ask the members one
thing. Because I remember in 2022 the government, in a Throne Speech no less,
this Premier actually committed to building out 50 per cent of Saskatchewan’s
generating capacity through renewables, in their Thone Speech sitting here in
2022. I think one brave soul was clapping for that over there, but maybe they
just dropped their phone.
So we’ve got a coal renaissance, which
is also bridged to nuclear, while also 50 per cent of our capacity is going to
come online from renewables, Mr. Speaker. It doesn’t add up because their plan
is not a plan. It’s just wedge politics, Mr. Speaker. It’s not a wedge that
we’re taking.
Folks I talk to in industry — big, big
industry too, Mr. Speaker — they want to take the politics out of power. They
see this as too important. We agree. We need to take an all-of-the-above
approach when it comes to power generation. This is too big a project to get
wrong, Mr. Speaker. We’re not interested in cutting anyone out or shutting
anything down.
But after 18 years this government has
failed to build new capacity. SaskPower is running historic losses. And instead
of planning for the future, they’re just wedging, Mr. Speaker. We need a real
nuclear strategy from rock to reactor. We can’t sell out our supply chain to
Ontario and other jurisdictions, let those good jobs go elsewhere. But when the
government clings to this style of politics, Saskatchewan falls farther behind.
We lose out on investment, lose out on credibility, and we lose out on opportunity.
We’re going to be putting our own plan
in the window, Mr. Speaker, a grid and growth plan. And we want people to look
at it because power isn’t just about flipping a switch; it’s about powering the
entire economy. We should be building out that infrastructure, building more
generation capacity than we need, selling power east, west, north. Yes, south
to our thirsty neighbours, Mr. Speaker.
We should be focusing on the nuclear
sector, mining uranium, critical minerals here at home, fuelling a world-class
nuclear sector, Mr. Speaker, powering data centres, electric arc furnaces, new
generation of Saskatchewan jobs. These are opportunities before us. Alberta’s
currently building out tens of billions of dollars — I think it’s like
$90 billion — for data centres. Like what a wild opportunity they’re
pursuing, Mr. Speaker. And we’re nowhere on this because this government is too
focused on playing politics with critical issues like our electricity future.
I’d like to touch on one more thing we
actually agree on the government with, Mr. Speaker, on this file, and then I’ll
look to wrap up here. You know, recently the Premier’s been quoted saying that
the federal government should pay for 75 per cent of new capacity here in
Saskatchewan. We agree with that. Hope all members hear that. The federal
government has a huge role to play in funding this. They’ve done it in other
jurisdictions in Canada, Mr. Speaker; they should do it here in Saskatchewan.
If the Government of Canada is serious
about building this economy, they’re serious about uniting the country, energy
security, job security, they’re serious about reducing emissions, the best bang
for their buck is making those investments in Saskatchewan’s electricity
sector. Full stop.
Where we disagree with the government on
this is that we don’t think, we don’t think . . . The difference is
that we don’t think the public, we don’t think the public, Mr. Speaker, should
be paying for it only to turn around and have this government privatize it,
sell it off for 25 cents on the dollar, Mr. Speaker. Again the minister from
Estevan has a whole lot to say. I hope I see it in her response too.
Twenty-five cents on the dollar. It’s right there in your own report reviewing
governance and ownership of generation capacity.
This is again, tale as old as time.
We’ve seen this play out in other jurisdictions. This is literally textbook for
what happened in Ontario. The public bears the risk; privatization reaps the
de-risked profits. If privatization, hiving off subsidiaries, that’s your
government’s plan, that’s a conversation that people of Saskatchewan are going
to be very, very invested in, and one that we look forward to having, Mr.
Speaker.
So I think I will move to wrap up my
Throne Speech response, because what we heard has been a lot of car metaphors
here today, Mr. Speaker. The Throne Speech, it wasn’t a road map. This was a
review mirror. There was no vision for affordability, no plan for the economy,
no courage to lead, a government that is stuck comfortably in neutral, Mr.
Speaker.
And the world isn’t waiting for us. The
next wave of opportunity in energy, in manufacturing and technology, it’s
already here, and if we don’t move we are going to be left behind. We can be a
province that invests in people, that powers its own future, and believes once
again in what we can build together.
Speaker
Goudy: — I
recognize the member from Canora-Pelly.
[Interjections]
Speaker
Goudy: — Oh, just had to throw that out.
Thank you. They look so much alike.
I recognize the member from
Kelvington-Wadena.
Chris Beaudry: — Thank you, Mr.
Speaker. Now to begin I want to thank a few folks. Well I was going to thank my
family first, but since I’m from Canora-Pelly I believe it is, I’m going to
thank my CAs Keri and Clarissa because I forgot about them earlier I guess.
I’ll also thank my wife again who I forgot.
But actually I’m not. I’m from
Kelvington-Wadena and I’d like to thank my family, Richelle, Emily, Lilly, and
Sophie, who I couldn’t do this without. I hope they’re in bed. I hope
Richelle’s in bed too already. Be good and get an early night. She made it to
the seventeenth inning last night, but yeah.
[20:45]
You know, I also have to thank Granny
Shanny, Richelle’s mom. Without her, we couldn’t be doing this. She is kind of
a cog in the wheel that keeps this machine turning.
Also I’d like to thank the two Marleys,
not to be confused with Scrooge’s business partner from The Muppet Christmas
Carol. But this is Marley Rachkewich and Marlee
Schuster, our two babysitters who fill in, help take the kids to sports when I
can’t be there, who are secondary mothers, housecleaners, food cookers, take
harvest meals out to the field. They really, really keep things going for us.
Also the folks on the farm, Tyler, Martial,
Ben, Eric, Terri Lynn, Mason, Cody. Without them our farm would probably be
rented out. The seed business would be upside down.
I think I’ll even mention my own CAs
too, Nancy and Lynn, who are in the office and on the road. They handle all the
calls, take on those tough meetings that I can’t make. So that’s pretty much
everyone I see on the list today, I think. If I forgot, maybe the Ag minister
can fill in for me later and catch up on the people that I missed.
Now I want to start today, Mr. Speaker,
with one word. There’s one word on my mind, and that word is “gratitude.” Now
to me gratitude is more than a polite thank you; it’s a state of being. It’s a
lens through which we can see the world. And when we live from this state, Mr.
Speaker, the world opens up. The world opens up not because everything is
perfect, but because we begin to notice what is already good, already given,
and already blessed.
Mr. Speaker, may I ask, when you were a
kid, did you ever whittle sticks or skip rocks across a pond? I know I did. And
in those moments, I felt safe. I felt secure not because the world was free of
danger, but because gratitude gave me connection to myself, to the earth, and
to the wonder of being alive. That, Mr. Speaker, is what it means to feel
strong and safe and secure. Not because life is without challenge or
difficulty, but because gratitude roots us in resilience.
That is the starting point of this
speech — gratitude. Gratitude for what we have, gratitude for what has been
built, and gratitude for the resilience that carries us through challenges.
Gratitude for the chance to live in one of the most strong, safe, and secure
places in the world.
I want to frame this reply in three
parts, the first being living with gratitude in my own life — the balance of
roles as MLA, husband, dad, and farmer. The second part, a grateful look at my
constituency of Kelvington-Wadena and our province — the lived experience of
this past year and the resilience of our people. And the third, gratitude is a
vision for the future — how we lead, how we govern, and how we dream.
Mr. Speaker, being an MLA is an honour.
But I will be honest, it’s also a balancing act. I’m not only an MLA, I’m also
a dad, a husband, and I still farm a bit on the side. Some mornings I wake up
and the to-do list is longer than the hours in the day. There are speeches to
prepare, doors to knock, and events to attend. At the same time, there are
crops to watch over, a family to love, children to raise, and a slo-pitch game
or two to attend to.
And here’s what I’ve learned. These are
not burdens, not at all. These are gifts — gifts to be entrusted with a family
to love, with a community to represent, with soil to steward, and with people
to serve. Just recently I reviewed something I wrote about service a few years
ago. Well, Mr. Speaker, if you’re to think back on your past, then think back
on the acts of service that you’ve done in your life — not the big ones, but
the small ones. Think of holding a door for someone. Think of carrying groceries
for an old lady. To me, these acts of service last.
If we think about the first car we
bought, the first home we purchased, it doesn’t return like acts of service do.
When I think of holding a door for someone, a sensation of goodness, a
sensation of wholeness returns. I think acts of service are something that
lasts. Acts of service pass the test of time. I think acts of service, like our
Lord, like God, is something that’s lasting. They bring us closer to God.
I believe this past crop year was a
living metaphor for resilience. We only had three inches of rain until August,
and by every logical measure the crop should not have made it. And yet when the
rains came — late, but not too late — the crop rebounded. That’s Saskatchewan,
Mr. Speaker — resilient, patient, hopeful, and grateful.
We endure dry spells because we believe
in the rains that will come. Now I know many people may be thinking about the
Blue Jays, and for those who have a memory that can go back at least a decade,
I believe we all remember a third baseman who was the bringer of rain, Josh
Donaldson. Well, Mr. Speaker, the rains are going to come again for the canola
industry, and the bringer of rain is going to be this Premier and this
government.
Now, Mr. Speaker, when I coached I used
to tell people this. When I go home from a day at the rink, what I do is I
farm. And to me farming is making conditions right for growth. And that’s what
we’re doing here as a government. We’re making the conditions right for growth
for the people in this province.
There’s also a parable about lettuce,
Mr. Speaker. If you were to try to grow a crop of lettuce and the lettuce
failed, would you blame the lettuce or would you look at the conditions for
growth? We look at the conditions for growth. That’s what we do as a government
to make this province strong and safe.
