Hon. Ken Cheveldayoff: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of myself and a member opposite, we would like to jointly ask for leave to make a statement regarding the National Day of Mourning for workers who were killed, injured, and suffered illness on the job in our province.

Speaker Goudy: — Is leave granted?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

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

COMMEMORATIVE STATEMENTS

National Day of Mourning

Hon. Ken Cheveldayoff: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, colleagues. Today as the Minister of Labour I rise to recognize commemoration of the National Day of Mourning. This is a day to recognize workers who have lost their lives from workplace injury or illness. On behalf of the Government of Saskatchewan, I offer our deepest condolences to the families, friends, colleagues, and communities who are mourning the loss of a loved one due to a workplace fatality.

I ask that my colleagues in the legislature, as well as people throughout Saskatchewan, take a moment to honour the lives lost and that we all work together to take action to prevent workplace injuries and fatalities. Health and safety should always be top priority in everything we do. This is the only way we can ensure that everyone comes home safely at the end of the workday.

In 2025 the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board accepted 27 claims for workplace-related fatalities in the province. Not included in today’s numbers are individuals who lost their lives working on Saskatchewan’s farms and ranches. Mr. Speaker, it is truly sad that families, friends, and colleagues are left to mourn the lives of workers who never returned home after simply going to work.

Everyone grieves loved ones in different ways and we want to be respectful of the families’ wishes, so today we have the consent to read the names of 23 of the 27 individuals who lost their lives to a workplace illness or injury.

I ask that all members please rise while I read the names of the following workers who lost their lives due to workplace injury or illness:

Keith Morrison

John Hicke

Karl Duchscher

Vern Grebinsky

Barry Dyck

Lloyd Ramsey

Kurt Rempel

James Betts

Kurt Holmes

Corey Hertz

Senad Selimanovic

Floyd Helgason

I invite the member opposite to assist in reading the remainder of the names

Nathaniel Teed: —

Alfred Okyere

Christian Burt

Donald Hernberg

Sheldon Popowich

Corey Frank

John Morrow

Nicholas Fouillard

Shawn McCullough

Jackie Wigg

Leon Tucker

Chase Dumville

Hon. Ken Cheveldayoff: — Mr. Speaker, I now ask that we observe a moment of silence to commemorate the Day of Mourning and to honour the lives that have been lost in workplaces throughout our province.

[The Assembly observed a moment of silence.]

Hon. Ken Cheveldayoff: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker Goudy: — Please be seated. Thank you.

ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS

INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS

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

Hon. Ken Cheveldayoff: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to take a moment to invite many of those in our gallery today. We made a special effort this year to reach out to those families, the 23 families that want it to be known that their loved one was lost, that they come to the legislature and have a few minutes with their MLA [Member of the Legislative Assembly] and also see the proceedings today, and know how the heartfelt the sorrow is from each member of our province and how we value their loved one.

And we thank them for taking the time to come to their Legislative Assembly to observe and to realize that their loss is our loss, and we thank them for sharing that individual with the province and as a government. And I know all members agree we will continue to strive to do better. Thank you.

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

Nathaniel Teed: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. To you and through you, it’s an honour to join with the Minister of Labour opposite in welcoming the folks to their Legislative Assembly. It’s really an honour to take part in the ceremony today. And I really want to say to those families — we have 23 families who consented, really proud to hear and see that we have reached out to them, and had as many folks here in the Legislative Assembly — no one should go to work and not come home.

And I know that we are committed alongside the government to continuing to do the work to ensure that we have folks work healthy, happy lives well into retirement, and are always able to return home to their family at the end of the day.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Remote and Rural Health.

Hon. Lori Carr: — Well thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, to you and through you it is my pleasure to introduce Arnold Betzema, who is seated in your gallery. Arnold is here today on behalf of the Energy Safety Canada to take part in the National Day of Mourning.

Mr. Speaker, I’ve gotten to know Arnold throughout the years as a member of our church, Faith Lutheran in Estevan. Arnold has not only served as an elder in our church, but he has served with both passion and faith in that role. As well, he is a community leader. Arnold is also leading up the charge to get tennis back up and running in Estevan, which I’m happy to say he has. He’s now the president of that club and he still remains there, Mr. Speaker.

So I would like to encourage everybody to welcome Arnold to his Legislative Assembly today with me.

