In your gallery, Mr. Speaker, before I introduce the guests, we had an amazing opportunity earlier today in the legislature in the Saskatchewan Gallery to mark the 2026 organ and tissue donation campaign event, Mr. Speaker. Joining us for that event we’ve got several individuals who are part of the campaign, and so hopefully all of us and residents in our province will come to know their faces and names and voices if they don’t already.

Joining us we have Kevin Wesaquate, originally from Piapot First Nation, now living in Saskatoon. We have Monica Keet, who works with the Saskatchewan Health Authority in our donor program. And then we have Kyla Thomson from Swift Current. And really, you know, Kyla was here last week. And I won’t get close to my words about Kyla and her family as the member from Saskatoon Stonebridge or my colleague from Swift Current.

But really I’d like to thank all three of these individuals for coming, stepping forward, willing to be a part of this important campaign to encourage ourselves and really all of our family members and constituents to consider becoming an organ and tissue donor in this province.

We have nearly 34,000 people in Saskatchewan on that registry already, Mr. Speaker. But Monica put it so well earlier today how important it is to have even more people join that registry, because even if you join the registry there still is a small percentage of folks that will end up becoming organ donors. And so obviously to increase the access and availability of that, we need more Saskatchewan people to sign up on this registry. It only takes a couple minutes. I would encourage colleagues to go home and speak with their constituents and family members about this. It’s givelifesask.ca.

Mr. Speaker, again I’d like to ask all members to join me in welcoming these three guests and their family members to their legislature here today.

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

Jared Clarke: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To you and through you, it’s an honour to join with the Health minister to welcome Kevin, Monica, and Kyla to their Legislative Assembly. On behalf of the official opposition, I do want to say just thank you for the incredible work that you are doing to advocate for organ and tissue donors in the province, playing such a critical role for people.

Oftentimes, or it can be out of tragedy when the organs and tissues are available to be donated to others. And it’s such an act of generosity for people to take that step and become donors, and so that if there is a tragic passing that those organs and tissues can continue to be vitally important for someone new to benefit from that.

So on behalf of the opposition I’d like to just say again thank you to Kevin, Monica, Kyla for their advocacy on this, and encourage everyone to go to givelifesask.ca and sign up to be an organ donor. So with that, please join me in welcoming these esteemed guests to their Legislative Assembly.

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

Hon. Chris Beaudry: — I’d like to ask leave for an extended introduction.

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

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Hon. Chris Beaudry: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today seated in the west gallery we have some amazing representatives from our oil and gas sector. There are far too many to list by name there, Mr. Speaker, but I’d like to recognize the several organizations and producers we have.

With us today we have EPAC [Explorers and Producers Association of Canada], the explorers and producers of Canada; CAOEC, the Canadian Association of Energy Contractors; the Canadian Propane Association; and Serva; CanGas; Federated Co-op; Maxco; Pembina Pipeline; Whitecap Resources; Alliance Drilling; HeDAC [Helium Developers Association of Canada]; Stampede Drilling; Canamera Coring; Diamond Energy Services; HK Henderson; Precision Drilling; Garrison Strategy; Saturn; Strathcona; Surge; and Teine.

Oil and gas is a key component of our economic engine for our province, attracting investment, employing tens of thousands of people, and contributing significant revenue that funds crucial public services like health care and education. All the amazing representatives here today play a key role in building and growing our province’s world-class energy sector. We appreciate your hard work and dedication and know that it has such a positive impact on the people of our province and communities.

So please, if everyone would join me, I’d like everyone to welcome these individuals to their Legislative Assembly.

And while I’m on my feet, Mr. Speaker, I’d like to invite Cecile Halyk, who is accompanied by her son Nevin and his wife, Royann. Today Cecile was honoured and received the Saskatchewan Volunteer Medal. Now a relative of Cecile’s said this of Cecile, and I quote, “Although she feels undeserving, we can’t think of a more worthy recipient. Volunteering has been a part of almost every day of her life.”

Well I couldn’t agree more with that, Mr. Speaker. What a Saskatchewan story. Now I’d like to ask if all in attendance could join me not only in welcoming, but congratulating Cecile on her accomplishments. And welcome to your Legislative Assembly.

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

Sally Housser: — Wonderful. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’m delighted to join the minister opposite in welcoming all these fantastic leaders in our oil and gas sector. I had an opportunity yesterday to meet with and speak and share conversations with members of EPAC, CAOEC, and the Propane Association, and Serva.

But for all the people that have joined us here today — many for the wonderful Food, Fuel, & Fertilizer conference that I was able to attend this morning and will be going back to this afternoon — just thank you so much for your service to the province, for the leadership you show, and for everything you do to keep Saskatchewan moving forward.

On behalf of the official opposition, I’d like everybody to welcome all these fine oil and gas leaders to this, their legislature.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Lumsden-Morse.

Blaine McLeod: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Now I know it’s not a competition to see who has the most people in the House today, but I think clearly I do. With those seated behind me — I can’t see you but know that I chatted with a few of them earlier — Lumsden High School students, grade 12 students, Mr. Speaker, some of Saskatchewan’s best and brightest. And I know they have a great future here in the province of Saskatchewan.

So the teachers with them today: Paula Dvernichuk, Kelsey Gottfried, and Carey Crossman. And although 53 or more is a lot of ice cream, there will be ice cream after question period and a conversation downstairs with them — and also for their bus driver. There will be ice cream for Wade McAmmond, who is the principal of Lumsden High School. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Last Mountain-Touchwood.

Travis Keisig: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to join with my colleague the MLA [Member of the Legislative Assembly] from Lumsden-Morse and recognize one student. Rayna, could you give a wave. There you go. Rayna is the daughter of Leah Switzer, Mr. Speaker, the executive director of the Saskatchewan Snowmobile Association.

Leah is very well-known by the Minister of Government Relations, the Minister of Crown Investments Corporation. Even the Premier knows Ms. Switzer quite well. So I just wanted Rayna to know, Mr. Speaker, all those weekends that your mom has to go away to work, she truly is working.

So please join me in welcoming Rayna to this, her Legislative Assembly.

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

Hugh Gordon: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s an honour to be on my feet to join the members opposite welcoming all these fine students to their Legislative Assembly.

I’m fortunate and honoured today to welcome a constituent of mine from Saskatoon Silverspring, Rhonda Stang, and her group of nine students that she has brought all the way from Saskatoon to visit their Legislative Assembly. Today they are joined by her husband, Phil Stang; parent chaperones Julie Abernethy — I hope I got that right — Lindsay Cey, and Mark Doerksen.

Kids are in grades from 9 to 11, and I think they’re a home-school group. And this is an opportunity for them to get together as a group and come and visit the legislature, learn about the legislature, and take in all the amazing history and our proceedings here today. And I look so forward to visiting with them after question period. Maybe the member from Lumsden-Morse would have some extra ice cream to share. That would be great. And I’ll hold you to it too. But I would just ask all members of the Assembly to welcome these fine folks, Rhonda and her students, to their Legislative Assembly.

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

Hon. Ken Cheveldayoff: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Indeed it was a special morning this morning. We went over to Government House and we heard speeches from the Lieutenant Governor, from the Premier, from the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, and I know you were there, Mr. Speaker, as well, and we heard about volunteerism. And each of these individuals that I mentioned were volunteers in their own right before they became members of the legislature.

But we heard about 14 outstanding Saskatchewan individuals and a couple of them are here today. And I want to specifically introduce Honorary Colonel Curtis Kimpton. He’s in your gallery, Mr. Speaker. He’s joined by his daughter Sierra and his wife, Candace. And his son could not be here, has an exam tomorrow in school, but couldn’t make it. But is studious like his mom I’m sure.

It’s great to see Curtis here. Curtis is no stranger to this House. He makes a special effort every year in Kinsmen TeleMiracle to make sure all MLAs on both sides of the House are welcome. And Curtis, you know, I could go on and on about his attributes and what he does for the Saskatoon foundation and for Kinsmen and most recently the Vimy Dinner that he chaired and he organized.

So it was a special day for these 14 individuals. They couldn’t all be here, but Curtis is here with his family, and I know Cecile as well. And it’s so great that 2 of the 14 could join, maybe more that I don’t know. But Curtis, to you, I ask all members of the Legislative Assembly to thank you for the work that you do each and every day, to thank your family for sharing you with us, and just very much appreciative of you making your province a better place. Thank you.

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

Matt Love: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to join with the minister opposite in welcoming Curtis and his family. Curtis is a resident of Saskatoon Eastview, and I was very honoured to be there this morning to see Curtis and all the recipients of those volunteer medals recognized for their service to our province. So I invite all members to join me in welcoming Curtis and his family to their Assembly.

And while I’m on my feet, Mr. Speaker, it is my distinct honour, to you and through you, to welcome one of the greatest teams in the history of Canadian university sport: the 2026 U Sports national champions, defending national champions from the University of Saskatchewan women’s Huskies basketball team here today.

I’ll have more to say in a member’s statement coming up later this afternoon, but right now I’d like to just welcome team members Ellie Lieffers from Saskatoon; Anna Maelde from Moose Jaw; Olivia Harm from Stockholm, Sweden; Gabby Kaban from Regina; Logan Reider from Saskatoon; Izzy Jickling from Calgary; Sophie Larsen from Saskatoon; and Jordyn Reding from Saskatoon. They’re joined by coaches Laura Dally, resident of Saskatoon Eastview, and Coach Lisa Thomaidis.

I’ll say very quickly here, Mr. Speaker, Coach Lisa Thomaidis, one of the best basketball coaches — not just in U Sports, I would say in Canada, in the world. She’s represented Canada and Germany at the Olympic Games; track record is second to none in the sport of basketball. We’re so fortunate to have her here today.

They’re also joined by Connor Jay, who does work with the team in creativity and digital marketing; does such a great job promoting the success of the team.

[13:45]

Now, Mr. Speaker, I’d like to extend an invitation to all members of the Assembly to join us after proceedings today in our caucus meeting room, in room 255. I know that all members would like an opportunity to extend their congratulations and to celebrate the success of these incredible women. So everyone’s invited to stop by.