You know, Mr. Speaker, what it feels
like to balance these roles. Some seasons do feel dry. But gratitude reminds me
that with patience, with faith, and with resilience, the harvest does come, and
that’s how we remain strong. This summer, Mr. Speaker, gave me countless
reasons to be grateful. I was able to tour almost every single long-term care
home and hospital in my constituency. I had a couple of guests, having the
Minister of Health and the Minister of Rural and Remote Health at a few of
these locations. And while I saw challenges, we also saw solutions.
Mr. Speaker, I was also extremely
grateful to be able to coach my second-oldest daughter’s softball team. I was
lucky to coach with a highly intelligent 18‑year-old from Archerwill. Her guidance and coaching abilities impressed
me, and the young future softball stars on the team as well. Now my coaching
abilities were put to the test before the first practice at our dinner table.
Both my girls said something along these lines: “Dad, you know nothing about
softball. You only know slow-pitch.”
And well, Mr. Speaker, I had to try and
prove to the young ladies in my home that maybe Dad did know something about
softball. So I actually signed up with your Melfort A’s team, the local men’s
fast pitch team in Melfort. And what my kids had to say may have been a little
bit right. Old Dad had a little bit of humbling his first at bat. The 10‑mile-an-hour
pitch in softball is not the 70‑mile-an-hour pitch that Dad received at
his first at bat, and we’ll say contact wasn’t made until game 2.
Now, Mr. Speaker, I know that the member
from Canora-Pelly had mentioned that he’s going to beat me in our fall supper
tour, but I have to remind him that he only has three left in his constituency
and I have five still. And I know that him and his beautiful bride can be a
little competitive, so I’m going to allow them into Kelvington-Wadena for one
in Margo, and we’ll see on Remembrance Day what the total ends up.
And you know, I enjoy fall suppers.
They’re one of my favourite events that I go to, year in and year out. And in
every church basement, every community hall, gratitude is present; gratitude
for food, for fellowship, and for community; gratitude that even in a
fast-moving world Saskatchewan still gathers around the table.
Now I had the chance to be in Kuroki
this Sunday, Mr. Speaker, and there was a really proud dad moment for me. I try
to teach my kinds about selfless service all the time. We talk about it on a
daily and on a weekly basis. And I had my oldest daughter with me handing out
plates. And without even having to be told — we had a couple older individuals
who came in who couldn’t walk around the food line and carry their own plates —
she took the initiative to leave her post handing out plates and to hold their
plates for them and carry them to her table. That to me again, that’s
Saskatchewan. That’s who we are right there. Those are our future leaders,
selfless servants.
This summer, Mr. Speaker, I walked the
fairs and parades. I cheered alongside families and shared conversations in the
street. What people mentioned to me, Mr. Speaker, they weren’t scared of the
US. What they talked about was their families. What they talked about was their
communities. They talked about their homes, what made them happy. They know
that they’re safe with us. They know that they’re secure with this government.
I didn’t hear the fear and negativity that can be brought up.
At times I toured other places, Mr.
Speaker. I was able to tour BHP, Compass Minerals, Mallard industries, and
more. Now I have gratitude for how our people make a living, for the way they
innovate, for the way they carry Saskatchewan forward. Not only do these
businesses provide jobs for the people of Kelvington-Wadena, they also step up
when needed: at local fundraisers; they put rink signs in our rinks; they buy
the 4‑H beef that our youth present every year. And most notably for me
just announced last week, BHP announced over $2 million in housing and
daycare infrastructure into the constituency of Kelvington-Wadena.
Mr. Speaker, this summer I was not only
reminded that our strength isn’t just in our resources. It’s also in our
people, people who are grateful for what they have and what they’re willing to
work for and what they hope to see. This gratitude doesn’t stop at our borders.
I had the privilege of representing Saskatchewan at PNWER
[Pacific NorthWest Economic Region] and MLC
[Midwestern Legislative Conference]. And, Mr. Speaker, what I saw was
remarkable.
Saskatchewan is respected. Other
jurisdictions look to us for leadership. They admire our innovation with the
virtual health hub. Provinces and states alike have seen the stability,
balance, and strength this concept has created. And I carry this with me. I
carry this gratitude forward for the chance to share with people, to say, this
is Saskatchewan. This is who we are: strong, safe, and secure.
Mr. Speaker, gratitude also shapes how
we approach our hardest issues. Take compassionate intervention, addiction,
mental health, homelessness. These are not abstract debates. They’re lives.
They’re families. Mr. Speaker, in my life I’ve lost too many friends to
addiction. I’ve had former colleagues on the local fire department tell me how
they spend the majority of their time going to Narcan calls now instead of fighting
fires. They ask me. They’re asking me for a way to help folks instead of
returning to the same home next week and next month.
I believe that’s what we’re doing here,
Mr. Speaker. I also believe that gratitude teaches us not to start with
judgment but with humanity. Instead of asking what’s wrong with you, gratitude
asks, what’s happened to you and how can we walk with you toward healing.
Compassionate intervention is the recognition that every person, no matter
their struggle, carries dignity and worth. And when our policies start from
gratitude, they stop managing numbers and start restoring hope.
Now, Mr. Speaker, it’s no secret I’ve
fallen and fallen many times. I was fortunate to have a strong and
compassionate hand waiting for me through my own struggles with addiction. And
to me, Mr. Speaker, addiction is about emotional pain and the management of
that pain. That’s something I’ve come to learn.
[21:00]
And earlier I spoke about service and
how service was something that stood the test of time. Every time I used, every
time I drank, I was looking for something that lasted, something that would
take the pain away for good. I was looking for an answer for the pain, and one
did not come at the bottom of a bottle, through a needle, through a pipe, or
through a pill.
Mr. Speaker, I’m proud that we are
offering a road map — a road map to something that lasts — that we’re offering
a road map, and that road map is compassionate intervention. That road map is
how we make Saskatchewan stronger, safer, and more secure for every family.
Another thing that’s really important to
me, Mr. Speaker, is education. And to me schools are not just about test
scores. They’re about giving children their best start. I have gratitude for
our teachers, our teacher’s aides. I should have gratitude for our teacher’s
aide — I live with one, Mr. Speaker — and if I didn’t have that it would be a
rough home.
Now our parents, they also pour their
work, they pour their hearts into those first three years with their children.
They read to them at home, they sit by their bedsides, and when we have the
confidence and the curiosity to take root in those first years, we can excel.
Mr. Speaker, to me one of the most
important aspects of education is play and interacting with peers. The new
school playground equipment grant does this. It gives our children the
opportunity for fun, accessible, safe play. Just another way of securing our
children’s future. And the children of the Rose Valley School already are
seeing this fruit come to bear as they were one of the first schools to receive
this grant.
Now, Mr. Speaker, health care has its
challenges, yes. But gratitude reframes it, gratitude that we can walk into a
clinic or a hospital and expect care, gratitude that even as we work to improve
we recognize the trust of a system built to serve all.
Now I’m really proud of the adding 11 pediatric specialists. This is something that’s very
important to me. And I’m going to share two short stories. In the end of the
spring sitting last year, I actually had to leave early one day because my
daughter, during track and field, fell and broke her wrist. We had family in
the field seeding, and my wife called and said, “Can you come home? I won’t be
there when the other two kids get off the bus.”
Now, Mr. Speaker, Richelle, before she
left she called ahead to Tisdale Hospital, explained what happened. I got
everything cleaned up here, headed home for the two-and-a-half-hour drive, and
before I was home, my daughter had been to the hospital, had an X-ray, had a
cast put on, and was already on her way back. That’s timely service.
Now another more tougher journey is my
daughter Sophie who — this is why the pediatric
specialists are so important to me — we almost lost her two and a half years
ago. She was very unlucky to get a osteomyelitis which is a bone infection. She
had a bone infection in her jaw and we had went to the children’s hospital.
They initially told us that she wasn’t going to make it and that she had had
cancer, but then during the biopsy they touched her jaw, and her entire jaw
broke and pus sprayed out.
They ended up saving her life that day,
and it was because of the amazing staff that we have in the children’s
hospital. And when we are adding to that, we are giving the chance to save more
children’s lives. And that’s something that I am extremely proud of. I have
tremendous gratitude for that. I’ve tremendous gratitude that we have the
ability to access these amazing resources, that they’re just a phone call away
or a two-hour drive away.
Now, Mr. Speaker, gratitude doesn’t deny
the challenges, but it strengthens our resolve to face them with hope.
Gratitude is not only about looking back, it’s about shaping what lies ahead.
It calls us to govern this way: to speak carefully; to listen generously; to
assume the best, not the worst; to give our best not because it wins points,
but because it serves people. Khalil Gibran put it this way: “Ask the
experienced rather than the learned. Gratitude values lived wisdom: the
farmer’s hand, the nurse’s heart, the elder’s memory.”
Now history does warn us though of what
happens when gratitude is absent. Now, Mr. Speaker, I’m not sure if you’re
familiar with the story of Shutruk-Nahhunte. Now Shutruk-Nahhunte was the king of Anshan, of Susa, and of
Elam. He conquered Sippar and took the stele of Naram-Sin and brought it back
to Elam and erected it as a monument to his god.
Now Shutruk-Nahhunte
offered very little to his people. And for those of you familiar with this
little bit of history, you may be familiar with one of my favourite movies
where I was taught this tale, The Emperor’s Club. And my favourite quote
from that movie is this: “Great ambition and conquest without contribution is
without significance.” Shutruk-Nahhunte, utterly
forgotten. “Great ambition and conquest without contribution is without
significance.”
To me, Mr. Speaker, that is the call of
gratitude and service: to give of ourselves, not just our resources, to govern
not only with programs but with presence. Gratitude doesn’t make us complacent.
Gratitude fuels ambition. Gratitude is the soil where dreams grow because when
we see how much we already have, we see how much more is possible. Gratitude
also makes us value choice. Choice is not a referendum; it is freedom. And
gratitude means protecting it, respecting it, ensuring it remains at the core of
who we are.