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 recognize four individuals seated in your gallery, Mr. Speaker. First, Michele. She’s here with her daughter Kara Blackburn today. Michele is a registered nurse in Prince Albert. She’s also joined by her dad, Darcy. Great name, by the way. Darcy is part of various initiatives in terms of emergency response, various organizations in and around the city of Prince Albert. And Shannon is Kara’s mother-in-law. Shannon is also — she’s just like everyone in their family — very helpful with others. A portion of her role is with corrections, or was. And obviously Kara Blackburn, who is Kurt Holmes’s fiancée.

Before I speak about her, I know that Kurt Holmes’s mother, Rhonda Holmes, really wanted to be here today too. Kurt was my cousin, but I don’t think I can speak to the loss that your family has had to overcome. And Kara is also a registered nurse in the city of Prince Albert. We appreciate you and your family for being here today. And I’ll be reading a member statement regarding my cousin Kurt and your fiancé and your son. So I ask all members to join me in welcoming them to this, their Legislative Assembly.

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

Hon. Alana Ross: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Seated in your gallery is Mrs. Debasree Gupta, a singer with a master’s degree in music. Through her voice, her aim is to transport listeners to vibrant cultures and landscapes that inspire others. Debasree performs across North America and India, sharing her voice to promote cross-cultural exchange. From New York to Canadian Mosaic and our Legislative Assembly, she cherishes opportunities to celebrate multiculturalism through music. She is honoured to be an ambassador for the Indian pavilion at Mosaic 2026 and excited to continue bridging cultures through art.

Debasree is joined by her husband, Shivaji Ghosh, and her daughter Shivanshi Ghosh. Shivanshi is also a traditional Indian dancer. Shivanshi has performed her cultural dances in India, the University of Regina, Mosaic, and many more. Please join me in welcoming Debasree, Shivaji, and Shivanshi to their Legislative Assembly.

While I’m on my feet, Mr. Speaker, I would like to join with the member opposite in welcoming Kara, Michele, Darcy, and Shannon to their Legislative Assembly. And I wish it was under different circumstances. And I also would like to thank Kara and Shannon and Kara for the amazing work that they do for the people of Saskatchewan in their work every day. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Please join me in welcoming this group to their Legislative Assembly.

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

Noor Burki: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To you and through you, I will be joining the ministers for two incredible guests in your gallery, Debasree and her husband. Mr. Speaker, she was my student — I’m very proud of that — but not only a student. She is an incredible artist in our community. And I’ve seen that she’s been a very active voice in communities in so many areas, in so many chapters.

And when I was teaching, her daughter was I think two years old, and now I can see she’s becoming a grown-up girl. So with that, I will request all members to join Debasree and her family to their Legislative Assembly.

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

Hon. Terry Jenson: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Request leave for an extended introduction.

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

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Hon. Terry Jenson: — Well thank you, Mr. Speaker. And to you and through you this afternoon and to all member of the Assembly, I’d like to introduce a group of guests joining us today in the west gallery, from the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community.

Mr. Speaker, with us today are Nairn Gilles, the executive director of the Saskatchewan Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services. Nairn is joined by Wyatt Scott, the executive director of the Canadian Association of the Deaf; Robyn Holmes, the president of the Saskatchewan deaf association; Dr. Joanne Weber, a Canada Research Chair in deaf education and associate professor at the University of Alberta.

And we’re also joined by Gary Malkowski, Mr. Speaker. Gary is an internationally recognized speaker and leader, and he’s also the world’s first deaf parliamentarian, previously representing the riding of York East in the Ontario legislature. He’s also the first deaf parliamentarian in the world to address the legislature in sign language.

[13:45]

Mr. Malkowski also served as the parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and the Minister Responsible for the Disabled, and he was also the parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Education and Training.

Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity to meet with these advocates for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community earlier today to learn more about their work and the progress that we as Canadians and people in Saskatchewan have made to ensure that our society is inclusive to those who have a hearing impairment. We also had the opportunity to discuss some of the barriers that still exist with those who have a hearing impairment and what steps we can take to ensure that they are able to fully participate within our society.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I’d like to invite all members to join me in welcoming these individuals and thank them for their continued work to make Canada and Saskatchewan a more accessible place, and welcome them to the Legislative Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Brittney Senger: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to request leave for an extended introduction.

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

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Brittney Senger: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to join with the Minister of Social Services in recognizing the Saskatchewan Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services who are here today and joined by special guests. They are seated behind me.