They did bring the Bronze Baby with them, Mr. Speaker. And I hear they’re taking some photos on the steps of the building. So come on by, congratulate these incredible student athletes who have done so much to make our province proud.

Again I’ll have more to say in a member’s statement in here shortly, but at this time I invite all members to join me in welcoming these fine citizens of Saskatchewan, national champions, U of S [University of Saskatchewan] Huskie women’s basketball team.

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

Hon. Ken Cheveldayoff: — Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to join the member opposite in welcoming the USask Huskie women’s team champions, historic champions. I’m going to stand a little to this side so that I can see a few of you up there. I see Sara Daniels and Coach Thomaidis and her team. We are so proud of each and every one of you.

As Minister of Advanced Education, I’m certainly very pleased to have you here. It’s such a great reflection on the University of Saskatchewan and advanced education here in the province. And with back-to-back national titles, you’ve brought tremendous pride to the University of Saskatchewan and showcased Saskatchewan excellence on the national stage. So we are very, very proud. As student athletes, you exemplify what’s possible when academic opportunity and athletic excellence go hand in hand.

So again on behalf of all members of the legislature, I ask all my colleagues to give a rousing round of applause for the historic national champions, the University of Saskatchewan women’s basketball team, Coach Lisa Thomaidis, and all members. Congratulations.

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

Betty Nippi-Albright: — Miigwech, Mr. Speaker. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome two special guests in the west gallery. I want to welcome Rachel Giesbrecht to the legislature. Rachel was my practicum student since January, so she did a lot of work in casework, coming out to community events with me, doing tours, and doing learning events about mental health and addictions.

The other one I want to welcome is Tammy Skilliter. She is my new full-time CA [constituency assistant]. She brings an extensive wealth of knowledge and experience in HR [human resources]. Yeah, she has a business background. She has two businesses. She also has a finance background and is very involved in our First Nation and traditional ceremonies and culture.

So I ask all members to come together and welcome Rachel and Tammy to their legislature.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Dakota-Arm River.

Barret Kropf: — Mr. Speaker, today is truly championship Tuesday. We’ve got some great championship business leaders, the basketball teams, some great students, some advocates that are championing organ donation. And we’ve also got the best CA in all of politics in our midst.

My CA for Dakota-Arm River, Lavonne Lyke, and her husband, Perry, have joined us for the day. And super excited that I get to have lunch with them before Perry heads off to his ranch to get the horses all farriered up. But Lavonne is really the story of the day for all the work that she does to keep me lined up and all the people of Dakota-Arm River moving in the right direction. And so, Lavonne, thank you for all that you do, and welcome to your Legislative Building.

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

Don McBean: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To you and through you, there’s another pair of CA and social work practicum students in the gallery up there. I’ve introduced Paras, my CA, a number of times already, so he said I wasn’t even supposed to say his name. But really today is about Julie Koroluk, who has been our practicum student for the last number of months. It’s the last week, so we thought we better get them down here.

Julie, while she was starting a family, was a care home operator in Warman for quite a while. And as the kids are getting a little more independent, she’s gone back to school, reorienting herself towards the social work. It’s been a real pleasure to have her in the office, all the things that she’s been able to bring in her experience. And so I’d ask everyone to join me in welcoming Julie Koroluk to this, her legislature.

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

Nathaniel Teed: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I request leave for an extended introduction.

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

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Nathaniel Teed: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. To you and through you, I also want to join with the member from Saskatoon Centre and the member from Saskatoon Chief Mistawasis and introduce some folks who’ve been working in my office for the last couple months. I’ve also been really lucky to be able to take in a social work practicum student in my office, and we have just had such an amazing experience with this program.

So I’m going to start with Helayna Bellegarde, who is our social work practicum student. Helayna is from Little Black Bear First Nation near Fort Qu’Appelle. She has a bachelor’s degree in health studies and has always intended on becoming a physiotherapist. But she took a detour or decided to change directions altogether and went into social work to complete a social work degree after coming face to face with some of the policies, the social policies that are affecting everyday people in Saskatchewan.

She is really passionate about the bigger picture, a bigger picture to understand social issues, and the impact of government policies on communities, families, and individuals. And she’s had a really passionate deep dive into labour policy while she was in our office, which I was so appreciative of just to get a better picture on the shadow ministry.

This last week marks the last week of her practicum hours in my office and the official end of her Bachelor of Social Work program, which is really exciting. I know she’s very excited to finish that program and already planning to go back to school to potentially do a master’s degree in the field, so I know we’ll see a lot from Helayna.

Next I wanted to introduce Zoé Grace, who has also been working in my office and working with a number of our Saskatoon region MLAs. Zoé hails from Shaunavon.

And I don’t know if Zoé knows this, but our first meeting came through Zoé’s partner, Darla. I was downstairs; our office is above the Sparrow Coffee shop. And Darla comes up — and we had met a couple times — “Nathaniel . . .” I always refer to myself . . . I guess, “The member from Saskatoon Meewasin: my partner, Zoé, is really interested in politics and really wants to get involved. And can they send a résumé? Can they send an email?” I was like, absolutely. And that’s how we kind of met.

And I’ve really enjoyed getting to know Zoé more. I just see such a strong ability to connect with people. It’s so evident in the way they interact with our co-workers and MLAs. Really passionate about politics, and always keeps me up to date on all things sports-related. So that’s important. Sports, Mr. Speaker.

Lastly, we were talking about the best CA in the province. No stranger to the Legislative Assembly . . . I do believe I do have the best CA. We can debate that in maybe a 75‑minute debate one day, who has the best CA. But no stranger to this Legislative Assembly, I’d love to introduce again Avery Beaudin.

During my budget response speech, I mentioned that Avery is an avid book reader and always is giving me the best recommendations in the romantasy space. And so I’m always getting really good reading options when I need to get into that escapist headspace after a busy day in the legislature.

You know, I feel like Avery and I could sit down, and we’ll have one goal, and then we will like talk for two hours on like 10 different topics. And by the time we’re done, the time has flown, and we’re like, okay, now we need to get a little bit more work done here before the day is over.

Mr. Speaker, it’s just such a honour to introduce these fantastic individuals to their Legislative Assembly. I’d ask all members to join me in welcoming them here today.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Regina South Albert.

Aleana Young: — Thank you so much, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to introduce a young man seated in the east gallery: Logan Weatherald, a strong leader in the community, who grew up here in Regina, attended Luther, I believe, and is now finishing his second year of studies at the University of Saskatchewan taking an Honours in history with a minor in poli-sci, and currently serves as the president of the arts and science student association at the University of Saskatchewan representing 10,000 students.

I’ve been told Logan has a real passion for community service and getting involved. In the summer he’s off to Ottawa, I believe, to work with MP [Member of Parliament] Buckley Belanger in the federal summer leadership program, getting experience working there in Ottawa and then also back here in Regina.

He’s a giant history nerd, Mr. Speaker, but the only person, I’ve been told, who can seamlessly switch from a conversation about Canada’s political history to the latest Blue Jays stats effortlessly.

So with that, I’d like to ask all members to join me in welcoming Logan to this, his Legislative Assembly.

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

Hon. Ken Cheveldayoff: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, for the third time today. But we’ve got some very interesting and great people in the galleries, and I want to join the member opposite in welcoming Logan Weatherald to his Legislative Assembly and to thank him.

Yesterday we had the Saskatchewan student council here, representatives of advanced education institutions across Saskatchewan. And today we heard Mr. Weatherald is the president of the USask arts and science students’ association. So thank you very much for not only being a student and making that contribution to advanced education in the province but also to taking a leadership role with your peers and representing them.

And as I said yesterday, I want to assure you and others that we are listening very closely to what our student leaders have to say. And I think all members agree that we put students first here in Saskatchewan, and both sides of the House can agree to that. Thank you.

PRESENTING PETITIONS

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

Joan Pratchler: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to present a petition about implementing rent control.

The undersigned residents of the province of Saskatchewan would like to bring to your attention the following: that Saskatchewan tenants are currently experiencing the highest level of rent increases in the country; and that without rent control, landlords can implement unchecked rent hikes, making housing increasingly unaffordable and unstable; that the provinces such as British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Prince Edward Island have already implemented rent control measures to protect tenants and to maintain housing affordability.

I’ll read the prayer:

We, in the prayer that reads as follows, respectfully request the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan to call on the Government of Saskatchewan to adopt fair and effective rent control legislation that limits annual rent increases, ensures housing stability, and protects tenants from being priced out of their homes.

Mr. Speaker, this petition has been signed by the residents of Leask and Moose Jaw. I do so present.

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

Erika Ritchie: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to present a petition to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan to build a new hospital in Yorkton.

The undersigned residents of the province of Saskatchewan wish to bring to your attention the following: that the existing hospital in Yorkton opened in 1962; it continues to deteriorate and is no longer able to sustain the growing care needs of the region; that the Sask Party government promised to replace the Yorkton hospital 18 years ago, but there’s been no formal work undertaken to date; that the emergency room experiences overcrowding, maternity patients don’t have access to hot water, and the building systems are breaking down; that this regional hospital has a broad reach, with patients from as far north as Preeceville, as far south as the US [United States] border, and sees patients from Manitoba.

We, in the prayer that reads as follows, respectfully request the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan call on the government to immediately build a new hospital for Yorkton.

This petition is signed by the residents of Yorkton and Melville. I do so present.

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

Jacqueline Roy: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am proud to rise today to present a petition calling on funding for fertility care.

Mr. Speaker, fertility treatments are incredibly, incredibly expensive. People cannot cover these costs up front during an affordability crisis, yet we want our province to grow. The government’s current program doesn’t go far enough. In fact, we’re far, far behind other provinces.

One in six couples are suffering in all of our ridings across the province, and so are individuals. Fertility care is health care.

[14:00]

So with that I will read the prayer:

The undersigned request that the government immediately move to cover the financial burden of fertility care up to and including two rounds of IVF treatments for those Saskatchewan people struggling with infertility.

Mr. Speaker, it is presented by members from Regina. I do so present.

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

Bhajan Brar: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise here today to present a petition calling for the acceleration of construction of the new joint-use school in the Harbour Landing area of Regina.