Gratitude also teaches us to celebrate
versatility. They say a jack of all trades is a master of none but oftentimes
better than a master of one. That is Saskatchewan: a farmer who’s a mechanic, a
teacher who’s a coach, a nurse who’s a community leader, a carpenter who
volunteers on the rec board. Gratitude sees that as strength, not weakness.
Now, Mr. Speaker, when I think back to
those childhood moments of whittling sticks and skipping rocks, I realize
something profound. I wasn’t safe because the world was without danger. I was
safe because gratitude framed my world. Today Saskatchewan chooses that same
posture: gratitude for those who built before us, gratitude for the
opportunities before us, and gratitude for the resiliency of our people who
endure dry seasons until the bringer of rain comes.
When we live from gratitude, fear
shrinks, division fades, and possibility expands. Gratitude is not weakness; it
is strength. It is the soil in which safety, security, and prosperity grow. And
if we continue to live and lead from gratitude, Saskatchewan will remain
strong, Saskatchewan will remain safe, and Saskatchewan will remain secure.
I will be
supporting the motion and not supporting the amendment. Thank you.
Speaker
Goudy: — I recognize the member from Saskatoon Westview.
April ChiefCalf: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is again an
honour to rise in the Saskatchewan legislature to respond to the Throne Speech.
But before I begin, I would like to acknowledge that this Legislative Assembly
is located on Treaty 4 territory and that the lands that comprise Saskatchewan
are the traditional territories of the Cree, Dene, Saulteaux, Dakota, Lakota,
and Nakoda nations and the homeland of the Métis.
And
yet the wording at the closure of the Throne Speech would suggest that the land
was empty and there were no people here when my ancestors settled 130 years
ago. It is important to recognize the original peoples of this place, to
recognize the treaties and agreements we made to share the land and resources
with one another, and to recognize the harms that have been inflicted on
Indigenous peoples through colonization, and to engage in genuine processes for
reconciliation and healing.
Mr.
Speaker, there are many people I wish to thank this evening. First of all, I
would like to thank my husband, Cal ChiefCalf, who is
definitely in bed by now and not watching this. He’s always ready with a hug
and a cup of coffee in the morning to help me get my day going.
I
want to acknowledge my son Matthias. And just on a personal note, I want to
share with everyone that my son was told yesterday . . . He’s been on
a cancer journey for four years now, and as of yesterday he was cancer-free.
You know, we still have to wait for that five-year mark, but that was pretty
good news yesterday. And of course he texted me while I was in the legislature,
right.
And
I want to acknowledge my daughter Kathleena and her partner, Mitchell. They’re
always there for me, helping me with technology. My daughter is my stylist and
helps me with hair and makeup. I’d like to extend a very special thank you to
my sister Leslie and her husband, Jim. They cook for me every week gluten-free
meals because I struggle with, you know, being tempted to eat gluten. And
acknowledge my father, George, who I stay with when I’m down here. And he helps
me out a lot too. He likes to talk politics, so that’s great.
I
would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge my colleagues, my great colleagues, and
the staff in our offices, both in Saskatoon and here at the legislature, who
keep us organized and ensure we have the resources and support we need to do
our roles as MLAs. And you know, Mr. Speaker, they don’t just do this good work
to help the MLAs. They do this work to help the people of the province, and I
thank them for that.
Mr.
Speaker, I would also like to thank the people of my constituency, Saskatoon
Westview. I had the opportunity to door knock over the summer, and I received
so many warm welcomes again on the doorsteps. And I appreciate that so many
people took time to share their concerns with me and my team of door knockers.
I
would like to recognize the community associations from my riding, including
Dundonald Community Association, Westview Heights Community Association, Massey
Place Community Association, and Hampton Village Community Association. I
appreciate all the great work they do to organize and host community events,
sports, and cultural events, and contribute to making each neighbourhood a safe
and welcoming place for their residents. I’ve been able to attend some of their
events this past year, and I just really wanted to make sure I gave a shout-out
to them. They’re very dedicated volunteers.
And
speaking of volunteers, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Ivan, a young
volunteer from my constituency, 17, just graduated high school, and he’s been
coming to every event with me and door knocking. And he wants to be Premier
some day, so he is shadowing a great politician.
And
last but not least, I’d like to thank my constituency executive.
Now,
Mr. Speaker, it was indeed a challenging summer. And now that it’s over, I am
anxious about the upcoming winter. These two issues — the wildfire crisis of
this past summer and the ongoing situation of homelessness — are top of mind
for me as I look at the 2025 Speech from the Throne.
And
it seems to me that our government spends all summer in crisis management over
the wildfires, and all winter in crisis management trying to provide shelter
for the unhoused members of our communities. So in order to have a secure
future, we must plan ahead. We must be in front of these situations and not
behind them. In order for communities to be safe, we must ensure adequate
resources are in place for evacuations and for sheltering people in the winter.
Our most vulnerable people are being impacted by the Sask
Party government incompetence and neglect.
Now
I just want to share with you, Mr. Speaker, on June 2nd I was just leaving the
University of Saskatchewan convocation ceremonies where I was celebrating the
achievements of my former SUNTEP [Saskatchewan urban
native teacher education program] students who were graduating with their
B.Eds. [Bachelor of Education]. And just as I was leaving, I heard they were
evacuating La Ronge due to wildfires.
And
as you know, I lived in La Ronge for almost 20 years, and 10 years ago my
family was in the same situation. We were given two hours to evacuate La Ronge
on July 4th, 2015. We stayed in a hotel for two weeks in Saskatoon, knowing the
fires were just 2 kilometres from our house. And of course we were able to take
our pets, and we were able to take things that were precious to us, but we
really worried that we were going to lose our home. And that’s just such a
terrible, terrible place to be. It really, really is. And it was because of
this personal experience, this knowledge of what it’s like to have that fear,
that I was determined to help northerners evacuate to Saskatoon.
And
my colleagues and I had already been helping evacuees from Pelican Narrows and
other northern communities, Hull Lake, who were staying in hotels in Saskatoon
and Regina. And now we had another community that we needed to help. And
people, you know, they left their homes with very little. They needed clothes,
they needed toiletries, they needed items for their babies.
[21:15]
So
we as a team, we gathered donations. We visited with people. We bought them
essentials. We went out and we bought strollers for the little ones, because
you know, they’re running around in the hotel and the parents are trying to
manage these small children, so we got strollers for them. And I just really
want to thank all of my colleagues and their staff who helped my friends from
the North.
As
you know, Mr. Speaker, when the folks from La Ronge returned home, people from
Beauval, Lac la Plonge, Patuanak were then evacuated,
and we gathered and delivered more donations. And I have this really great
picture of my husband putting together a stroller for some friends who were
from Lac la Plonge. And then people were evacuated from more communities.
Mr.
Speaker, I saw first-hand how disorganized the evacuation process was and how
it left people confused and feeling unsupported. I had evacuees from the North
staying with me. I had friends and extended family from the North calling me.
They were crying, they were sleeping in cars, and they had no money to feed
their kids.
Mr.
Speaker, we went through this in 2015. And we need to learn from these
experiences and do better, because it will happen again. And we need to be
prepared next time. And I’d like to put a call out to everybody that, you know,
if this happens again, you’re welcome to join us with gathering and delivering
donations. But it’s not going to happen again, because we have to do better.
I
want people to know that, while I’m critical of the government and those who
are in decision-making roles, in no way is my team criticizing those on the
front lines. Now I’m not in a position to give awards, but I can stand here
today and thank from the bottom of my heart the firefighters, the pilots, the
front-line workers, the aircraft mechanics, and all the volunteers who helped
people, kept them safe, supported them in Saskatoon and Regina and other
communities where they were evacuated to.
I
also want to thank the Central Urban Métis Federation, or CUMFI
[Central Urban Métis Federation Inc.], for their amazing work collecting and
distributing donations to evacuees in Saskatoon. I was humbled to partner with
the president of CUMFI, Shirley Isbister. She’s
become my heroine in helping northern evacuees in Saskatoon. CUMFI also does a tremendous amount of work assisting
vulnerable people in Saskatoon, including those experiencing homelessness. And
Shirley said to me one day, she said, “The government doesn’t help our people,
so we must take care of them. We take care of our own.”
As
the shadow minister of housing, I travelled to several northern communities and
saw first-hand the destruction of homes in places such as Denare
Beach, Eagle Point, and Sucker River. Mr. Speaker, two-thirds of Denare Beach was destroyed by the Wolf fire. Four homes
were lost in Eagle Point and another 14 homes were lost in Sucker River, a
First Nation community north of La Ronge where my husband taught for several
years and we have a number of good friends. As well, numerous cottages and
trappers’ cabins were also lost, and this affects the livelihoods of many
people in the North.
In
addition to trying to help people displaced from northern Saskatchewan due to
wildfires this past summer, I have been engaged in consultations with people
and organizations on the issue of rent control. Mr. Speaker, the reality is
that too many people simply cannot afford the rent increases they are facing,
and there is no current legislation that limits how much a landlord can raise
rent.
Now
the line espoused and repeated by the government is that Saskatchewan is the
most affordable place to live in the country. But in fact some reports have us
in third place behind Newfoundland and Labrador and New Brunswick. But what
these reports really mean is not that we are affordable; what they really mean
is we are less expensive.
We
all know that we are less expensive than Vancouver and Toronto, but the reality
is that our rents are rising at a faster rate than those locations. Rent
control has stabilized out-of-control rent increases in other provinces while
Saskatchewan has had the fastest rising rents eight months in a row.
Mr.
Speaker, I’m not sure the Sask Party government
actually knows what the term “affordable” means. So I thought, hey, I’ll look
it up in the dictionary and share the definition with them. And according to
the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, “affordable” means “having a cost that
is not too high.”