And I’d like to start off by introducing Gary Malkowski. Gary is the former MPP [Member of Provincial Parliament] for Toronto York East. He was the ministerial assistant to the Ministry of Education and Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Education.

As well they’re joined by Wyatt Scott, the executive director for the Canadian Association of the Deaf; Joanne Weber, who is the Canadian Research Chair; Robyn Holmes and Nairn Gillies, who I have had the pleasure of having many conversations with and working with since stepping into the role of shadow minister for disabilities.

Robyn is the early childhood and family services worker at the Saskatchewan Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, and Nairn is the executive director. The Saskatchewan Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services offers truly incredible services like sign language classes, child and family services, interpretation events, and so much more. They even taught me some signs, although the only one that has stuck is “vampire.”

I look forward to meeting with everyone who’s joined us from the Saskatchewan Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, as well as their guests, later today to learn more about their work and look for solutions to some of the challenges that they’re facing.

I’d like to invite all members of the Legislative Assembly to join me in welcoming Gary, Wyatt, Joanne, Robyn, and Nairn to the Saskatchewan legislature.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Moosomin-Montmartre.

Kevin Weedmark: — 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.

Kevin Weedmark: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And to you and through you, I’d like to introduce Christalee Froese, who is seated in your gallery this afternoon. Christalee is a constituent of mine from the beautiful community of Montmartre, and she’s also the leader of the More Joy Movement that’s done a lot of great work in the mental health space.

I met Christalee when I was a young editor and she was a journalism intern at The World-Spectator, so that was at least two or three years ago. She did very well in her journalism career, became editor of a daily newspaper. And then she went in a different direction and has become a great advocate for a positive approach to mental health.

And last year I had the honour of representing our government at More Joy Regina. And I think I really worried Christalee because she knows I can talk at length about certain subjects. And when I go to an event like that, I go with a binder with my speaking notes and background notes and questions and answers. And when I walked in and when Christalee saw me with that binder, I think she was worried I was going to give an entire lecture. So I think I just about gave her a heart attack that day.

But I went back again this year and spoke at her amazing event. And this year More Joy Regina, it was like a reunion because there were so many people that I’ve met in the mental health space over the year. There was Ian from Ian’s Christmas Lights. There was the folks from Caring Hearts. So many different people that I’ve met. And Christalee managed to bring all those folks together for that absolutely amazing event.

And I have a few more words to say about Christalee in a member’s statement this afternoon, but for now I’d like to ask all members to join me in welcoming Christalee to this, her Legislative Assembly. Thank you.

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

Nathaniel Teed: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. To you and through you and to all members, it’s an honour to introduce a number of United Food & Commercial Workers representatives and leadership to their Legislative Assembly, seated in the Speaker’s gallery. Today we have representatives and leadership from UFCW [United Food & Commercial Workers] 1400, UFCW Local 248, and UFCW Local 649. We are also represented by leadership from UFC national.

Mr. Speaker, UFCW represents up to 7,700 workers here in Saskatchewan, and 250,000 workers across the province in areas like retail food sector, security, credit unions. We have folks at meat-packing plants as well as FCL [Federated Co-operatives Ltd.], the Federated Co-op Ltd. head offices there, Mr. Speaker. And so it’s a pleasure to have them here today advocating on behalf of workers. I think the through line was, is that we are really here to advocate for vulnerable workers. Pleased to see meetings with both sides.

While I’m on my feet, Mr. Speaker — I will be quick — I’d also like to welcome Dan Bailey from Unifor. He is here from Unifor National.

And while I’m on my feet, I just also want to give a shout-out to Jason Aebig, the CEO [chief executive officer] at the Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce. I hope I’m not jumping anyone here by welcoming him to his Legislative Assembly. I just want to thank him for all the work that he does representing business owners and small-business owners in Saskatoon. Saskatoon is much more vibrant because we have folks like himself at the helm doing important work.

And so, Mr. Speaker, I ask that all members join me in welcoming all of these guests to their Legislative Assembly.

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

Hon. Ken Cheveldayoff: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I 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. Ken Cheveldayoff: — Well thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, colleagues. I’d like to join with the member opposite in welcoming members of UFCW and Unifor to the Legislative Assembly today.

As the member indicated, 250,000 people across Saskatchewan are members of UFCW, and we thank them for all the work that they do. And UFCW Locals 1400 in Saskatchewan, 248 and 649 — again, as the member indicated — represent some 7,700 people in our province working to make workplaces safer and contributing in areas like grocery and manufacturing, food processing, security, credit unions, for example.