We, the undersigned residents of the province of Saskatchewan, wish to bring to your attention the following: that Harbour Landing School and St. Kateri Tekakwitha School in Regina were over capacity in their first year of operation; that the building codes and the fire safety regulations may be breached if fewer than 10 per cent of students are absent on any given day; that essential school services like the library have had their size reduced to accommodate temporary classrooms; that all children have the right to a well-rounded education in a safe environment.

We, in the prayer that reads as follows, respectfully request that the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan call on the Government of Saskatchewan to immediately provide the support needed to complete and open the joint-use school in the Harbour Landing area as soon as possible.

This petition has been signed by the residents of Regina, particularly from the Harbour Landing area. I do so present. Thank you.

STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Provincial Secretary.

Saskatchewan Volunteer Medal Recipients

Hon. Jamie Martens: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Established in 1995, the Saskatchewan Volunteer Medal recognizes individuals who have demonstrated exceptional volunteer service to their communities. Every year up to 15 residents are recognized for their dedication to youth, families, veterans, and more.

This morning the Lieutenant Governor and MLAs gathered to honour 14 of these individuals at the Government House with this prestigious award: Craig Bird, Janice Cochrane, Randy Goulden, Vernon Glaicar, Cecile Halyk, James Hawn, Captain John Helms, Karen Howard, Linda Hryniuk, Honorary Colonel Curtis Kimpton, Carol Marwick, Gerry Nelson, Rosemary Overbye, and Dr. Renatta Varma.

Mr. Speaker, these individuals are individuals that have truly left things better than they found them. On behalf of the Government of Saskatchewan, we thank these individuals for their dedication to their province. And I ask all members of the Assembly to join me in congratulating them with this accolade. Thank you.

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

Huskies Women’s Basketball Team Repeats National Championship Win

Matt Love: — Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize an outstanding group of young leaders, role models, student athletes — the two-time defending U Sports National Champion University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s basketball team.

Mr. Speaker, their path to defending the title was one of domination, but it wasn’t without adversity. Entering the Canada West final, the team ran an impressive streak of 51 consecutive victories going back over a year and a half. Now they came out just three points short in that game, but I think the team would agree that it was the wake-up call they needed to hit the national tournament with the focus of champions.

And that is exactly what happened in nationals in Quebec City as the Huskies defeated the New Brunswick Reds in the final game, taking home the Bronze Baby for the fourth time in the last decade. This achievement could not have been possible without the tireless dedication of the team’s athletes, including tournament MVP [most valuable player] Ella Murphy Wiebe, all-star Gage Grassick, and finals leading scorer Logan Reider.

Now, Mr. Speaker, you can’t talk about basketball in Saskatchewan without mentioning the best coach and the best staff in the country. Coach Lisa Thomaidis along with assistants Laura Dally, Ali Fairbrother, Jacqueline Lavallee, and Kabree Howard are the standard for leadership and success across Canada. I invite all members to join me in recognizing the historic achievement of this team, who truly represent the very best of Saskatchewan. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Cut Knife-Turtleford.

Saskatchewan’s Strong Oil and Gas Sector

James Thorsteinson: — Well thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our government firmly believes that a strong oil and gas sector means a strong Saskatchewan. Oil and gas is a key component of the economic engine for our province, attracting investment, employing tens of thousands of people, and contributing significant revenue that funds crucial public services and health care and education.

Last year this sector invested $3.5 billion in exploration and development in Saskatchewan, and produced oil and gas valued at over 11.5 billion. This investment and production creates significant economic opportunities for our residents and supports communities right across the province.

Over the last two years, we’ve introduced both the low productivity and reactivation oil well program and the multi-lateral oil well program. These programs have seen excellent results, with the multi-lat oil well program delivering over 17,000 barrels per day of production. These and our other successful incentive programs are keeping the province on track to hit its growth plan target of reaching 600,000 barrels per day by 2030.

All of the amazing representatives here today play a key role in building our growing province’s world-class energy sector. We appreciate your hard work and dedication and know that it has such a positive impact on the people of our province and our communities. Our government will continue to support this vital sector and will continue to empower those who contribute to our great province. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Installation of New Chief of the Regina Police Service

Nicole Sarauer: — Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate the newly appointed chief of the Regina Police Service, Chief Lorilee Davies. During her distinguished 29‑year career, Lorilee has served in both uniform and investigative divisions and led the charge on developing the Regina Police Service’s Truth and Reconciliation strategy.

Now after serving in the interim role twice, Lorilee has been sworn in as Regina’s 17th chief of police. This January I had the honour of attending Chief Davies’ installation ceremony, with colleagues from both sides of the aisle, hosted by the Regina Board of Police Commissioners. Hundreds gathered at the Conexus Arts Centre to celebrate this powerful milestone.

It was a joy to hear so many of Lorilee’s peers and colleagues speak to her impressive accomplishments and her community-minded values. Her wealth of experience in policing and community leadership and her commitment to community safety will undoubtedly benefit not only the city of Regina but our province at large.

The installation of Chief Lorilee Davies marks a historic achievement for the province of Saskatchewan as she is now officially the first woman to serve as the chief of police in Regina and the first female police chief in the history of Saskatchewan.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that all members join me in congratulating Chief Lorilee Davies and wishing her continued success in her new role.

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

National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Month

Terri Bromm: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. April is National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Month. One organ donor has the potential to save up to eight lives, and one tissue donor can improve the lives of 75 individuals.

Today our government is launching a new province-wide campaign that shares the compelling personal stories of individuals who have joined us today. And I see two with us still remaining.

Kevin Wesaquate is an Indigenous artist who created beautiful paintings to inspire and bring more awareness to his Indigenous community. As a young man Kevin lost his mother, who was on the transplant list.

Kyla Thomson is a medical mom who inspired millions of followers by sharing the health journey of her late daughter, Bella, better known as Bella Brave. Bella underwent a successful bowel transplant, which extended her young life. Tragically, Bella passed away from health complications unrelated to her transplant.

Monica Keet is a donor coordinator and registered nurse with SHA [Saskatchewan Health Authority]. Donor coordinators have responsibility for organizing and leading the donation process, talking to families, finding best matches for the organs, and organizing surgical teams for donation retrieval.

Thank you to Kyla, Monica, and Kevin for sharing your moving stories. Mr. Speaker, I encourage every Saskatchewan resident to talk with their family and register their intention to be an organ and tissue donor by visiting givelifesask.ca. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Effects of Rising Fuel Prices

Trent Wotherspoon: — Saskatchewan people are once again being hit with rising costs they cannot control or afford. In March inflation in our province surged, driven by fuel prices. Global instability, including the conflict between the United States and Iran, has sent gas prices soaring. And when gas prices rise, everything rises. The cost of groceries goes up. The cost of getting to work goes up. The cost of doing business goes up. And the cost of putting a crop in the ground goes up. Families, farms, and businesses feel it immediately.

But here’s the contrast. The federal government has acted, reducing its excise tax by 10 cents per litre to provide relief. Meanwhile this government continues to collect the full provincial fuel tax on every litre sold. At the same time, rising oil prices are generating a significant and unplanned boost to revenues for that government. So while families, farms, and businesses are taking the hit and paying more, this government is taking in more money.

There’s a clear choice here. A corresponding temporary suspension to the provincial gas tax would provide immediate, visible relief to households, farms, and businesses. They’re the ones that are paying the price. They need relief and they deserve nothing less.

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

Canola Crush Facility Opens near Regina

Brad Crassweller: — Mr. Speaker, I’ve got great news for this House. Cargill’s canola crush facility south of Regina is officially open for business. This facility will process 1 million tonnes of canola each year and create over 100 jobs in the area.

This investment speaks to Saskatchewan’s position as a reliable supplier of quality agri-food products and continued growth as a value-added agriculture hub. Cargill Canada’s president, Jeff Vassart, said, “By expanding processing capacity in Saskatchewan, we’re creating more opportunities for farmers while helping ensure Canada remains competitive in rapidly evolving global markets.”

Mr. Speaker, Saskatchewan’s business-friendly tax and incentive structure encourages this kind of investment and growth. In fact this facility utilized the Saskatchewan value-added agriculture incentive, and they can also apply for these tax credits: the manufacturing and processing investment tax credit and the manufacturing and processing profits tax reduction.

Mr. Speaker, this facility will help reach Saskatchewan’s growth plan target of crushing 75 per cent of the canola we produce here in this province. With Cargill’s plant now up and running and Louis Dreyfus opening their crush plant in Yorkton later this year, we will surpass that goal.

I invite all members to join me in thanking Cargill for their investment in value-added agriculture here in our province and congratulating them on this milestone. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker Goudy: — Sorry, I hate to ask this. I’m getting conflicting reports. Is there a school from St. Brieux and Lake Lenore possibly here?

An Hon. Member: — They left.

Speaker Goudy: — They left. Well look at that. I didn’t get my chance. But we’ll move on to question period.

QUESTION PERIOD

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

Suspension of Provincial Fuel Tax

Carla Beck: — Mr. Speaker, the latest numbers from Statistics Canada show that Saskatchewan families are being squeezed harder than almost anywhere else in the country with the highest inflation rates, Mr. Speaker — higher than places like Toronto, like Vancouver, and like Winnipeg.

Now, Mr. Speaker, while costs for groceries and rent are rising faster here than anywhere else in the country, we have a Premier who has stubbornly refused to offer Saskatchewan people any relief. But I’m going to try again, Mr. Speaker.

Will this Premier cut Saskatchewan families a break? Will he cut his gas tax today?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Premier.

Hon. Scott Moe: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And yet our province remains the most affordable province in the nation to live, to buy a house, Mr. Speaker, to raise your family.