Mr.
Speaker, seniors are telling this government that they may have to move because
they can’t afford the rent increases imposed upon them. That is not the
definition of “affordable.” That is a price too high, and the seniors of this
province deserve better.
Now
in the Throne Speech, the government claims they have delivered on their
promise to lower the cost of living for seniors. But yesterday a group of
seniors came to the Legislative Assembly to share how rent increases are
affecting them and to ask the government to implement rent control. Instead of
listening, the Minister of Finance simply argued that rent control does not
work.
This
might be a good time to point out that according to a new report by HungerCount 2025, the number of people relying on food
banks has risen dramatically since 2019, and that three-quarters of the people
relying on food banks are renters. And so, Mr. Speaker, on the topic of rent
control I want to correct some misinformation.
Yes,
there are some organizations and associations with whom I’ve met that are
opposed to rent control. And these meetings were part of our consultation
process, and I thank them for taking the time to meet with me and share their
perspectives.
Now
most of them have referred to a report by the CMHC
[Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation] as evidence-based research that
proves that rent control does not work. But in fact the CMHC
report doesn’t make that conclusion. Rather it finds that there are many
different types of rent control that will have different impacts based on the
specific policy and legislation. So for example in Manitoba, new builds are
exempt from rent control, so we will see rent increases in those types of
rental accommodations.
Now,
Mr. Speaker, the three main arguments that are made against rent control
include reduced supply, lower quality, and reduced residential mobility.
Looking at the first argument, the CMHC report
concludes that the effect of rent control on new construction is unclear. The
report notes that the province of Alberta has kept rent increases stable by
incentivizing new construction to increase supply.
One
of those incentives, Mr. Speaker, is the lack of PST [provincial sales tax] on
construction. And on that note, Mr. Speaker, I found common ground with some of
the organizations who are opposed to rent control, as we agreed the PST on
construction hurts the housing supply in Saskatchewan.
Mr.
Speaker, several of these organizations that are opposed to rent control were
also in agreement that the direct payment of rent to landlords should be
reinstated and that the change to this process in 2019 has been disastrous to
so many people.
Mr. Speaker, this leads me to the issue
of houselessness in our province. I would like to point out that, within the
Throne Speech, the issue of houselessness falls under the topic of safety and
is slotted between addictions and bail reforms. It’s telling that in the mind
of the Sask
Party government, houselessness is connected to safety, crime, and addictions
and is not taken up under affordability. Mr. Speaker, I just want to emphasize
that the people sleeping in tents are also feeling unsafe. They can’t go home
at night and lock their front door.
Mr. Speaker, two weeks ago I volunteered
for the point-in-time count in Saskatoon. And I just want to share with you
that I met a number of people from northern Saskatchewan who are living in
tents and encampments in Saskatoon. One woman, who was sleeping under a tarp,
lost her house to the fires in Denare Beach.
From first-hand observation, Mr.
Speaker, I can tell you the numbers of unhoused people are going up and not
down, and I’m pretty sure the PIT [point-in-time] count is going to affirm
that. The Saskatoon Fire Department has reported that encampments of unhoused
people have popped up throughout the city of Saskatoon. As of September 1st,
the first eight months of the year, they had counted 1,248 encampments and have
removed 357, compared to 218 encampments removed last year throughout the
entire year.
Every time I hear the government speak
about houselessness, they brag about how much money they are spending on the
issue; they’ve opened some more shelter beds and allocated some money here and
there. But, Mr. Speaker, we cannot nickel and dime our way out of this housing
crisis, and we cannot wait for more supply down the road. We need housing now.
We need shelters now. We need increases to the amount people receive for SIS
and SAID [Saskatchewan assured income for disability]. These programs have not
kept pace with the cost of living, and people are getting evicted, Mr. Speaker.
We need rent control, not rhetoric about affordability.
Mr. Speaker, the good people of my
riding of Saskatoon Westview, the good people of the North, and the good people
of the province of Saskatchewan need more than words, more than alliteration to
ensure seniors and young people have safe and affordable homes, to ensure
families can buy food instead of relying on food banks, and to ensure people
have proper shelter instead of living in tents or encampments. And so, Mr.
Speaker, I cannot support the Speech from the Throne. I will be supporting the
amendment put forward by my colleague from Cumberland instead. Thank you.
Speaker
Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Advanced
Education.
Hon. Ken
Cheveldayoff: —
Well thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to members on both sides
of the House. As I have been accustomed to say, as I enter into these debates,
I put a number on them. And this time I am pleased to say I will be
participating in my 22nd reply to the Speech from the Throne.
Some may say that just makes me old, but
I still have the enthusiasm. I still love this job. I love what I do. And you
know, people ask me, “What’s the passion? Why do you like it so much?”
And you know, you talk about helping
people, but you just get up in the morning and you don’t know what the next day
brings. And that’s part of the excitement of what we do. And you look at this
week, for example. We started the week on Monday going over to Mosaic Stadium
and hearing the announcement that Regina, Saskatchewan will be hosting the 2027
Grey Cup. What a wonderful opportunity.
[Applause]
Hon. Ken
Cheveldayoff: —
Yeah. Thank you to Craig Reynolds and to his entire team over with the Riders
and everyone involved. And we’ll hear more about the team that will be putting
together this wonderful opportunity for 2027.
Again, this morning you wake up, and
what do you hear? Cameco, our own Cameco and Westinghouse, an $80 billion
agreement with the United States, with Canada, with bringing Westinghouse in as
a part of Cameco, and leadership by people like Tim Gitzel, my friend and
former neighbour. And just very, very proud of the whole organization, and I
know all members are. This is beyond politics. It’s just something that we
celebrate.
And to be part of that and to feel that
we are a part of it, that certainly is why I enjoy this job very, very much.
And I’m thankful to be here. I’ll be celebrating 22 years on November the 7th.
And very blessed, you know, we’re all blessed to be here. You don’t know how
long you’re going to be here, four years at a time. But certainly since 2003
I’ve had the opportunity to occupy a chair in this Chamber, and I’m very
grateful for that.
I want to very quickly — I know time is
always limited — I want to talk about my family and thank them for all that
they do and help support me here. My wife, Trish, works for St. Paul’s Hospital
Foundation and is the manager of major giving. She’s coming here next week. So
I ask all members to make sure that they attend the St. Paul’s Hospital
Foundation reception, and I know they will.
My son Carter’s got very exciting things
happening as well. He’s a resident of Saskatoon. He very recently became a
certified financial planner, so a great accomplishment for him. He’s a
homeowner and he’s getting married, he and his fiancée, on September 12th,
2026. It’ll be an exciting year for our family in 2026.
Paige, our daughter, is in Hamilton and
recently graduated with a master’s degree in health care and is pursuing her
health care studies and health care journey. And we’re very, very proud of her.
Very recently I spent Thanksgiving in my
hometown in Blaine Lake on the farm. It was a farm Thanksgiving, and I want to
thank my cousin John Kalmakoff and his wife, Robin, for inviting us out there
and sharing a great opportunity to be thankful for all that we have here in
Saskatchewan.
I want to thank my constituency
executive. They are people, volunteers that not only volunteer for the Sask Party executive from Saskatoon Willowgrove,
but they volunteer in so many aspects around the city.
[21:30]
And whether it’s philanthropy or
volunteerism in many regards, a couple of them have won the volunteer medal
here in the legislature for the province. And they do everything from support
the Kinsmen and the Optimist club and various things. But they take time to be
part of my executive and be part of the Saskatchewan Party. And for that I
thank them very, very much.
I want to thank my constituency
assistant, Brianne Toupin, who has been with me for quite some time now, and I
thank her very much for all that she does. This year she’s taking some
holidays. I had some people filling in for her — Conni Larson and Janis Nett.
Thank them very much.
I also want to thank Jacquie Klebeck, who is my communications assistant and is the
editor of my newsletter that goes out to some 10,000 people. So she does a
great job doing that. Members opposite say that they get it. I know that they
get it. I’m still waiting for some constructive ideas from them because we ask
for it, but I haven’t heard any of them coming back. But maybe I’ll get some
now. But thank you very much to that team that is my constituency team and the
work that they do.
Saskatoon Willowgrove
is a very exciting constituency. It’s a happening constituency, lots going on.
And you know, we’re excited about the growth that’s taking place. Fifty-seven
per cent of the growth in Saskatoon that is happening right now is happening in
the constituency of Saskatoon Willowgrove, and
specifically in the Brighton area and the Holmwood area. And that’s not to say . . .
There’s growth happening everywhere. But it’s really concentrated.
And with growth comes the need for
infrastructure. And we’re very, very pleased to be able to have announced and
now following the planning and implementation of four new schools: two high
schools, two elementary schools. And the two high schools will be the largest
in Saskatchewan. You know, some 1,400 people on each side, so 2,800 people.
Very, very large schools. It’s a new area for the Ministry of Education. It’s a
new area for the city of Saskatoon. But we’re very, very fortunate to be able
to provide that infrastructure and that growth.
And it’s not only happening in . . .
I’ll talk about my constituency, but there’s growth happening throughout
Saskatoon and Regina and new schools coming like they’ve never come before. And
we’re so excited about that, Mr. Speaker.
I want to talk about the city of
Saskatoon very quickly, Mayor Cynthia Block and her team of councillors. The
mayor was here for the Speech from the Throne. I was very pleased that she was
here. It’s great to see that there’s so much happening. And I think it’s
important, it’s incumbent upon us to work with different levels of government.
Had an opportunity to work on several projects that involve our great city.
And I look forward to the future. It’s
got a very exciting year coming forward. The Canadian Country Music Awards are
coming to Saskatoon. There’s an exhibition game for the Roughriders, and also
of course we’ll be participating in Grey Cup as Grey Cup North in Saskatoon, as
they did last time as well.