Mr. Speaker, I have the opportunity to meet with this group later this afternoon to discuss their views on a number of important topics. I look forward to that.

And again to Mr. Bailey and his work at Unifor, thank you for the work that you do, and thank you for visiting our province. And I know many members of the chamber of commerce are here in the legislative galleries here today, including Jason Aebig, and I thank you for all the work that you.

And if I just digress for a second. One thing that I want to do as Minister of Labour is bring together the labour groups, the chamber of commerce groups, and we’re re-establishing a minister’s advisory council to get everybody in the same room and to do that work.

And so, Mr. Speaker, with that I ask all members of the Legislative Assembly to welcome these guests to the Legislative Assembly. Thank you.

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

Betty Nippi-Albright: — Miigwech, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to join my colleague on this side who welcomed the members from the UFCW. I want to give a special shout-out to Kayden, Jerry, Kayla, and Lily from UFCW.

We met this morning to talk about the issues that their workers face in the workplace, because they are working in grocery stores, and the seriousness of mental health. We talked about mental health, the need for mental health supports and services for their workers and the people that they serve, because we know that we need to have good mental health.

And it was wonderful for you guys to reach out to me to chat about mental health and workplace safety. And I just want to say on our side, we want to thank you for the work that you continue to do under the circumstances that you are working.

So with that, I ask all members to join me in thanking and welcome Kayden, Jerry, Kayla, and Lily to their Legislative Assembly.

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

Travis Keisig: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To you and through you, I know, Mr. Speaker, you know that one of my favourite things to do is the pop-in. I pop in at neighbours. I pop in at friends. I pop in at constituents. It’s one of the highlights of something I’ve always enjoyed doing.

Well today, Mr. Speaker, I had constituents pop in at my work here. So I want to introduce Dave McLean — just give a wave, Dave — Anna, Kaitlyn, Ethan, Hudson, Ronin, Brooklyn, and Lincoln. It was really great that they could join me today, Mr. Speaker. We had a great tour and an opportunity to visit, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. And I hope they found it rewarding as well.

So please join me in . . . Oh, one other thing, Mr. Speaker. Dave was a born and raised Albertan but came to Saskatchewan for so many opportunities that this province has. So we welcome former Albertans with open arms in Saskatchewan, Mr. Speaker. One of my favourite things to do. So please join me, Mr. Speaker, in welcoming this family to this, their Legislative Assembly.

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

Nicole Sarauer: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To you and through you, it’s my absolute pleasure today to introduce to you 133 grade 12 students from Miller Comprehensive high school. I think that’s now the record, Mr. Speaker. As you can probably understand, they are seated in both galleries today.

We’re very excited to have them here this afternoon. They’re accompanied by their teachers Sharlene Holliday, Tayler Kosloski, Mariah Mazur, and Michael Wolf. Looking forward to having the opportunity to answer some questions of theirs after question period.

If I get pulled into House business, which often happens after question period, my good colleague the member from Regina Wascana Plains has offered to also take your questions in my absence. Although Miller is located in Regina Douglas Park, a lot of the students live in Regina University and Regina Wascana Plains as well, Mr. Speaker.

I hope that they have a very wonderful and informative afternoon at the legislature. And I ask all members to join me in welcoming them to their legislative gallery.

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

Hon. Chris Beaudry: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To you and through you, I’d like to introduce someone else who popped in today, and that is the president of the Saskatchewan Mining Association, Pam Schwann. I’d like to also thank her for her tireless work that she does in advocating for our mining sector in Saskatchewan. I don’t think there’s a better person who could fill this role, Mr. Speaker. I’d also like to ask all members to welcome Pam to her Legislative Assembly.

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

Sally Housser: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’m delighted to join the minister in welcoming Pam Schwann to her legislature. Just a few days ago, or I guess a week ago, I got to participate in the mining supply chain conference in Saskatoon with 3,000 people that attended. I believe their trade booths sold almost immediately.

The pace that Pam and her team keep to keep promoting the mining sector, both internationally and across Canada, is really quite incredible. We have Mining Week coming up in just one short month from now, which I know many of us will be participating in. But delighted to welcome Pam again to her legislature.

And while I’m on my feet, welcome to all the members of the chamber of commerce, various chambers of commerce, including some former fellow board members from the Regina chamber here. Hope you enjoy the proceedings today, and welcome to your legislature. Thanks.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Premier.