Mr. Speaker, there have been initiatives each and every budget year, including the initiatives that we campaigned on in the last provincial election, delivered on in last year’s budget and this most recent budget that was introduced, Mr. Speaker, that ensure that Saskatchewan people are keeping more of their hard-earned money in their very pockets so they can choose what to do, how to support their family with that money by paying less tax, Mr. Speaker. In fact, paying $4,400 less tax than they did in the year 2007, Mr. Speaker. A family of four in this province, the first $6,500 that they earn has no provincial tax charged on any of those earnings, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, each and every budget year, including this most recent budget that was introduced and voted on the floor of this Legislative Assembly, Mr. Speaker, has two and a half billion dollars in affordability measures ensuring that — whether you are a senior, whether you are a family, whether you are a student, Mr. Speaker, whether you are someone that is just entering the workforce in this great province with one of the careers that are available here — that you are saving money, Mr. Speaker, relative to years gone by.

[14:15]

Mr. Speaker, we’re going to continue to take those permanent initiatives in budget year after budget year, ensuring that Saskatchewan remains the most affordable place in Canada to live.

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

Carla Beck: — Mr. Speaker, outside of that Premier and his cabinet, I don’t know anyone who’s talking about how affordable things are here in this province. Here are the facts: costs for Saskatchewan families are rising faster here than anywhere else in the country. Yet we have a Premier who plows ahead with not one but two power rate hikes and a car insurance hike. Mr. Speaker, he keeps the PST [provincial sales tax] on kids’ clothing and on groceries.

And he refuses to cut the fuel tax. Now, Mr. Speaker, we’ve seen the federal government finally step up and offer some relief, 10 cents a litre until Labour Day, a move that is, I’m sure, welcome by people across this province as prices continue to soar due to that conflict in the Middle East. Simple question to the Premier: why won’t he follow suit?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Premier.

Hon. Scott Moe: — Mr. Speaker, we welcome the reduction in gas tax by the federal government, as it will make life more affordable for Saskatchewan residents and for Canadians across this nation, Mr. Speaker. It will coincide with Saskatchewan families having the second-lowest utility bundle, some of the lowest tax measures, the highest place where they begin to pay provincial income tax of any province in the nation, Mr. Speaker. Again, I would say, paying in this province $4,400 less tax than they did in 2007.

And who is saying that life is more affordable in Saskatchewan, for example, would be RBC Economics, Mr. Speaker. They released their report on housing affordability on March the 31st of this year where they say, and I quote, “Buyers enjoy the best ownership affordability among the markets that we track,” which I can only assume are the markets across Canada, Mr. Speaker, a situation that further improved in Q4 [fourth quarter].

Permanent measures put in place, budget year after budget year, totalling two and a half billion dollars this most recent budget, saving Saskatchewan families money, Mr. Speaker, and ensuring that this province remains one of the most affordable places in Canada to live. And it’s also one of the places where you can build a life, build a career, Mr. Speaker, and raise your family.

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

Regulation of Grocery Prices

Carla Beck: — Mr. Speaker, testimony from bankers aside, the cost of gas is pushing Saskatchewan people to the breaking point. And so are those costs at the checkout counter.

Now next door in Manitoba we’ve seen them lead the way in lowering those grocery prices. They’ve introduced legislation to strike down the unfair rules that block competition between grocery stores. And let’s make no mistake, Mr. Speaker. Keeping those unfair rules in place not only drives up the cost of groceries, it can also lead to whole neighbourhoods becoming food deserts without access to grocery stores.

So, Mr. Speaker, does the Premier support the principle of increasing competition and lowering food prices for Saskatchewan people like they’ve done in Manitoba?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Premier.

Hon. Scott Moe: — Mr. Speaker, we spoke last week. We’ve engaged with the federal government on real initiatives that can help control the inflationary price that Saskatchewan families and Canadians are seeing at the grocery store when it comes to online predatory pricing, Mr. Speaker. That engagement is happening, Mr. Speaker.

When it comes to the number of grocery stores that we have, from where I stand right this moment, there are 14 grocery stores within a five-minute drive of where I am standing right this moment, Mr. Speaker.

There are initiatives that we can take to ensure that our province remains more affordable. Permanent initiatives, Mr. Speaker, like this government has taken in each and every budget, including this most recent budget that are lowering taxes for Saskatchewan families; ensuring that our utility bundle is the second-lowest at the current moment, Mr. Speaker, across the nation of Canada; and ensuring that our province remains as affordable as it can and one of the most affordable places in the nation of Canada in a time, a very uncertain time globally, Mr. Speaker, where we are being faced with inflationary pressures.

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

Code of Ethical Conduct of Members

Carla Beck: — Mr. Speaker, the Code of Ethical Conduct that all members of this Assembly agreed to states, and I quote, “We reject political corruption and will refuse to participate in unethical political practices which tend to undermine the democratic traditions of our province and its institutions.”

Mr. Speaker, this is a very important pledge that all members of the official opposition not only agree with but follow in our important work of holding this government to account.

Does the Premier enforce the same standards for members of his cabinet, and what would he do if one of the members of his caucus were found in violation of this important oath?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Premier.

Hon. Scott Moe: — My answer to that would be yes, we most certainly do support that. And we would say that the moral fabric of how we conduct ourselves, Mr. Speaker, as politicians and leaders on either side of the House, on the floor of this Assembly and beyond, is one that we all need to pay attention to, Mr. Speaker.

And we need to ensure that we are not supporting, like the member opposite, the Leader of the Opposition did when those emails were sent out inciting hate against individuals on the floor of this very Assembly, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, so I would ask the Leader of the Opposition, I would ask the Leader of the Opposition for the I don’t know how many a time, Mr. Speaker. Will she denounce those emails that went out, not criticizing policy of the Government of Saskatchewan as per the opposition’s job, but inciting and asking people to hate the very faces of people, fathers, — fathers, Mr. Speaker — husbands, community members that have chosen to put their name forward and serve this province honourably?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Cumberland.

Jordan McPhail: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The code of conduct for MLAs just cited by the Leader of the Official Opposition says, and I quote, “Members of this Assembly must act not only lawfully but also in a manner that will withstand the closest public scrutiny.”

It also states, “Members of the Assembly must not engage in personal conduct that exploits for private reasons their positions or authorities or that would tend to bring discredit to their offices.”

Can the Minister of Advanced Education give this House assurances that in all of his dealings as a minister and as an MLA, he has followed the principles . . .

Speaker Goudy: — So I will again . . . It’s been mentioned before in the Chamber that:

Questions relating to any matter within the administrative competence of the government or on matters related to individual ministerial responsibility may be asked of a Minister of the Crown. Questions on issues not officially connected with the government, of a private nature, related to Board of Internal Economy, caucus, party or political responsibilities are prohibited.

Next question.

Jordan McPhail: — Mr. Speaker, the people have a right to know that their government is ethical, and holding them to account is a fundamental role of this opposition. But there are also important questions that we need to get from this government.

Can the Minister of Justice please explain to this House the legal differences between a split lease and a sublease, and can he explain for the benefit of the Minister of Advanced Education . . .

Speaker Goudy: — From this seat, I don’t see that as a good question. I see that as a question about split lease and lease concerning, as I just read. And so I am going to warn if another question comes up on this aspect, that I will not be . . . Yeah, there will be more extreme consequences.

I recognize the member from Regina Walsh Acres.

Legislation regarding Availability of Emergency Health Care

Jared Clarke: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Now it has been 173 days since I introduced Bill 606 requiring the public health authority to publish information in real time on emergency room closures. And this is information that the Sask Party has had at its fingertips for 173 days.

Now last week I was hopeful when government supported Bill 606 at second reading. But yesterday, Mr. Speaker, the Health minister said he needed more time to review it. It’s really a simple bill, Mr. Speaker. It has four clauses. It’s barely half a page long, but it provides potentially life-saving information. So I’m wondering if it would be helpful if I were to sit down with the Health minister and walk him through the bill so that we can pass it here today.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Health.

Hon. Jeremy Cockrill: — Well thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I indicated in my answers yesterday in the House, our government caucus voted in favour of second reading of Bill 606 last week, Mr. Speaker, largely because we agree with the principle that patients should have access to reliable and accurate and the most up-to-date information possible, Mr. Speaker. Much of what’s in Bill 606 — and yes, Mr. Speaker, I can read and I have read Bill 606 — much of what’s already in that bill is already being operationalized by the Saskatchewan Health Authority, Mr. Speaker.

Unfortunately this is why it’s hard to take the members opposite seriously at times, Mr. Speaker, because to operationalize these policies is not just writing a paragraph in a bill, Mr. Speaker. There’s actually multiple things that need to happen. Again that’s why I indicated yesterday that we’ll continue discussions with the Saskatchewan Health Authority on how we continue to provide that information to patients.

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

Jared Clarke: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Updating a website at 4 p.m. is not giving real-time information about whether emergency rooms are open or closed. It’s been 173 days, and all we are seeing from this Sask Party government is political games. The bill could save lives, Mr. Speaker.

Now yesterday my colleague from Saskatoon Churchill-Wildwood was in Prince Albert talking about what this bill would do for people, giving them critical information. He was in Moose Jaw today doing the same thing. We are hearing from so many people across this province that they want this bill passed. And they want it passed now.

I’m even hearing or I’m seeing on my Facebook page, Mr. Speaker, Sask Party supporters commenting and saying it’s a good idea. And I tell you, they don’t come to my Facebook page to say good things to me. So if the minister won’t support this bill, will someone on that side stand up and vouch for it because their constituents are watching their every move on how they move on this bill?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Health.

Hon. Jeremy Cockrill: — The member opposite, the members opposite ought to know and should know, Mr. Speaker, there’s a process for debating private members’ bills in this House. Again as I indicated, Mr. Speaker, yesterday and then again in my previous answer, Mr. Speaker . . .

[Interjections]

Speaker Goudy: — Order, please. You asked the question. Listen to the answer please.

Hon. Jeremy Cockrill: — Our caucus agrees in principle with much of what’s already in Bill 606, as much of it is being operationalized by the Saskatchewan Health Authority, Mr. Speaker. Discussions are under way with the Ministry of Health and the Saskatchewan Health Authority on how we continue to make more information available to patients, Mr. Speaker.

You know, Mr. Speaker, the members opposite talk about a piece of paper saving lives. You know what does save lives, Mr. Speaker? The most ambitious health human resources action plan in the country. Training more nurses, hiring more nurses, training more doctors, hiring more doctors in this province — that’s what this government’s focused on. That’s what I’m focused on. That’s what’s best for patients.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Saskatoon Churchill-Wildwood.