Before I get into too much of my speech,
I want to thank a couple members on the opposite side of the aisle as well. I
want to thank my critic, the member for Saskatoon University-Sutherland. He
works very hard. He follows me around. I think he might have, you know, one of
those tracers on me. I keep looking for it but haven’t found one yet. But
indeed, in all seriousness, he takes his responsibilities seriously. He
operates in a professional manner, and I thank him for that.
I wasn’t in the House the other day, but
the member from Cumberland had some very kind things to say, and I’ll return
that as well. You know, one afternoon I was listening . . .
An
Hon. Member: — Athabasca.
Hon. Ken
Cheveldayoff: —
I’m sorry. The member from Athabasca. I did phone both members. I phoned the
member from Athabasca and the member from Cumberland, and I had a chance to
talk to the member from Athabasca. And it was just a day when I was hearing
about everything that was happening up North. And I thought of those two
individuals and thought I’d give them a shout-out and just see how they’re
doing. And we had a great conversation.
But you know, I was able to tell him too
that I was working very, very closely with the Minister of Corrections and
Public Safety and the Minister of Government Relations. And I had the
opportunity through their invitation to join minister Buckley Belanger as well
and to be part of some of those high-level meetings that took place. And I saw
these two individuals in action and I’m very, very proud. I’m proud of the two
members on the opposite side. I’m proud of these two ministers. And I’m proud
of each and every member because all 61 of us, the wildfires were something
that we were very, very concerned about, and you know, wanting to do better and
wanting to do all that we can.
And I didn’t know if I was going to
bring this up or not, but members opposite were talking about what they had
done. And you know, there was one day, I stay in a hotel here in Saskatoon and
many of the evacuees were in the hotel. So I just said to them, hey you guys,
you want to come to the legislature? And you know, we brought them in as
guests. And I brought a couple of colleagues from our side in, and we just had
a great conversation with them, first-hand hearing about what was happening.
They were from Pinehouse. And again no media, no new
releases, nothing — just a good conversation and a good way that we were able
to talk back and forth.
Mr. Speaker, I have a tendency to go on,
but I want to talk a little a bit about my summer. I had a great summer.
Members opposite mentioned the Midwestern Legislative Conference, and certainly
so proud of everyone being involved, proud of this room, and the 61 members
here. We had a record attendance from Saskatchewan, so a record number of
people that wanted to reach out to our colleagues, our elected colleagues in
the MLC.
And you know, I think we just did a
spectacular job of showcasing what our province is all about. And I heard
first-hand — and I know the member for Estevan-Big Muddy who is our Chair and
who did such a great job of chairing it and all people on the organizing
committee — we heard from every person we talked to about . . . some
had never been to Canada. Some had never been to Saskatchewan. Some didn’t know
what to expect coming here. But when we went up to the Cameco reception, for
example, or the PSI [Pavement Scientific International] reception, it was just
a wonderful opportunity for us to showcase our province.
And I know some of those sessions when
former prime minister Harper was speaking there were 600 people in the room,
and not one person was looking at their phone or fiddling or anything like
that. Their eyes were on him and just hearing what a former prime minister —
great reverence in our country — had to say. But many and other great speakers
as well.
And I want to thank everyone. I want to
thank the volunteers, the many people in Saskatoon that volunteered: Pamela
Hujber, Brad Sylvester, many others from the local team did a great job. And
Stephanie Pocha — now Stephanie Clovechok
— Stephanie Pocha, Discover Saskatoon, she did a wonderful, wonderful job as
well.
I had an opportunity to get around the
province a little bit. I’ll talk about it a little bit more, about visiting
regional colleges. But the member from Moosomin-Montmartre, you know, he
invited me to come out and to speak to his local chamber of commerce. And I had
a great opportunity to go to Moosomin to talk about it. And you know the
province is doing well when a local chamber of commerce, their number one
concern at that particular meeting — I know there’s other concerns as well —
where to park on Main Street, because every day Main Street was full of people.
And it was just great to see, you know,
a medium-sized community in our province and what they were doing. And they do many
great things out in Moosomin, and just a new hockey team, you know. And also,
in all fairness, what they were wanting to talk about too is the medical
residents that were coming to that area of the province and to Moosomin, and
how to keep them there was their topic of discussion. So that’s great.
I want to turn my attention to my critic
. . . I mean, no, I’m not the critic; I’m the minister. I want to . . .
An
Hon. Member: — Self critic.
Hon. Ken
Cheveldayoff: — Yeah.
Yeah, that’s it. I’m my own self critic, right. No, being appointed the
Minister of Advanced Education last year was a profound honour, and what I
intended to say is I began this journey as the critic for Advanced Education
when I first entered this legislature. I was on that side of the House and I
had an opportunity. And some of those people are still in the ministries and
providing that great service to us there. So it’s been a great opportunity, and
I remain deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve in this role.
And you know, being Minister of Advanced
Education, it’s a role that is respected by other cabinet ministers and the
ministry as well, because it is so important to the growth. And with this
government we all know the important role that our growth plan plays. And in
order for us to implement this growth plan . . . And we all know
about the growth plan, and it sets specific targets of growth that we want to
achieve and exceed. In order to do that you have to have a thriving advanced
education system in the province.
And I’m sure, as members opposite know,
we indeed do that. From Deputy Minister Louise Michaud to the front-line staff,
it’s very clear that the people at Advanced Education are deeply committed to
building and sustaining a world-class post-secondary education system in
Saskatchewan. The ministry is made up of hard-working professionals who every
day play a key role in supporting the growth of our province.
Mr. Speaker, our government recently
affirmed our commitment within Advanced Education to the Western College of
Veterinary Medicine along with the partners from Manitoba and British Columbia.
We just renewed that agreement for another five years. And as Minister of
Advanced Education, I’m incredibly proud that our province is home to one of
two veterinary colleges. It used to be one but Alberta decided to go on their
own way, but certainly Manitoba and British Columbia and Saskatchewan. It’s a
great, great partnership. Veterinarians are vital to Saskatchewan’s agriculture
sector. They help ensure that our livestock stay healthy, which in turn
supports our local economy for sure.
Mr. Speaker, I could go on and on
talking about all the highlights in advanced education. I’m just going to pick
a couple and talk about them.
Yesterday members in the legislature saw
me introduce Dr. Stephen Lucas and the Mitacs system
in the . . . That began here in our province, in the country. It
began in our province in 2007, and I have to really credit my predecessors for
getting involved in that. Since that time this government has put in $9.3 million
to provide for more than 2,000 internships for students.
And Mitacs —
and we didn’t have a chance to talk about it a great deal — it helps students
gain valuable experience, expand their professional networks, and just develop
skills for high-quality jobs through a job placement program, an ability to
work and to improve themselves, and it’s affiliated with the Indigenous
Pathways initiatives. Mitacs connects Indigenous
businesses and organizations with skilled post-secondary interns to support
innovation and community development.
And if you would have heard some of
those students speak at the University of Regina when we did the announcement
yesterday, I’m telling you, it’s a program that is well organized, well run,
and is certainly going to continue to help us grow and expand our economy here
in the province. So I thank the Mitacs people for
that.
Our post-secondary institutions play a
key role in these partnerships. They support student success, and of course
they contribute to a strong economy.
Mr. Speaker, I also want to recognize
here, while I have a few minutes, I want to talk about the regional colleges
around Saskatchewan. And I had an opportunity to visit some of them, not all of
them, in the summer. I had an opportunity to get out to northwest Saskatchewan
and talk to the team in The Battlefords and the great work that they’re doing.
We heard about the rural teacher initiative that they’re working on there. And
when I was in Moosomin as part of the meeting I mentioned earlier, I met with
the Southeast Regional College board. I had the opportunity to go to Suncrest a
couple of times in Melfort, and then went to the fire suppression college as
well in Melville to see the great things that they’re doing.
And members know that regional colleges
are so nimble. They’re able to change their classes. They’re able to adapt to
the economy. They’re able to fill a request very quickly. And it was a great
opportunity, and more to come. I’ll be going out to Carlton Trail. And stay
tuned for some good announcements coming later, I guess next month.
And I had an opportunity to go to
Lakeland College as well. And my colleague, the member from Lloydminster, knows
very well the great work that’s being done at Lakeland College, both on the
Alberta side and the Saskatchewan side. It’s a great partnership, but they also
have partnerships with the University of Saskatchewan in nursing, for example,
and aesthetics and others.
[21:45]
So I wish I could talk about each and
every one of them. I’m going to highlight the ones that I just had a chance to
visit, and I’m going to talk in future speeches about the great work that
others do as well.
Our government will enter into a
multi-year funding agreement, if members opposite . . . And I know
members on this side were listening closely to the Speech from the Throne. We
talk about the multi-year funding agreement and the importance that it played.
And, Mr. Speaker, it took place in 2021 for the first time ever. Our government
introduced a multi-year funding agreement for Saskatchewan’s post-secondary
institutions.
And when Gord Wyant was here the other
day I gave him the credit, but I guess mistakenly so. I heard from Gene
Makowsky and others that it was indeed Gene that signed that agreement. So you
know, we’re so fortunate to the predecessors that I’ve had in this role — Rob
Norris and Tina Beaudry and many others.
And you know, I want to take this
opportunity to talk . . . The Premier was a minister of Advanced
Education as well. And as all members will know, you don’t get an agreement
like we’re going to be able to announce here in the short future without the
agreement of the Premier and colleagues in cabinet and colleagues in caucus and
all members as well.
I think we could all agree that our
first multi-year funding agreement was successful, was substantial. It gave the
institutions that security they needed. And we know that security is one of the
pillars of this Speech from the Throne. And I want to just thank my
predecessors. I want to thank the Premier and my colleagues and members on both
sides of the House for their advice. And all I can say is, stay tuned. We’re
going to have some very, very good news in a very short time.