Hon. Scott Moe: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I would join with so many members on the floor of the Assembly with a very warm welcome on behalf of the government and a hearty welcome from all the folks on the floor of this Assembly to Pam. And congratulations on a successful mining forum.

To those chamber members that are here, congratulations to the Saskatchewan chamber on what was a very successful food, fuel, and fertilizer forum here in Regina. Thank you. And welcome to those with UFCW, with Unifor that have joined us here today.

[14:00]

To 111, which has to be a record for the number of students that an MLA has had the opportunity to introduce. That’s a lot of ice cream. Mr. Speaker, we want to welcome each and every one of those grade 12 students and wish them all the best as we find our way to spring, graduation, and all that life has to offer them.

To the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, which I’ve gotten an opportunity to know and meet a number of folks from that community, both through the official services but also through other members in the area of the province where I live as well, Mr. Speaker.

I want to make a very special note. Maybe I should have asked for leave, Mr. Speaker. I want to make a very special note to all the families that have lost a loved one in their line of work, Mr. Speaker. Also to the member from Stonebridge as well, who lost his cousin, Mr. Speaker.

There’s more work to do in this space by the government and by each of us as individuals across this province in what we do each and every day at work, at home. Life is very precious. And when a loved one is gone, Mr. Speaker, this is a small way for us on the floor of this Assembly to honour those individuals and to honour their families, is to have this day of mourning here today.

Mr. Speaker, I also would like to introduce five individuals in the east gallery that have joined us. There are five university individuals, youth individuals of the province, Mr. Speaker, that are part of the Saskatchewan Party Youth representatives club at the University of Regina campus. These young and women have been doing a fantastic job of bringing forward young voices, not within just our party but within the community as well. And so we have with us and joining us today, Mr. Speaker, are Layne Johnson, Linoy Glozman, Jonathan Cwynar, Matteo Presutti, and Brandon Syrota.

And I would just start by saying that Layne Johnson, Lane is the president of our youth club at the campus. He was born in Moose Jaw and is studying education at the university, Mr. Speaker. He joined the youth to help bring our party’s message to the next generation, to the youth in our communities, Mr. Speaker, and network with other like-minded individuals on political policy.

Linoy is the VP [vice-president] of communications for our campus club, Mr. Speaker. She was born in Israel and moved to Canada in 2012, and is currently studying economics. And again enjoys to discuss various topics, Mr. Speaker, with many individuals across the campus community.

Jonathan is our VP of memberships and is currently studying politics and philosophy and economics at the university, Mr. Speaker. And he also wants to get more involved in provincial politics, and we encourage him to do so.

Matteo, Mr. Speaker, is the VP of events — that’s the funnest job on any board, is to be the vice-president of events — from Regina, and is currently again studying political science, Mr. Speaker. And he’s enjoyed taking part in many political and campus events that are available and meeting people to discuss various policy initiatives, and has a keen interest in public service and learning more about what we do in government, Mr. Speaker, and what his generation will certainly do at one point in time in government and policy.

Brandon is a member at large and he grew up on a farm just outside of Balgonie, where he developed a strong work ethic and a deep appreciation for rural life, which is very closely connected either a generation or two for many people in this province, Mr. Speaker. He is currently studying business administration while building a career in the marine and recreation industry, Mr. Speaker.

I’m inspired every day to see many young leaders across this province that are rising up to meet the challenges of tomorrow. And it is an ever-changing and uncertain world that we live in today. It’s a breath of fresh air to see young individuals getting involved, Mr. Speaker, in what the future of their province is going to look like. So I look forward to meeting these five after question period to discuss, you know, policy initiatives and ways that we can work together to make our Saskatchewan communities better, our province stronger, and ultimately contribute to a great nation, Mr. Speaker.

So I ask all members to join me in welcoming everyone, including these five members, to their Legislative Assembly today.

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

Kim Breckner: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First of all I’d like to echo the Premier’s remarks towards these young people of the Sask Party Youth. I commend them for being involved in politics as youth. Regardless of what side of the aisle they favour, I think it’s important that young people be politically engaged. It’s important for the future of this province.

I would like to welcome . . . I see members from the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce, the Chair, Khurrum Awan, here. And the Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce, I see the CEO, Jason Aebig, here and other members. So welcome to you both and your membership, and thank you for the work you do representing the business community in Saskatoon and Saskatchewan.