Keith Jorgenson: — Mr. Speaker, just last night the minister’s super-duper ambitious notification website missed another closure in Turtleford, Saskatchewan. Bill 606 will save lives, and I’m proud to support it, as are everyone on this side of the House. We know of hundreds, hundreds of closures and disruptions to emergency rooms. People in rural Saskatchewan shouldn’t need to play Russian roulette when they’re searching for an open ER [emergency room].

I’ve noticed the Premier has stayed seated while we’ve talked about this bill. Will he rise now and explain to the people of rural Saskatchewan why they are being denied life-saving information about emergency room closures?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Health.

Hon. Jeremy Cockrill: — Mr. Speaker, you know, I think it’s very important that all members of this House bring forward serious ideas, actual plans to make health care better rather . . .

[Interjections]

Speaker Goudy: — Order, please. Seriously, if you get to ask the questions and they’re silent, you need to listen when they’re giving the answers.

Hon. Jeremy Cockrill: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. You know, Mr. Speaker, I’m glad the member opposite brought up Turtleford, Mr. Speaker. It’s in roughly my part of the part of the province. I’ve had the opportunity to meet with some of the leaders of that community and discuss some of the challenges that do exist currently in Turtleford, Mr. Speaker.

It is not helpful, Mr. Speaker, when the member opposite is posting on social media in Turtleford that people are going to die tonight. That isn’t helpful. That doesn’t make health care better, and it’s irresponsible for patients in this province. What we need to stay focused on, Mr. Speaker, is training and hiring more physicians and nurses, Mr. Speaker. That is putting patients first.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Saskatoon Churchill-Wildwood.

Keith Jorgenson: — Mr. Speaker, you know what’s a serious idea? Telling people when their hospitals are open and closed. That’s a serious idea.

[14:30]

You know, the Premier’s own constituents would be safer with the passage of Bill 606. We know for a fact that even the emergency room in Rosthern has been closed repeatedly without warnings. Will the Premier stand and explain to his own constituents why he gets to know information about the emergency rooms being opened and closed before they do?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Health.

Hon. Jeremy Cockrill: — You know, Mr. Speaker, I want to stay focused on solutions that actually make a difference for patients. And you know, I commend, I commend the member opposite for bringing forward a private member’s bill, Mr. Speaker. That is the responsibility of all members in this House, to bring forward pieces of legislation that they believe may make a difference, Mr. Speaker.

But you know, Mr. Speaker, this is why it’s hard to take the members opposite seriously because, Mr. Speaker, you know who staffs emergency rooms? It’s physicians, nurses. It’s health care professionals right across the province, Mr. Speaker. That’s what we’re focused on in terms of recruitment and training more, making changes to the SIPPA [Saskatchewan international physician practice assessment] program that will have a positive impact on the community of Turtleford and many others, Mr. Speaker.

We have a plan. We’re focused on it. We’re going to execute on it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Regina South Albert.

SaskPower Rates and Power Generation

Aleana Young: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. You know, if there’s something the people of this province can’t take seriously, it’s a Premier who stands one day and promises people that their power bills aren’t going to go up, and then very shortly thereafter hikes their bills by $136 million.

Mr. Speaker, he broke his promise. His minister’s plan will double people’s power bills because the costs of his coal plan have tripled. This speaks, Mr. Speaker, to a government that doesn’t understand the affordability crisis facing the people of Saskatchewan, that doesn’t understand the competitiveness concerns of industry here in Saskatchewan, Mr. Speaker. This is a government that’s forgotten that it serves. It’s forgotten who it serves.

Is this what passes for accountability, Mr. Speaker? Broken promises, massive cost overruns, and rate hikes for families, farms, and small businesses?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of CIC [Crown Investments Corporation of Saskatchewan].

Hon. Jeremy Harrison: — Well thank you very much. Today . . . actually last Friday, Mr. Speaker, we saw another example of why nobody can take the NDP [New Democratic Party] seriously when it comes to power rates.

We canvassed last week their plan, announced by the Leader of the Opposition, admitted by the Leader of the Opposition to shut down one-third of our baseload power generation and replace it with LNG [liquefied natural gas], Mr. Speaker, that they would truck in from British Columbia and the United States at grid scale.

We of course know, Mr. Speaker, that this plan is . . .

[Interjections]

Speaker Goudy: — Order, please.

Hon. Jeremy Harrison: — And we learned from the Leader of the Opposition last week, Mr. Speaker, who admitted that their plan is to shut down one-third of our baseload power generation, put 1,400 people out of work, devastate two communities in the process by their doing, Mr. Speaker, and to replace it by trucking in LNG from British Columbia and from the United States, Mr. Speaker.

We heard that from the Leader of the Opposition. They then doubled down, Mr. Speaker. The member for Regina University went to Prince Albert and announced further that LNG is their plan, which is ridiculous.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Regina South Albert.

Aleana Young: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Speaking of trust, I appreciate that answer from the former Government House Leader. But if we want decorum in this House, Mr. Speaker, we also need answers that come close to even kissing reality. People of Saskatchewan, they deserve a government that they can trust. They need to know that what their government says one day will mean the same thing the next day.

Now when the minister was asked last year about the increased budget for the rate review panel, he said, Mr. Speaker, there was no rate increase coming. And now of course, we’re very familiar; Saskatchewan families have been blindsided by not one, but two power bill increases. And last night we learned in committee that the rate review panel’s budget has gone up yet again.

So yes or no, Mr. Speaker, is another rate hike coming for Saskatchewan people?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of CIC.

Hon. Jeremy Harrison: — Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I can tell you I look forward to the three hours of SaskPower estimates tonight. We’re going to have a significant announcement I’m going to be making actually during the estimates, Mr. Speaker, which are going to be very exciting. And we’re going to have hundreds of SaskPower employees who are going to be watching and tuning in; our coal workers included in all of that, who the NDP had planned on putting out of work, Mr. Speaker.

Their power plan which would be a catastrophe for this province, Mr. Speaker, shutting down one-third of our baseload . . .

[Interjections]

Speaker Goudy: — Please, just saying no, no, no. It’s debate. It’s time for debate.

Minister.

Hon. Jeremy Harrison: — Well, Mr. Speaker, their plan, which I look forward to comparing in the committee tonight, would shut down one-third of our baseload power generation, replace it with LNG that they would truck in from British Columbia, Mr. Speaker . . .

[Interjections]

Speaker Goudy: — Member from Saskatoon Meewasin, I’ll please call you to order. I had just . . .

Minister of CIC.

Hon. Jeremy Harrison: — Well thank you, Mr. Speaker. Their plan to shut down one-third of our baseload power generation, put down . . .

[Interjections]

Speaker Goudy: — Member from Saskatoon Meewasin, I’m going to ask you to stand and apologize and withdraw.

Nathaniel Teed: — I withdraw and apologize, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker Goudy: — Minister.

Hon. Jeremy Harrison: — Mr. Speaker, we have a realistic, pragmatic plan that is going to keep communities at work, that is going to continue to produce power, baseload dispatchable power which has enabled record investment into this province.

Mr. Speaker, we saw the most recent example of that from Bell Canada, a $12 billion investment that the opposition have come out hard against, Mr. Speaker. These are the sort of investments that are going to create jobs, create opportunities, and create great futures for people here in this province.

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

Future of Information Services Corporation

Nicole Sarauer: — Nothing but nonsense and bluster from that minister. When the Sask Party sold off ISC [Information Services Corporation of Saskatchewan] more than a decade ago, they made promises to the people of Saskatchewan. They promised the government would keep the golden share. They promised no one would own more than 15 per cent of the shares. And they promised the head office would remain in Saskatchewan.

We know there’s a strategic review. We know that there’s legislation coming soon. Simple question to the minister: will the government keep all the promises they made to the people of Saskatchewan?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of CIC.

Hon. Jeremy Harrison: — Well thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. We had the opportunity last night to canvass some of these questions in committee as well. And as the House is well aware, Mr. Speaker, there is a strategic review initiated by the board of ISC that’s under way right now.

Mr. Speaker, we have not received a recommendation yet from that strategic review, Mr. Speaker, but we have supported the review to be undertaken with the caveats that the head office is going to be protected as a part of the golden share here in Saskatchewan, Mr. Speaker, that jobs will be protected here in Saskatchewan, that there’s going to be a path for further growth, and that our data is going to be secure here in this province as well.

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

Addictions Services and First Responders

Betty Nippi-Albright: — Mr. Speaker, the firefighters of Saskatoon are stretched to their absolute limits. Not because they’re fighting fires, because they’re responding to drug overdoses, more than a dozen a day. They say the demand placed on them is impacting their response times and the care they can offer. They’ve been clear, Mr. Speaker, they want more resources for front-line workers and more funding for mental health and addictions.

Will the minister meet their demands today, or will she continue to overload firefighters in Saskatoon?

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

Hon. Lori Carr: — Well thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, helping people overcome their addiction and supporting recovery to save lives, heal families, and strengthen our communities is a priority of this government, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, we will continue to work with our community-based organizations and all of our front-line care workers to ensure that people get the resources that they need between outreach teams that are out there, Mr. Speaker. What we’re going to focus on when we do that is recovery, Mr. Speaker, ensuring that we are offering individuals a bed or a space so they can get the help that they need to get into a life of recovery, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, there is no safe use of illicit drugs, and getting them the recovery they need is something that we’re going to continue to focus on.

INTRODUCTION OF BILLS

Bill No. 620 — The Restricting Property Controls for Grocery Stores and Supermarkets Act

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

Carla Beck: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move that Bill 620, The Restricting Property Controls for Grocery Stores and Supermarkets Act be now introduced and read a first time.

Speaker Goudy: — It has been moved by the Leader of the Opposition that Bill No. 620, The Restricting Property Controls for Grocery Stores and Supermarkets Act be now introduced and read a first time. Is it the pleasure of the Assembly to adopt the motion?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Speaker Goudy: — Carried.

Deputy Clerk: — First reading of this bill.

Speaker Goudy: — When shall this bill be read a second time?