And you know, last year we had the
opportunity, the agreement was expiring. And members will know what happened
last year in the world and in our ability to make long-term decisions. But what
did we do? We extended the existing agreement by a year. We increased the base
funding by $12 million, and a one-time $6 million boost to operating
funding as well. So we had an opportunity to extend that. And as you can see,
it’s hard for me to keep things in, but very shortly we’ll be able to share all
of that information with you.
Mr. Speaker, I want to just finish up by
talking about some of our institutions, the University of Saskatchewan for
example. My goodness. Be What the World Needs campaign, we’ve all heard about
it, the goal to raise $500 million for the University of Saskatchewan.
What did they do, Mr. Speaker? They raised $570 million.
I want to thank Peter Stoicheff and his
team at the University of Saskatchewan. And I want to thank all the
philanthropists and our business community and all those that gave money to
that campaign. And it wasn’t only the business community. It was a lot of
alumni. It was a lot of former professors and teachers and anybody that was
touched by the University of Saskatchewan contributed to that campaign.
I want to take a minute to thank Peter
Stoicheff and Kathryn Warden. Peter, as members will know, will be retiring at
the end of the year. And he’s just done a fantastic job. And if you’ve ever
heard — and many of you have heard — his 20‑minute stump speech about the
last 20 years of the University of Saskatchewan, I will say that there wouldn’t
be a negative word issued about the University of Saskatchewan in this
legislature ever again. Peter is a great orator, a great leader, and I want to
thank him for the opportunity to work with him and what he’s done.
I’ve had an opportunity to go to the
White Coat Ceremony to see the pharmacy students, the dentists, and I know
members from both sides of the house had a chance to accompany me to that. So
thank you for that.
The University of Regina, Dr. Jeff
Keshen and his team — wonderful, wonderful operation there. Had an opportunity
on Friday night to go to the university Alumni Awards of excellence and the
Sports Hall of Fame. I know a number of members from the other side were there
and I was thanking them for being there as well.
Honouring people like Ralph Goodale, you
know, a true legend in our province and honoured appropriately so. Jon Ryan and
others. There was eight individuals that were highlighted there. The U of R
[University of Regina] just does such a great job. And we’ve got some exciting
announcements that’ll be happening with them as well.
SIIT
[Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies]: Riel Bellegarde, Chief Darcy
Bear. Ray Ahenakew I’ll mention is a mentor to everyone involved in SIIT. Ray of course is passed, but indeed has left his mark
on that. So I want to thank SIIT for all that they
do, and we’ll have more to say about that great institution as well.
Mr. Speaker, my time is limited. I do
have to say that we’ve got an exciting future happening here. At Sask Poly, we are looking at building a new campus at the
University of Saskatchewan and we’re so excited about that. And I look forward
to being able to talk more about that in the future. Dr. Larry Rosia and his
team there are very much on the pulse. And you know, we were all worried about
the situation that was dealt to us by the federal government as far as the
international students. Well Larry and his team and the other institutions are
doing all they can to establish bilateral relations to do all that we can to
ensure that international students continue to come here, because they
contribute so much.
I want to talk just briefly about the
graduate retention program. 89,700 students in Saskatchewan have taken
advantage of that. And as we know, our population is growing. 1.3 million
coming up pretty soon. And 89,700, I think we’re going to have a big
celebration when it hits 90,000. And I know members opposite are supportive of
that program. They even claim that they thought of it or brought it up. I’m not
quite sure about that, but I’m glad to see that they’re very, very much
supportive of it as well.
But you know, as members opposite have
done, we have to contrast as well what we’re hearing from the other side of the
room. And you know, I’ve heard tuition come up a couple of times. Just a quick
fact for individuals there: while the NDP were in government, from 1991 to
2007, tuition in our province has gone up by 228 per cent. I know they don’t
like to talk about their record. That is your record. I was hoping to bring it
up in question period but I’ll bring it up here. And if I get a question, I’ll probably
bring it up in question period again, Mr. Speaker.
Well
nobody’s perfect, Mr. Speaker. We’ll continue to work harder and I know members
will ensure that the next time around they talk about advanced education.
But,
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank you for the opportunity again, for the 22nd time,
to enter into the debate from the Speech from the Throne. And one thing that I
can honestly say, they seem to get better and better every year certainly from
my perspective. This Speech from the Throne is one that’s outstanding and that
will contribute to our growth and to our quality of life in the province for
years to come. So, Mr. Speaker, I’ll be supporting the motion put forward by my
colleague from Weyburn-Bengough and Carrot River and of course voting against
the amendment. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
Speaker Goudy: — I
recognize the
member from Saskatoon Westview.
Kim Breckner: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to
start off by thanking my husband; my family; and my husband’s family as well
for all their support; my constituency assistant, Emma York; and my
constituency executive. It is always a pleasure meeting and working with them,
and I thank them so much for all the smiles they bring to my face.
I
rise today to offer my response to the government’s Throne Speech. I do so with
a heavy heart, not just as a representative of the people of Saskatoon
Riversdale but as a citizen who walks the constituency regularly. I see the
faces of my neighbours, my friends, and my constituents, and what I see is a
profound and growing disconnect between the reality of their lives and the
self-congratulatory narrative presented in the Chamber here.
This
Throne Speech speaks of growth and opportunity, but for too many in Riversdale
and across Saskatchewan it is a story from which they’ve been written out. It’s
a story that ignores the daily struggle, the quiet desperation, and the urgent
crises that are unfolding on our doorsteps.
Let
me begin with the most pressing issue, the crushing cost of living. We hear
talk of tax breaks and affordability measures, and while any relief is welcome,
who is this truly helping? The government’s approach seems designed for those
who already have a foothold on the economic ladder. But what about those who
have no ladder at all? What about residents on Saskatchewan income support and
those on the Saskatchewan assured income for disability?
These
are our most vulnerable citizens. They’re not looking for a tax break on a
six-figure income; they’re looking for the ability to afford food and rent in
the same month. The paltry sums provided by SIS are an insult to human dignity,
trapping people in a cycle of poverty from which they cannot escape.
SAID
rates are barely better, forcing individuals with significant disabilities to
choose between medication and a meal. This Throne Speech had an opportunity to
finally meaningfully increase these rates to a level that reflects the actual
cost of survival in 2025. It failed to do so. It has left these people behind
yet again and that, Mr. Speaker, is a moral failure.
This
leads directly to the housing and rental crisis. In Riversdale I speak with
seniors on fixed pensions, young families, new Canadians, all of whom are
terrified of the next rent increase. They’re one rent hike away from eviction,
from homelessness. The market has failed them. And what is this government’s
response? A stubborn refusal to even consider any form of rent control or rent
stabilization. An everything-is-great attitude, while rental rates in
Saskatchewan continue to increase at three times the rate of inflation and at
the third-highest rate of rental inflation in Canada.
We’re
told it’ll stifle development. I say, what good is new development if the
people who live here cannot afford to stay in their homes? We need a solution,
and that solution must include both protections for existing tenants and a
massive reinvestment in social housing. For decades governments have withdrawn
from building and maintaining social housing, and we’re now reaping the
disastrous consequences. We have abdicated our responsibility to the private
market, and the private market has no incentive to provide affordable homes,
only profitable ones.
And
let’s talk about that abdication of responsibility. In my constituency we have
social housing providers like Quint Development, which manages social housing
units. When a tenant has a repair issue — a broken window, a leaking pipe —
Quint is there immediately. They get it done. They’re accountable.
Why
then is this government so ineffective when it comes to the maintenance and
repair of its own housing stock? The backlog is immense, the delays are
unacceptable, and the human cost of thousands of units sitting empty is
immeasurable. It’s a tale of two systems: one that works because it’s community
focused and accountable, and one that fails because it is bureaucratic and
neglected.
Mr.
Speaker, the housing crisis is linked to another crisis we see every day on the
streets of Riversdale: the mental health and addictions crisis. I see it. My
staff sees it. We cannot ignore it. We see our neighbours in the grips of
addiction suffering from profound mental trauma, unable to access treatment
because it’s full. I tell you, I have personal experience with people who have
tried week after week to get into treatment for addiction and they get turned
away and eventually what’s left but to give up. We need to make sure that
everybody who wants voluntary treatment can get it.
This
Throne Speech pays lip service to the issue, but the actions do not match the
scale of the emergency. We need a true continuum of care: harm reduction,
treatment on demand, recovery, and supportive housing. We need to stop treating
addiction as a crime and start treating it as the health issue it is. This
piecemeal approach, the reluctance to fully fund and support evidence-based
solutions is costing us lives. We’re losing a generation to poisoned drugs and
despair and it’s happening in plain sight. We need courage, not just
commentary.
[22:00]
Now,
Mr. Speaker, I also hear concerns about our health care system and our lack of
health care workers, but this government, it keeps telling us, “we have the
most ambitious health human resources action plan in the nation of Canada.” But
where are the results? This plan, where are the results? I mean I get it. After
a few too many stops at the Dairy Queen in Davidson this past year, I too had a
very ambitious weight-loss plan for the year, but it’s going as well as your
health care plan is going.
This
government, there’s simple things you can do. Publicize when emergency rooms
are closed on the SHA website. But you won’t because you would rather save face
than save lives.
Now,
Mr. Speaker, I must turn to the government’s recent and frankly baffling
approach to international relations and economic policy . . .
Speaker Goudy: — The comments that, yeah, “the
government would rather save face than save lives,” that’s out of line. Thanks.
Kim Breckner: — I apologize. The issue of American
tariffs, we’ll start there. This government’s response to these devastating
tariffs, to put it charitably, is spineless. While our steel and lumber
industry is continuing to face existential threats, this government offered a
weak protest and then promptly folded.