With that I’d ask all members to join me in welcoming these individuals.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Athabasca.

Leroy Laliberte: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To you and through you, I just want to introduce a good friend of mine that’s seated in your gallery. His name’s Patrick Dinsdale. He’s not only a friend but he’s my brother. We grew up together up in Beauval. Mr. Speaker, he’s a hunter. He can fish — not very good — but a phenomenal singer. And I tell you, he’s quite the driver also. You’d never be late for a meeting with this guy. He knows every back road and bush road in the province of Saskatchewan.

And it’s nice to see him here today, Mr. Speaker. Pat also stood at my wedding, was my best man. I celebrated my 20th wedding anniversary last week.

[Applause]

Leroy Laliberte: — Thank you. And he’s also godfather for my oldest. So it’s nice to have Pat here and acknowledge him here in the Assembly. So I ask all members to please make welcome to Patrick to his Assembly. Thank you.

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

Jared Clarke: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Briefly I just want to introduce a good friend of mine seated in the east gallery up at the top there, Mr. Adam Crosby. Adam and I met each other in university, and we have spent many hours together across Saskatchewan banding birds, researching on various research projects. And this is an individual who has made significant contributions to conservation in our province towards research.

He’s also a big volunteer in his community, currently lives in Indian Head, and is part of the Ducks Unlimited dinner. He’s part of the Indian Head Wildlife Federation fundraising dinner committee and a number of other organizations. But I want to just spend a moment to talk about his work in the boreal pasture and ecology and connectivity project.

So this is a quick lesson for all my colleagues on the floor here today. The Motus tower program in Saskatchewan, or in North America and the world, is a series of antenna towers that are set out across the world. And as a bird or an insect that has been attached with a little tag goes past that tower, it pings at the tower. And that bird’s identification tag is identified and logged at that tower. So you can actually track in real time migration of these birds or insects like dragonflies, monarch butterflies. Adam’s been a part of this project for a number of years now.

And I just want to speak to one bird real quickly to show how incredible this work is. They spent some time last summer in Cold Lake, Alberta, Meadow Lake area catching a Connecticut warbler — little guy. This bird was then pinged on one of those towers just outside of London. Two hours later it was pinged 45 kilometres away. Then it was picked up in New Jersey, and then flew . . . In about nine days, it was pinged in Venezuela — Caracas, Venezuela.

So incredible work that’s being done to better understand the animals and wildlife that we exist on this planet with. So I’d ask all members to thank my good friend Adam Crosby for the amazing work and contributions he’s made to conservation in this province.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Regina Wascana Plains.

Brent Blakley: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I didn’t want the introductions to go without missing somebody I know up in the gallery. Collin Pullar is with Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association. And I’d like to thank him for the work that his association does in keeping workers around Saskatchewan safe on the construction site. We go back a little ways where I used to coach his son in high school football. So I welcome Collin and thank him for the work that he does around Saskatchewan. Thank you.

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

Noor Burki: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To you, through you, I will be introducing one of our community leaders, Khurrum Awan, corporate lawyer. He’s doing an incredible job in our communities at every front. When communities need any support in any way, in any direction, he’s always coming front with his thoughtful suggestions and guidelines. So I will request all members to join with me to welcome him to his Legislative Assembly.

Speaker Goudy: — And I would just say quick, I don’t think I’ve met Brynn Belof. Is she here today? Hate to single out of the hundred-plus students up there, but I was going to have coffee with your dad today. But since you were coming, he wanted to make this your day. So hope you enjoy it, and welcome to your Legislative Assembly.

PRESENTING PETITIONS

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

Keith Jorgenson: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It’s my pleasure to rise to present a petition to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan on the hospital service disruption map. Mr. Speaker, this petition has been signed on behalf of the entire RM [rural municipality] council of McCraney. I repeat, the entire RM council has signed this petition.

We, the undersigned residents of province of Saskatchewan, wish to bring to your attention the following: that Saskatchewan hospitals are experiencing hundreds of disruptions in services, affecting patient care and putting people’s lives at risk; that the residents of Saskatchewan deserve to know what care is available and when it is available in their community in real time, such as emergency wait rooms; and that the municipalities should not be responsible for maintaining provincial responsibilities like reporting health care closures; and that the SHA [Saskatchewan Health Authority] currently has a service disruption map and a comprehensive list of services available but does not allow the public to access this information.