Carla Beck: — At the next sitting of this Assembly.

Speaker Goudy: — Next sitting.

Bill No. 56 — The King’s Bench Amendment Act, 2026/Loi modificative de 2026 sur la Cour du Banc du Roi

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Justice.

Hon. Tim McLeod: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move that Bill No. 56, The King’s Bench Amendment Act, 2026 be now introduced and read a first time.

Speaker Goudy: — It has been moved by the Minister of Justice that Bill No. 56, The King’s Bench Amendment Act, 2026 be now introduced and read a first time. Is it the pleasure of the Assembly to adopt the motion?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Speaker Goudy: — Carried.

Deputy Clerk: — First reading of this bill.

Speaker Goudy: — When shall this bill be read a second time?

Hon. Tim McLeod: — Next sitting of the Assembly.

Speaker Goudy: — Next sitting. Presenting reports by standing and special committees. Why is the member on his feet?

Jared Clarke: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Notwithstanding Orders of the Day, I seek leave to move the following motion:

That the Assembly immediately proceed to private members’ public bills and . . .

Speaker Goudy: — Sorry, I had announced that we were on presenting reports by special and standing committees.

PRESENTING REPORTS BY STANDING AND SPECIAL COMMITTEES

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Chair of the Standing Committee on Human Services.

Standing Committee on Human Services

Travis Keisig: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am instructed by the Standing Committee on Human Services to report that it has considered certain estimates and to present its second report for the thirtieth legislature, which includes the ’26‑27 estimates and ’25‑26 supplementary estimates no. 2.

I move:

That the second report of the Standing Committee on Human Services for the thirtieth legislature be now concurred in.

Speaker Goudy: — It has been moved by the Chair:

That the second report of the Standing Committee on Human Services for the thirtieth legislature be now concurred in.

Is the Assembly ready for the question?

Some Hon. Members: — Question.

Speaker Goudy: — Is it the pleasure of the Assembly to adopt the motion?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Speaker Goudy: — Carried. Why is the member on his feet?

MOTIONS

Consideration of Bill No. 606 in Committee of the Whole on Bills

Jared Clarke: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Notwithstanding Orders of the Day, I seek leave to move the following motion:

That the Assembly immediately proceed to private members’ public bills and orders, Committee of the Whole on Bills to consider Bill No. 606, The Provincial Health Authority (ER Closure right-to-know) Amendment Act.

Speaker Goudy: — Is leave granted?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Some Hon. Members: — No.

Speaker Goudy: — Leave is not granted.

ORDERS OF THE DAY

GOVERNMENT ORDERS

ADJOURNED DEBATES

SECOND READINGS

Bill No. 43

[The Assembly resumed the adjourned debate on the proposed motion by the Hon. Eric Schmalz that Bill No. 43 — The Municipalities Modernization and Red Tape Reduction Act be now read a second time.]

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

Tajinder Grewal: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m pleased to rise to enter into debate on Bill No. 43, The Municipalities Modernization and Red Tape Reduction Act. This is a very comprehensive bill, Mr. Speaker, and talking about lots of things related to the municipalities. And many members from our side, they already spoke on this. They entered remarks. I would like to enter a few remarks on this bill.

The main remarks I would like to enter that the provincial government should stop downloading responsibilities to the municipalities. I’ll give you a few examples, Mr. Speaker, on that. Our member from the Saskatoon Centre already talked about that. I have talked to many city councillors in Saskatoon. Actually they talked to us that they are struggling with the homelessness in Saskatoon, mental health and addiction issues. All their resources, their firefighters, their ambulances, they are responding to the calls of overdose, calls of mental health, and they’re not focusing on the issues they should matter to.

So basically we all know that homelessness is a serious issue in Saskatoon and Regina and many other towns. And this government is not taking this issue very seriously. It’s interesting to watch that the member from the opposite, they always talk about Manitoba and BC [British Columbia] and they don’t talk about what’s happening in our backyard. So it’s a serious issue and government can help the municipalities by addressing this issue, as we talk about almost every day in this House.

[14:45]

Another issue is the PST on the construction. I went to the SUMA [Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association] convention last week. And one city councillor for Regina, he stood up and asked when the government is going to cut the PST on the construction. And there was a big clap in the whole room. So he’s not the only one to talk this PST on the construction basically. Many, many councillors in big cities and small towns, they’re looking for that this government should cut the PST on the construction.

And with that, Mr. Speaker, I move to adjourn the debate on Bill No. 43. Thank you.

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

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Speaker Goudy: — Carried.

Bill No. 47

[The Assembly resumed the adjourned debate on the proposed motion by the Hon. Tim McLeod that Bill No. 47 — The Response to Illicit Drugs Act be now read a second time.]

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

Betty Nippi-Albright: — Miigwech, Mr. Speaker. I want to enter my remarks into record today because what we are debating here has life-and-death consequences for families across this province.

Mr. Speaker, our communities are grieving. Families are grieving. Front-line workers are grieving. And the people most impacted by this crisis — people who use drugs, people who love them, and people who work every day to keep them alive — are carrying the weight that is immeasurable.

Recently I attended a presentation hosted by Moms Stop the Harm, featuring a registered nurse with 13 years of front-line harm reduction experience and a newly completed master’s degree in drug policy. Their research and clinical experience offered a clear, evidence-based explanation of what is actually driving the deaths we are seeing also in Saskatchewan. This nurse emphasized that what we are facing today is a toxic poison drug supply emergency, Mr. Speaker.

And when a government just misdiagnoses a crisis, they mis-design the response. The substances circulating today are not the substances of a few years ago. Drug alerts are now routine. These alerts identify combinations of opiates, benzodiazepines, tranquilizers, sedatives, and contaminants that no person can anticipate or safely navigate. This volatility, this unpredictability is the primary driver of drug overdose deaths.

Mr. Speaker, this 13‑year harm reduction nurse also highlighted emerging evidence about long-term impacts of surviving a toxic drug poisoning. A recent BC study found that people who experience a toxic drug poisoning are nineteen and a half times more likely to have acquired a hypoxic and anoxic brain injury.

These injuries are caused by the toxicity of the drug supply itself, not by moral failure, not by a lack of willpower, and certainly not by a refusal to seek help. They are caused by oxygen deprivation when breathing slows or stops due to the unpredictable combinations of substances in the supply. And yet, Mr. Speaker, Bill 47 does not address the toxic, unregulated drug supply that is causing these deaths and brain injuries. There is no solution in this bill that would stop the poisoned supply from entering our communities.

Mr. Speaker, before I go further, I think it’s important to clearly outline what Bill 47 actually does. Bill 47 is presented as the illicit drug Act. Its primary focus is on enforcement and cost recovery. It creates new powers for government to pursue the proceeds of crime, seize assets connected to drug trafficking, and recover certain public costs associated with drug-related harms. It expands the ability of government to take civil action against individuals believed to have profited from the sale of illicit substances. It strengthens enforcement tools. It increases penalties and it creates new mechanisms for the province to pursue financial compensation.

But, Mr. Speaker, Bill 47 does not contain any measures that address the toxic, unregulated drug supply itself. There is no provision to stabilize the supply, no mechanism to reduce contamination, no strategy to prevent the drug poisonings, no plan to reduce the volatility of the substances that are killing people. And there’s no solution present in this bill that would stop the drug toxicity supply from entering our communities in the first place.

Bill 47 focuses on what happens after harm has occurred. It focuses on enforcement after someone has been poisoned. It focuses on cost recovery after a life has been lost or permanently changed. But it does not address the conditions that put people at risk. It does not address the drivers of brain injury. It does not address the poisoned supply that is taking lives every single day in Saskatchewan.

Mr. Speaker, I want to speak to this, not only as the shadow minister for Mental Health and Addictions but as someone whose own life, family, and community have been shaped by this crisis. I have lost loved ones, Mr. Speaker — nieces, nephews, relatives — to drug poisonings. I have stood in ceremony with families who carry grief that never ends. I have watched Indigenous communities lose generation after generation with barely a moment to breathe before the next tragedy arrives.

And, Mr. Speaker, last year in March my own granddaughter died from drug toxic poisoning. She was only 23 years old. She did not have the supports she needed growing up. Her grandfather, my brother, loved her deeply and did everything he could to raise her during those first seven years of her life. But he was also a man who struggled with his own health issues and his own dysfunction. He did the best he could with what he had, but he was not well supported either. He couldn’t access the supports he needed. And when he passed away, this little girl was left to grow up far too fast, falling through the cracks of systems that were never built to support her or to catch her.

Her maternal grandmother also did the best she could, even while navigating her own medical issues and limitations. But my granddaughter, she grew up with very few supports. She saw her mother struggle with substance use harms and intimate partner violence. She saw her mother die. She carried trauma that no child should ever have to carry, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, my heart broke when I received the call that she had died in an encampment in Saskatoon. She was one of the first 25 people who overdosed within a 24‑hour period during that first week in March of last year. In fact, Mr. Speaker, when I got that phone call I asked, how many people am I going to know of those 25 people? I knew four of those people. I attended three back-to-back funerals. I could not attend the fourth because the grief and stress were too heavy to carry.

Mr. Speaker, we have lost the only place in Saskatoon, PHR [Prairie Harm Reduction], that was testing drugs for toxicity. The only service that could warn people when the supply became more dangerous. The only service that could save lives by giving people information. And, Mr. Speaker, sadly no one has been held liable for the many toxic-drug-related deaths in this province.

Communities are pleading. They’re pleading for accountability. They want people who sell poisoned drugs that cause overdose and death to be held responsible. And I want to be clear, Mr. Speaker. This crisis is not limited to people living in poverty. It’s not limited to Indigenous people. People with stable incomes, people with education, people with supportive families — they are also impacted. Those individuals are also dying by this drug toxicity.

People in the trades are overdosing. People in executive positions are overdosing. People with careers, homes, vehicles, and retirement plans are overdosing. Drug toxicity, drug poisoning, does not discriminate. The poison supply does not care about your job title, your income bracket, or your social status. It is killing people across every sector of our province, Mr. Speaker.