Let’s
look at the record. First they launched a boycott of American liquor — a few
days behind everybody else, but they did it nonetheless — not just a symbolic
gesture, but an economic one which the people of Saskatchewan were willingly
getting behind to show solidarity. But what happens? Within weeks the
government covertly returning US liquor to shelves. They were caught trying to
have it both ways — talking tough in public while quietly surrendering in
private. This is not strength.
Second,
the most astonishing amid all this tough talk, this government didn’t cancel a
single US contract — not one. We have American companies being awarded
lucrative contracts for Saskatchewan infrastructure, for Saskatchewan services,
while our own industries are under attack. The government has a powerful tool
at its disposal, our own procurement budget, and they refuse to use it. They
would not stand up for Saskatchewan businesses and workers when it mattered
most.
This
highlights a fundamental and long-standing failure — the complete lack of a
Canada-first procurement policy. Why are we sending our tax dollars to create
jobs in other countries? We should be using the power of the public purse to
build up our own industries to create jobs here at home and to ensure that when
we build a school or hospital the economic benefits are maximized for
Saskatchewan people. It’s a basic principle of economic sovereignty that this
government consistently ignores.
When
it comes to the Chinese tariffs on canola and pork, the Premier flip-flopped on
whether we should remove EV tariffs against China, responsible for this
retaliation, at one time suggesting it was more important to stay in lockstep
with the US foreign policy than to stand up for farmers and demand removal of
these EV tariffs.
And
finally, on the topic of interprovincial trade barriers, it’s remarkable that
we’re only now bringing forward legislation to address this. It only took until
us, the Saskatchewan NDP, announced that we would address the issue with our
own legislation since the government has failed to do so. Then the government
finally got to work.
For
years this government has watched as internal trade barriers hampered our
business while focusing its ire solely on the federal government, always
pointing a finger somewhere else. Removing these barriers is a good thing, a
long overdue thing, but it underscores a reactive rather than proactive
approach to economic development.
In
conclusion, Mr. Speaker, the picture painted by this Throne Speech is one of a
government that is out of touch and out of ideas. It’s a government that offers
tax breaks while leaving the most vulnerable behind. It refuses to act on rent
control while our social housing crumbles. It offers band-aids for a mental
health and addictions crisis that requires a tourniquet, and on the world stage
when our economic interests are threatened, it responds with the strength of a
wet paper bag, refusing to use the tools at its disposal to stand up for
Saskatchewan workers and farmers.
The
people of Saskatoon Riversdale, and indeed all people of Saskatchewan deserve
better. They deserve a government that has the courage to tackle the cost of
living with meaningful support for the poor and the disabled. They deserve a
government with the vision to see housing as a human right not a market
commodity. They deserve a government with the compassion to address the
addictions crisis with urgency and with the resources it demands. And they
deserve a government with the backbone to fiercely and intelligently defend our
economic interests using every tool available, including our own procurement
power.
This
Throne Speech, I regret to say, demonstrates that this government is not that
government. And for that reason I will be supporting the amendments put forward
by my colleague, the member from Cumberland. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Speaker Goudy: — I
recognize the
Minister of Social Services.
Hon. Terry Jenson: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It is
an absolute pleasure to be able to enter into this year’s Throne Speech debate.
And you know, it’s so good to be on my feet. And I’d like to thank you, Mr.
Speaker, for the job that you’re doing with the Assembly and keeping things
moving and keeping things rather in line. It is much appreciated, and I think
my comments are echoed by all of my colleagues.
Typically
we start our Throne Speech replies by sending out some thank yous to people that are generally by this time at night in
bed. And they, you know . . . This is probably the last thing on
their mind. But I know back home I really do need to, you know, really thank my
family. Especially over the past year, since becoming Minister of Social
Services, they have not seen me very much. And that is no exaggeration, Mr.
Speaker.
My
wife, Angela, we’re going to be celebrating a milestone anniversary here in a
couple of weeks. And if everything works out, she might be able to come down
here and join us that day, and that would be something very special.
My
two kids. I’ve got a son, Asher, who is going to be turning 19 in a couple of
weeks’ time. And you know, we’re looking forward to seeing what he’s going to
be doing here in the very near future. And then, you know, my 11‑year-old
daughter, Kolbie, who is very much like her dad. She’s very right-brained, very
creative, left-handed in everything she does except golf, like her dad.
I would be remiss without thanking my
constituency assistant, Whitney Friesen. We often have a debate here who has
the best constituency assistant. I’m not going to wade into that at this stage,
but what I will do is recognize the fact that he has been serving the people of
the constituency of Warman, and in previous iterations, Martensville-Warman or
whatever the name happened to be for . . . it’ll be 33 years in
December, Mr. Speaker. I believe he is the longest-serving constituency
assistant in Saskatchewan, and for that we truly do appreciate the service.
And you know, we always say here we
don’t serve alone, Mr. Speaker, and Whitney does not serve alone either back
home. It’s quite often when I get home from Regina, we spend maybe a few extra
minutes in the office past closing time talking about different things,
different things that are maybe coming up or different issues. And quite often
he’ll get a text from his wife, Rebecca, saying, “Are you coming home for
supper?” Or actually it’s more like, “Are you coming home to make supper?”
And so I try not to keep Whitney at the
office any later than he has to be, Mr. Speaker, but I really do appreciate all
the work that he does not only for me, but also on behalf of all the
constituents of the Warman constituency.
And again the constituents themselves,
Mr. Speaker, they’re the reason why we do this job. We’re here in Regina to
represent their concerns. We are their voice in this building, and we truly do
appreciate all the input and all the ideas that they bring forward. And you
know, that’s what motivates me and drives me to get up every morning to do this
job, is to represent the people of the community that I live in and the
surrounding area.
That’s pretty much the list of thank yous. I do have to also thank my office staff upstairs in
the Ministry of Social Services. We have an absolute rock star group, Mr.
Speaker, right from ministerial assistants Angela and Tyson and Ilias to my two
admins, Jessica and Lilia. And Lilia just actually joined our office about
three weeks ago, and she’s fit in absolutely fine, absolutely perfectly, Mr.
Speaker.
And over the summer I got a new chief of
staff. And while my previous chief of staff was a great guy and probably the
biggest Blue Jays fan in this building, my new chief of staff, Dawn Kobayashi,
started with me in July. And Dawn is an absolute pleasure to work with,
somebody that keeps me organized. She keeps me on task, Mr. Speaker. I couldn’t
ask for a better chief of staff, and really, really looking forward to the
months and hopefully years ahead with this team.
Back home in Warman, we’ve got a new
hockey team on the block, Mr. Speaker, and . . . [inaudible
interjection] . . . That’s right, yeah. So the Warman Wolverines were
born back in February when the franchise from Wilcox, the Notre Dame Hounds,
was relocated to Warman. Mr. Speaker, the Wolverines are something new in the
city of Warman.
Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, I
grew up watching it in North Battleford with the North Stars. Still remember
some of the names from those teams — the Maytags, the
Krawetz, who by the way was the nephew of Ken Krawetz that once sat in this
Assembly. So growing up watching the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, Mr.
Speaker, was absolutely fabulous, and I’m so proud that we have a franchise in
Warman.
And I had some conversations with the
member from Weyburn-Bengough. I’ve had some conversations with . . .
Let’s see. Who else is in here that has a team? There’s Estevan, so the member
from Estevan. Kindersley-Biggar, you know, we’ve had some conversations.
Melville. Yes, Melville-Saltcoats. And have yet to have that conversation with
you, Mr. Speaker, but your team is doing pretty good this year, and we might
wait until the Wolverines kind of find their feet a little bit.
But you know what? The home opener in
Warman, Mr. Speaker, was sold out. We had 1,345 fans in the KH Developments
Arena, previously known as the Legends Centre. 1,345 for the first night, and I
believe the crowd the second night was about 1,100. Although they weren’t
successful in their home opener — they lost to the Humboldt Broncos 3‑0 —
but they were competitive. They were right in there.
Mr. Speaker, it’s the ownership group of
the Warman Wolverines that made this all a reality, and I really have to tip my
hat to the ownership group as well as the coaching staff and all the players.
You know, this was not a team that was perennial favourites by any stretch of
the imagination when they were Notre Dame, but there is a ton of tradition that
comes with the Notre Dame Hounds and now the Warman Wolverines. And we’re going
to make sure that we carry on that tradition of producing world-class hockey
players like Rod Brind’Amour, Wendel Clark — players
like that, Mr. Speaker.
It should be noted too that we got our
first home win last weekend in a shootout against The Battlefords North Stars.
Sorry to the member from The Battlefords, but you know, they kind of spanked us
the night before, but we got them in the shootout the next night. So it was our
first home-ice victory and it was something special. And I know everybody that
was in the arena that night really enjoyed the game.
So on to the Throne Speech itself, Mr.
Speaker. When I look at this Throne Speech — and it’s my fifth since I was
first elected in 2020 — you know, there are so many good things, and my
colleague from Saskatoon Willowgrove summed it up
when he said, you know, this is one of the best ones yet, in terms of what we
are doing for the people of Saskatchewan.
[22:15]
When we talk about, you know, strong,
safe, and secure, we can talk about having a strong economy. That strong
economy allows us to make investments that create strong families and strong
communities, Mr. Speaker. That’s what this is all about. This is what we’re
elected to do.
Mr. Speaker, when we talk about safety,
there’s lots to speak about on that, and same with security. Earlier this
summer, Mr. Speaker, I spent a lot of time on the road. I travelled the
province quite extensively, and you know, visiting communities such as Yorkton, Nipawin,
Tisdale, The Battlefords, Denare Beach, Creighton,
Buffalo Narrows, Saskatoon, Regina obviously. Oh, and the member from
Canora-Pelly is saying, don’t forget Preeceville, and
so Preeceville has been acknowledged. It’s on the
record, Mr. Speaker.
An Hon. Member:
— Moose Jaw.
Hon. Terry
Jenson: —
Moose Jaw. Anyone else? Okay. Anyway, so travelling the province and speaking
to stakeholders, whether it be community-based organizations or housing
authorities — you know, even spoke to a few town councils, Mr. Speaker —
listening to what the concerns are, what the opportunities are, and I think the
word “opportunity” is incredibly important. Because if we are here in Regina
and we’re not out there in the communities, it’s hard to identify the
opportunities that exist, and identifying those opportunities is incredibly
important, Mr. Speaker.
So I put on a lot of miles, you know,
saw a lot of the countryside. Went through Melfort at least three times, maybe
four, and actually stopped in Melfort a couple of times. So you know, this is
something I love to do. Again when I talk about waking up in the morning and
what are we wanting to do, this is what motivates me, Mr. Speaker. I’m a people
person. I believe in dialogue, I believe in collaboration, and I believe in
trying to do what is best for the people of this province. And that’s what I
try to set out every day, whether I’m on the road to Preeceville
or Melfort, or if I’m in my constituency office meeting with my neighbours and
friends from the Warman constituency.
Speaking of that, just this past
weekend, Warman Fire Rescue held their annual Dine and Dance. I believe it was
their ninth annual Dine and Dance. It’s a fundraiser that they use to purchase
extra equipment that maybe isn’t in their budget for the year, but they really
can’t wait to buy it; they need it right away. So they raise some money on the
side and they put on a Dine and Dance. And it’s a great party, Mr. Speaker.
It’s one of the events that I really look forward to every year, and it sells
out every year.
So you know, I’ve kind of got an
agreement with Fire Chief Russ Austin that we get two tickets kind of set
aside, almost like a pre-sale. So everything is good because typically I
sometimes forget to get tickets to events and I’m calling last minute. But I
don’t have to worry; Chief Austin looks after me and looks after my wife as
well and we attend this big, very large event.
It should be noted that Warman Fire
Rescue is the busiest volunteer fire department in the province, Mr. Speaker.
They run a number of calls very similar to some of our smaller cities that have
paid fire departments, Mr. Speaker. These are volunteers. Two paid staff
members, a chief and deputy chief. The rest are all volunteers. So the work
they do in protecting our citizens, you know, it’s very important. It’s very
important work that they do, and I’m so proud that the city of Warman, the
community of Warman, the residents, are there every opportunity to support
them. And the Dine and Dance is just another way of doing it.
So at the Dine and Dance, the Warman
Fire Rescue were able to recognize a number of firefighters that took part in
what amounted to be an absolute devastating summer up north with the wildfires.
For instance our chief, Russ Austin, spent a lot of time in Pelican Narrows
before moving down to Denare Beach. We also had
several other members located in other areas of the North, Mr. Speaker.
And while I was thinking of that, I
decided I’d contact an old friend, Jason Pauls, who is the Osler Fire
Department chief. I knew that Jason — or otherwise known as J.P. — I knew J.P.
had been up North because I had seen some of his posts on Facebook. And the
Osler Fire Department is not a large volunteer fire department, Mr. Speaker.
However, besides J.P. going up to Pinehouse and
Beauval to fight these fires, Deputy Chief Harv Braun and Lieutenant Josh Minovitch were in La Loche, and Firefighter Alex Walter
spent some time in Beauval and Weyakwin.
What makes this absolutely remarkable,
Mr. Speaker, is these are volunteer fire departments that . . . Not
only did they send some firefighters up north, Mr. Speaker, but the ones that
were left behind had to put in extra work to cover for those members that were
up north. So we can’t neglect mentioning those firefighters that stayed behind,
Mr. Speaker, and for that we really do appreciate them.
Just a couple of weeks ago, I was able
to join the Minister of Trade and Export Development, as well as several of my
colleagues, at the Global Institute for Food Security, do a tour of the
facilities. Not just of the institute itself, but also the Global Agri-Food
Advancement Partnership, or GAAP, as well as the Saskatchewan Food Industry
Development Centre, or otherwise known as the Food Centre.
These three organizations work hand in
hand along not just the agri-food chain, I would say, but the agri-food
ingredient chain, where they take an idea from somebody in the research
community in agri-food and they move that all the way through the continuum to
the point where it can be manufactured as an ingredient that can be either used
domestically or it can be exported, Mr. Speaker. It’s these types of
investments that we’re making in this province that are often maybe unseen, but
they provide a lot of food security opportunities not just here at home, Mr.
Speaker, but around the world.
And that tour was absolutely amazing.
And if anyone ever gets the chance to see the Global Institute for Food
Security and some of the technology that they operate with, and then meet some
of the individuals that are there developing their programs at GAAP . . .
There’s a gentleman from Argentina who basically relocated to Saskatoon, and
he’s going to be there for a period of a couple of years doing research and
developing food ingredients. It’s absolutely, absolutely amazing, Mr. Speaker.
So, Mr. Speaker, there’s also a lot of
things happening within my ministry. And I know my time is running short here.
But you know, I’d just like to touch on some of the things that we’re doing
within the ministry when it comes to different things happening, whether it be
group home openings, you know, whether it be stakeholder meetings that we’ve
had. I’ve joined a number of colleagues for some stakeholder meetings in their
communities, and there’s just lots of good things happening.
And this is going to sound maybe a
little weird, but earlier tonight I was at Prairieland Park in Saskatoon for
the Elmwood Fall Feast, Mr. Speaker. This is an absolutely wonderful event and
it’s held every year at this time. And this year, the fundraising that they’re
doing is for Fancy Nancy. Fancy Nancy is a new van that will be used to be able
transport clients of Elmwood to work, to recreational activities, to social
gatherings. So this event is actually probably just wrapping up about now, but
they were raising money tonight, and the atmosphere was absolutely incredible.
One of the things with Elmwood . . .
We just finished the past year opening up four new group homes. I cut the
ribbon on the fourth one here not very long ago; there’s two more that the
shovels are in the ground. Mr. Speaker, you have never seen smiles like you
have when their board president, when Bo stood up at the podium tonight and he
thanked the government, the Government of Saskatchewan, for being there with
Elmwood to make sure that individuals that have intellectual and physical
disabilities have an opportunity to be part of the community. And the smiles
from the clients as I was sitting there — talk about a reason to come to work
every day, Mr. Speaker. There was 300 reasons in that room tonight at
Prairieland Park, and it was absolutely amazing. And my congratulations to
Elmwood on another fabulous fundraiser.
Speaking of group homes, Mr. Speaker,
over the past year, we’ve got 10 group homes for people with intellectual
disabilities that are in development in locations around the province: Meadow
Lake, Prince Albert, North Battleford, Saskatoon, Regina, Melfort, Tisdale. We
also have initial planning under way for an additional group home for people
with intellectual disabilities with higher medical needs in Saskatoon, Mr.
Speaker. These are important investments in our disabilities community.
So between 2024 and 2025, nine new group
homes were opened, including one in Creighton that I had the opportunity to
visit earlier this summer, Mr. Speaker. They have a brand new home in
Creighton, and the residents were extremely happy to provide a tour, and it is
an absolutely beautiful, beautiful group home, Mr. Speaker.
We also have a new one in Kerrobert.
We’ve opened five in Regina and two in Saskatoon, Mr. Speaker. Since 2007 the
investments by this government in the disability sector have funded 187 new
group homes and 738 new day program spaces that didn’t exist before. These are
commitments to the people of Saskatchewan that this government has made, and
these are investments that we believe in and we will continue to make, Mr.
Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, there’s a piece of
legislation that’s going to be introduced later this fall, the compassionate
care Act. And I know I’ve had a couple of colleagues speak about it earlier
tonight. I know the member from Yorkton has spoken about it. The member from
Kelvington-Wadena has spoken about it. I’m not going to get too much into it,
but I can tell you this, Mr. Speaker: when we talk about addictions, when we
talk about addictions and the relationship of those addictions to the people we
love, my family is not excluded in that discussion.
I have somebody extremely close to me
who for the last 19 years has been on the streets, has been addicted to
methamphetamine. There is nothing we could do. There is absolutely nothing we
could do, Mr. Speaker. My sister has cried tears for 19 years because there’s
nothing she could do for her son.
Granted they don’t live in Saskatchewan.
They’re next door in Alberta. But I can tell you this, Mr. Speaker: when it was
first announced that we were going to be bringing this legislation forward, she
phoned me because she follows what happens in Saskatchewan. She follows what
her brother is up to. She said, “whatever you do, just make sure you do this.”
Because for every one of her and every one of my nephews that are out there,
there’s going to be hundreds other in Saskatchewan.
So I’ll have more to say about that at a
later time. But I just wanted this Assembly to know when it comes to
addictions, it used to be in another community, it might’ve been in another
province, but you know what? It’s in our own homes now, Mr. Speaker, and it’s
something that we absolutely have to address.
Mr. Speaker, there’s so many good things
and my time is running out, but I do want to correct the record on a couple of
things. When it comes to affordable housing, we’ve heard it over here across
the aisle. Five years ago we had approximately 14,000 units that were occupied
within Saskatchewan Housing Corporation. As of June of this year, that number
has increased to 15,082, Mr. Speaker. That’s 1,082 more households over five
years ago.
We are making progress in this area, Mr.
Speaker. We’re going to continue to make the investments to make sure that more
individuals have a place to call home. That is the commitment that my ministry
is making, this government is making. And we will continue that.
My time is basically up, so with that, I
am going to be supporting the motion made by the member from Weyburn-Bengough,
and I will not be supporting the amendment made by the opposition. Thank you,
Mr. Speaker.
Speaker
Goudy: — Thank you, everyone. It now being
10:30 p.m., this Assembly will adjourn until tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. Thank you.
[The Assembly adjourned at 22:30.]
Published
under the authority of the Hon. Todd Goudy, Speaker
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