But poverty, trauma, and lack of supports absolutely shape who is most vulnerable, Mr. Speaker. And I know this because I have lived through my own moment of vulnerability. Mr. Speaker, when I was a young woman — very young, I wasn’t even an adult — I became a widow. My husband died suddenly and tragically. He was the breadwinner. I was still in high school, Mr. Speaker. I was living in a community I married into. I had no income; my husband was the breadwinner. I had no supports from my family because they lived almost three hours away, and I had a two-year-old baby who kept asking me, “Why isn’t my daddy coming home? How come I don’t have a daddy anymore?”

And people, well-intentioned, all told me: Betty, move on. They didn’t understand what it meant to explain the death to a toddler. They didn’t understand that. They didn’t understand the loneliness I was feeling, the fear I was experiencing, the weight of just trying to survive.

And you know what, Mr. Speaker? I didn’t know. I didn’t have the resources or the capacity to reach out at that time. So what I did was I turned to alcohol to numb that pain, to cope. Not because I didn’t love my child, but because I was drowning, and alcohol was — and is — the most socially accepted substance to consume in our society. That’s what’s accepted.

But, Mr. Speaker, right or wrong, it is one substance people can reach for without judgment. And at that time my family, like I said, wasn’t living close to me. I was young; I was alone, overwhelmed and without the supports I needed. And alcohol at that time was the only thing I felt I could reach for in that moment.

But you know what, Mr. Speaker? I was fortunate. Ceremonies saved me. My family saved me — my mom and dad, their teaching, the ceremonies, my siblings. I found healing before the toxic drugs we see today were circulating. And I often think, Mr. Speaker, if these toxic drugs had been around 38 years ago, 40 years ago, I might not be standing here today. Because in that moment of tremendous grief and desperation when I was a young girl, maybe I would have turned to them to cope with my reality at that time.

That is why I speak with urgency and I speak with compassion, because I know how quickly a life can unravel when supports are not there. And today, too many people in Saskatchewan are living with depression, anxiety, trauma, no housing, no income security, no family supports, and no access to medical health care. People are choosing drugs over their families. They are trying to numb . . . I mean, let me rephrase that. People are not choosing drugs over their family; they are trying to numb unbearable realities.

Mr. Speaker, I want to speak clearly and just plainly about what is missing from this debate and what is missing from Bill 47 and the conversations that happen about this bill.

[15:00]

This government isn’t talking about the drivers of brain injury from substance use harms. They’re not talking about the conditions that put people at risk for toxic drug poisonings. And we haven’t been presented with any solution that would stop the toxic, unregulated drug supply that is killing people in every corner of this province.

When people survive a drug toxic poisoning, they are simply not revived, Mr. Speaker. Many are left with permanent, life-altering brain injuries. And yet, Mr. Speaker, we are not discussing why these brain injuries are happening. The primary driver of brain injury in toxic drug poisonings is oxygen deprivation. You know, when you think of the brain injuries, they’re not caused by moral failure. They are not caused by a lack of willpower. They are caused by the toxicity of the supply itself, by a poisoned, unregulated market that no person can safely navigate.

And yet, Mr. Speaker, Bill 47 does not present any solutions to stop the drug supply, the toxic drug supply. It doesn’t address the drivers of brain injury. And it does not address the conditions that put people at risk of poisoning — poverty, trauma, homelessness, violence, untreated mental health challenges, and a lack of accessible supports.

Mr. Speaker, this government is not talking about the fact that people are using drugs to cope with unbearable realities, like I said: grief, anxiety, violence, homelessness, poverty, and the crushing cost of living. People are not choosing drugs over their families. They are trying to numb pain that has gone untreated for years. And until we actually address the drivers of toxic drug poisonings — the poisoned supply, the lack of supports, the structural conditions that put people into risk — we will continue to see people dying by drug overdose. We’ll continue to see people suffering from brain injuries. And we will continue to be burying our people.

I want to raise several practical questions about how enforcement components of this bill will be evaluated for effectiveness. We know many of the individuals selling drugs in our communities, whether they’re selling small amounts or significant amounts, they are still not the people controlling the supply, Mr. Speaker. They are often people navigating addiction, poverty, coercion, or survival. They do not have assets. They do not have wealth. They do not have control over the toxic substances entering this province.

Some sellers, including those handling the largest quantities, will mix or dilute substances to stretch their supply, Mr. Speaker. Not because they’re a mastermind of a drug network, but because they are trying to survive their own addiction to meet the demands placed on them by those above them. These practices increase toxicity, increase unpredictability, and increase the risk of poisoning. But it does not bring us any closer to people who actually control the drug trade.

So I believe it is reasonable to ask, how will this bill reach the individuals who actually control the drug supply? Because the people at the top of these networks, the ones profiting from the poison supply, often do not live in Saskatchewan. They operate across provinces, across borders, and sometimes across countries. So I ask, what interprovincial coordination will occur? Will there be an expansion of drug enforcement units? How will Saskatchewan collaborate with other jurisdictions to identify and disrupt the high-level networks that do not reside here, Mr. Speaker?

And further, how will asset-seized provisions function when the individuals being charged at the street level, even those handling larger quantities, have no assets to seize, Mr. Speaker? If the intention is to target high-level traffickers, then what mechanism exists to trace assets held outside of Saskatchewan or held through intermediaries?

And, Mr. Speaker, I have lots of questions here. But what I do want to say is, there’s been a lot of people that have died. A lot of people that have pleaded with their communities to do something about the drug dealers, including my own family in my own community, and my relatives across the province, First Nation communities. What I want to say, Mr. Speaker, I want to honour the families who’ve lost loved ones and I want to honour the front-line workers who show up every single day to save lives. And I want to honour people, the ones that are using those substances, because they’re suffering. They’re suffering, Mr. Speaker.

As legislators we have a responsibility to respond to the crisis we actually have, not to the crisis we imagine we have. And the crisis we have is a toxic drug poisoning emergency. Bill 47 addresses enforcement, but it does not address the toxic supply. Until we confront that reality, we will continue to lose people we love.

Mr. Speaker, I conclude my remarks and move that Bill 47 be sent to committee. Miigwech.

Speaker Goudy: — The question before the Assembly is a motion by the minister that Bill No. 47, The Response to Illicit Drugs Act be now read a second time. Is it the pleasure of the Assembly to adopt the motion?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Speaker Goudy: — Call in the members.

[The division bells rang from 15:07 until 15:26.]

Speaker Goudy: — The question before the Assembly is a motion by the minister that Bill No. 47, The Response to Illicit Drugs Act be now read a second time. All those in favour of the motion please stand.

[Yeas — 53]

Moe

Gartner

Kaeding

Marit

Cockrill

Reiter

Hindley

Harrison, J.

Cheveldayoff

Schmalz

Jenson

Weger

Keisig

Martens

Wilson

Beaudry

Rowden

Ross

McLeod, T.

Carr

Crassweller

Harrison, D.

Weedmark

Kropf

McLeod, B.

Patterson

Bromm

Hilbert

Chan

Thorsteinson

Kasun

Beck

Ritchie

Burki

Nippi-Albright

Mowat

Wotherspoon

Love

Teed

Clarke

McPhail

Conway

Sarauer

Blakley

Grewal

Jorgenson

Brar

Gordon

Warrington

Pratchler

Senger

Roy

McBean

Speaker Goudy: — All of those opposed to the motion please stand.

[Nays — nil]

Deputy Clerk: — Mr. Speaker, those in favour of the motion, 53; those opposed to the motion, 0.

Speaker Goudy: — I declare the motion carried. To which committee shall this bill be committed?

[15:30]

Deputy Clerk: — Second reading of this bill.

Speaker Goudy: — To which committee shall this bill be committed?

Hon. Tim McLeod: — To the Standing Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs and Justice.

Speaker Goudy: — This bill stands committed to the Standing Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs and Justice.

Bill No. 48

[The Assembly resumed the adjourned debate on the proposed motion by the Hon. Lori Carr that Bill No. 48 — The Compassionate Intervention Act be now read a second time.]

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

Darcy Warrington: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s a pleasure to be on my feet to discuss and bring remarks on Bill No. 48, The Compassionate Intervention Act. I don’t think I can be as eloquent as the member from Saskatoon Churchill-Wildwood, or it’s — fortunately for me — not as deeply personal. The same can be said for my seatmate here and her work as a health care worker, the member from Regina Rochdale. But I will say this: we agree that there’s a drug crisis in this province and it’s out of control, and the government must do more to address it.

We’ve been trying to get a clear picture of barriers to accessing treatment for addictions. It’s very difficult to imagine what a person has to do in the several months that they need to wait for treatment. How are they going to stay alive? I believe that the government needs to answer that question more concretely. We believe that.

We’ve been trying to get a . . . We’re also losing hundreds of people per year to addiction, overdose, drug poisoning. Just over the first couple of weeks of April, up to 150 overdoses, a third of them closest to the proximity of Prairie Harm Reduction. Those folks need support. 120 health care workers unemployed that this province can be utilizing, and we hope that the province has a plan to find a way to better utilize them. We support evidence-based treatment for addictions.

And it’s important to get tough not only on crime but the causes of crime. When I talk with a lot of folks in my community and across the province, they see a lot of benefit in how do we keep people housed, changing SIS [Saskatchewan income support] and how it’s distributed, getting less people off of the streets so that there is less pressures on the social services that people need to access. There’s multiple ways that this government can be addressing that.

And to make time for committee, I’ll leave additional remarks to the critic and move to adjourn debate on Bill 48.

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

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Speaker Goudy: — Carried.

Bill No. 52

[The Assembly resumed the adjourned debate on the proposed motion by the Hon. Alana Ross that Bill No. 52 — The Heritage Property Amendment Act, 2026 be now read a second time.]

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

Erika Ritchie: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s a pleasure to be on my feet to debate Bill No. 52, The Heritage Property Amendment Act, 2026. The Heritage Property Act provides legal protection not only for historic buildings but also for archaeological and paleontological sites, including Indigenous cultural landscapes, burial sites, and fossil resources. And these protections are sometimes less visible but are among the strongest in Canada.

According to the minister’s remarks, the amendments that are contained in this Act introduce a new non-refundable application fee for investigative permits. And this is part of the new heritage resources screening system that was launched last February to streamline heritage regulations for industry and heritage professionals. And while I’m not familiar with the ministry’s new approach, I did want to take a moment to reflect on the role of The Heritage Property Act and its role in protecting archaeological and paleontological resources here in Saskatchewan.

So The Heritage Property Act establishes a comprehensive framework for heritage protection in Saskatchewan. In addition to municipal and provincial heritage designation, the Act automatically protects archaeological and paleontological sites and objects across the province regardless of ownership of formal site designation. So some of those key features include all archaeological and paleontological objects which are deemed Crown property. It also includes excavation, disturbance removal, or alteration. And this requires a provincial permit, which is the subject of these amendments.

It also has enhanced protection for sites of special interest, including Indigenous sacred and burial sites. And protection applies province-wide, including on private land. And I know that that’s sort of been controversial or seen as a bit of a, you know . . . administrative or otherwise a challenge. Particularly for, you know, earthworks projects that require land disturbance that may come across an archaeological site and then the whole project has to be put on pause while the assessment happens. And that costs time and money and can be quite impactful, and so of course, you know, I understand the need for efficiency in these kinds of processes.

But I did want to mention some good examples of archaeological sites that are protected under the Act. Those include the Buffalo Rubbing Stone provincial historic site. This is an Indigenous archaeological and ceremonial site with long-standing Plains Indigenous spiritual and cultural use. And it’s classified as a site of special interest, so alteration or removal is prohibited without authorization.

Well-loved and well-known in Saskatoon, or just outside of Saskatoon, is the Wanuskewin Heritage Park, which some of the members on this side have mentioned in their remarks. Obviously this is a world-class archaeological and cultural landscape with over 6,000 years of continuous Indigenous occupation, including medicine wheels, bison kill sites, and habitation areas. Archaeological features are protected under the Act alongside of Indigenous governance and federal recognition.

And, Mr. Speaker, if you have not visited Wanuskewin yet, I do highly endorse it. I imagine you probably have. There’s so many wonderful cultural events that happen throughout the year, and a couple years ago, they introduced bison onto this site which was really exciting. And it’s always a great pleasure to attend and host events at the heritage park.

The next one I’ll mention is the Big Muddy effigies, also known as the Buffalo and Turtle Effigies. And these are stone effigy archaeological sites with rare and culturally significant Indigenous earthworks. And so the protections that they receive from the Act automatically protect the archaeological sites, and disturbance or excavation is prohibited without permits.

Another one is the Indigenous burial sites and medicine wheels which exist across the province. These are all sites of special interest. They’re significant for their human remains, burial grounds, sacred stone features. And they receive the highest level of protection under the Act, so there are strict controls on access, excavation, and alterations. And I imagine that because of the prevalence of these sites there’s, you know, a high likelihood of encountering them when undertaking earthworks, whether that’s on public or private land, and why there is the need for the protections that we see here under the Act.

And it’s certainly my hope that with the streamlining that has been undertaken and now the fee structure which is being brought in that we’re not seeing any sort of deterrents or disincentive for people to follow the Act, and ensure that they are receiving the appropriate permits that they need in order to protect these vital cultural properties that, you know, benefit all of us here in Saskatchewan.

I do want to take a moment to mention a couple more. There’s also paleontological sites protected under the Act. For instance, the Frenchman Formation fossil beds in southwestern Saskatchewan. These are fossil-bearing geological formations with internationally significant late-Cretaceous dinosaur fossils including the Tyrannosaurus rex. You know, you can think of the T. rex; Scotty out at Maple Creek as you know is sort of the prime example of that. So all of these fossils are Crown property. And so for collection and excavation, permits are required as it should be.

I mentioned Scotty out at the Eastend fossil quarry. This is a controlled paleontological excavation area with major dinosaur fossil discoveries and scientific research, so quarrying and excavation are regulated under the Act and unauthorized removal is illegal.

So these are the kinds of things that we are trying to protect. So as I say this Act, The Heritage Property Act, protects entire landscapes, not only individual artifacts. We have significant Indigenous cultural heritage that receives legal protection when sites are unmarked or intentionally, you know . . . They could also be unobtrusive, but they’re still protected even if they’re not obviously there.

So Saskatchewan fossils are preserved as a public scientific resource, preventing private or commercial exploitation — another key feature. And protection applies regardless of the land tenure, whether it’s public or private, creating consistent province-wide standards.

So as I say, archaeological and paleontological provisions of The Heritage Property Act constitute a critical and often unrecognized part of Saskatchewan’s heritage conservation framework. And through automatic protection, permit controls, and recognition of Indigenous sites of special interest, the Act safeguards irreplaceable cultural and scientific resources for present and future generations.

I know that our critic will have much to say and is doing the good work of engaging with key stakeholders on this bill. And with that, I will move to adjourn debate on Bill No. 52.

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

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Speaker Goudy: — Carried.

Bill No. 54

[The Assembly resumed the adjourned debate on the proposed motion by the Hon. Michael Weger that Bill No. 54 — The Correctional Services Amendment Act, 2026 be now read a second time.]

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

Noor Burki: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s my honour and pleasure to be on my feet to enter into the debate on Bill No. 54, The Correctional Services Amendment Act, 2026.

Mr. Speaker, it’s always good and always improving the workflow of any industry, any work of any organization to make sure we have to do changes from time to time. Because things are changing. Technology is changing. Our well-being has been changing. So it’s always good that we have to make changes with that as well.

But we heard one thing loud and clear — that prevention is better than cure. Corrections centre means where we’re sending our people, they should be impressed, and the people are changing their mind. When they come back to the community, they should be completely clean, washed, and be a good human being to work in community in a very impressive way. So one thing we have to be really focused on that area as well that we are not ignoring that one. Punishment is not the solution.

Mr. Speaker, I’ve been teaching for 15 years in high school and dealing with young people. Young people, when you are punishing them, they will be overreacting. And if you respect them, they will respect you back. In these 15 years, Mr. Speaker, I can proudly say that I never kicked out any student from my class. If they were not coming, you have to do something, somehow, someway.

The place where we’re correcting, sending people for correction, make sure those places should be welcoming and that should be their home. And should be allowed . . . Yes, they will be doing something. Yes, I will be not saying punishment should not be there. There should be punishment, severe. And something that they should like.

Mr. Speaker, I’ve been closely working with Paul Dojack kids centre where I was working very closely with young people. And this is a really unfortunate situation. One of my students, his time was out. He was getting out from the facility, and that was his last day. I told him well, you should be doing good. You are a very intelligent person. You can make your life way better if you go back to your home and do the best thing, that you can make sure that you can make your future.

[15:45]

Mr. Speaker, after two weeks I have seen the same student back into the facility. And I was really surprised to see him back to the facility. I talked to him and he said, well, Mr. Burki, member from Regina Coronation Park, he said that I came back to the facility because it was very hard to stay outside. Here I can have food; I can sleep; I can have friends; and I can watch the TV and I can play games. And sometimes with the students as well, I can go out for playing as well.

So we have to make sure . . . On this side of the House, we talk a lot about affordability. Affordability is the mainstream of all those problems. Crime. My colleague from Saskatoon Centre, she talked a lot about that, and she talked from her heart. We normally feel when you are putting ourself into the shoes of the people, that they are suffering.

As a driver educator, I’ve been to numerous funerals. I see when somebody is losing their child. It’s really a very heavy day for them. The whole family collapses. And that is something that will never come back. In a few schools when I went there to the hallway . . . Kids normally go to the hallway in high school. There’s so much, you know, noise, talking to each other in the hallways. They are rushing back and forth. If they lose one of their friends, one of their schoolmates, the whole hallway will be quiet, a pin-drop silence.

Mr. Speaker, we have to be understanding that affordability is one of the biggest crises. If a person can’t afford to live, pay the rent, where are they going to go? And which company will they be joining? People, when they can’t afford food, what will they be going without buying, Mr. Speaker? And these kind of things pushing people for something, relaxation, they rely on drugs. As the member from Saskatoon Centre, she said, people are not choosing drugs. But you know, they have been in such trouble, real genuine issues in their life, that they are pushed to leaning on that one.

And eventually those things make their life end up to the correction centre. They should not be going in the first place to the correction centre. We have to work as a government to make sure we should have to work on affordability. The crime rate will be lower and intimate partner violence that we’ve been moving on this side and we’re pushing this government. And these are the main areas that we have to look and to make sure that these things should be better strengthened, and the government should have to be putting a lot of efforts into that to make sure we can do that.

Yes, I agree with them. In that bill there is some amendment about that punishment; I can’t say much about that. But I will say we should have to hire some psychologists. And I don’t mind it if somebody, this person come to them and talks to them every day. And you know, things have been changing. It’s very easy to change somebody’s mind by telling them what you will get when you complete your tenure over here, Mr. Speaker, so I’m okay with that.

But there’s nothing more I can add into this in my comments. I will pass on to the person who is the critic of this portfolio. They will have to be contacting the stakeholders to get back their feedback on that. With that, I will be adjourning debate on Bill No. 54, The Correctional Services Amendment Act, 2026. Thank you.

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

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Speaker Goudy: — Carried.

Bill No. 55

[The Assembly resumed the adjourned debate on the proposed motion by the Hon. Jeremy Cockrill that Bill No. 55 — The Medical Profession Amendment Act, 2026 be now read a second time.]

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

Nathaniel Teed: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Honoured to be on my feet here to speak to Bill No. 55, The Medical Profession Amendment Act, 2026. I’m going to be brief, Mr. Speaker. We are very happy to see the government taking action in this space. We wish we had seen this action sooner.

Fraudulent practice of any kind in the health care space isn’t just unethical; it can be dangerous, possibly life-threatening. And it’s our loved ones who are in the crosshairs when we allow fraudulent folks to engage in medical practices that have no basis in science or in health care.

We’ll be taking a closer look at the bill. My colleague already has a meeting set up with stakeholders. And so to facilitate the work of committee, I will adjourn debate on Bill No. 55, The Medical Profession Act, 2026.

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

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

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

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

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

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

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

[The Assembly adjourned at 15:50.]

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

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