We, in the prayer that reads as follows, respectfully request that the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan call on the Government of Saskatchewan to immediately make public a full list and map of existing service disruptions.

I do so present, Mr. Speaker.

STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

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

2026 Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame Inductees

James Thorsteinson: — Well thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am honoured to rise today to recognize six exceptional leaders who were recently inducted into the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame. This occasion is a meaningful moment for our province as we celebrate individuals whose contributions embody the strength and character of Saskatchewan agriculture. This year’s inductees are Terry Baker, Norbert Beaujot, Joe Kleinsasser, Mary McKay Lindsay, Mark Pickard, and Cecil Werner.

Each inductee has demonstrated leadership and service through their innovation, their commitment to advancing agricultural practices, and their dedication to strengthening our value-added sector. They have all left a lasting and measurable impact on our province. Their achievements have shaped Saskatchewan’s agricultural landscape in ways that will continue to influence future generations. They remind us of the resilience, ingenuity, and determination that define our producers and our rural communities.

Mr. Speaker, today is not only a celebration; it’s also an expression of sincere gratitude. We’re thankful for the vision and hard work these leaders invested in their communities and in our province. Saskatchewan is stronger and more prosperous because of their efforts. To the inductees and their families, thank you. Thank you for your leadership, your innovation, and your unwavering commitment to the industry that sustains our province and the world. Thank you.

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

Remembering Mike McCoy

Nathaniel Teed: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to honour the life and legacy of Mike McCoy, a proud queer Métis leader whose passing is a profound loss to Saskatoon and the queer and trans community across Saskatchewan.

Mike was a pioneer. As a founding member of the Zodiac Friendship Society, Saskatoon’s first organized queer social club, he helped build community at a time when doing so required extraordinary courage.

He went on to help found the Gay & Lesbian Health Services, now OutSaskatoon, and served on the boards of the Persons Living With AIDS Network and AIDS Saskatoon during the height of the HIV/AIDS [human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome] crisis, when compassion and leadership were urgently needed.

Mike’s life was marked by resilience: he spoke openly about overcoming discrimination, violence, and mental health struggles, and credited the love of his husband Brian for helping him find strength and stability.

He remained committed to community throughout his life, supporting young activists, preserving queer history through initiatives like Spark Your Pride, and serving Saskatoon Pride, including four years as their Co-Chair. In 2025 he was honoured as a Pride grand marshal, a fitting tribute to a life of service.

[14:15]

Above all, Mike believed in kindness, connection, and collective strength. His legacy lives on in every space he helped create and every life he touched. I ask all members to join me in celebrating the life of Mike McCoy.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Moosomin-Montmartre.

More Joy Movement Supports Well-Being

Kevin Weedmark: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I want to recognize Christalee Froese of Montmartre and the truly remarkable More Joy Movement that she founded. After touring across the province with her 2018 book Journey to Joy, Christalee became profoundly aware of how many Saskatchewan residents struggle with mental health. Her response was to act, and act she did.

In 2019 she launched the More Joy Movement, hosting a sold-out event at Conexus Arts Centre on Bell Let’s Talk Day. That event has become a beloved annual tradition with total attendance now surpassing 2,500 people. I’ve had the privilege of attending the More Joy Regina event twice, and I can personally attest to the incredible energy, compassion, and genuine hope that fills that room each year.

And beyond that annual event, Christalee has built a lasting and wide-reaching movement. She hosts weekly mental health conversations through her Let’s Talk Tuesday videos. She has supported over 120 women through retreats and has raised $50,000 to fund counselling for people who might otherwise go without support.

She’s also brought meaningful mental health programming to Sask Polytech students, helping young people develop real coping skills. And she recently released her second book, Permission Granted.

Mr. Speaker, Christalee’s work shifts the conversation from mental illness to joyful well-being, and Saskatchewan is better for it. I invite all members to join with me in thanking Christalee for bringing more joy to Saskatchewan. Thank you.

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

Remembering Kurt Holmes

Darcy Warrington: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Kurt Holmes grew up on a farm south of Marengo, Saskatchewan. His passion for sports, especially hockey, was supported by his brothers Kyle and Kendall and his best friends Ed Anderson and Kyle Gronning. They were the frequent flyers and even the protectors of the cherished outdoor rink in Marengo. After graduating in 2002, Kurt spent much of the next two decades as a resident of Saskatoon Stonebridge and North Battleford, employed as a power engineer in various capacities.

Kurt’s lifelong love for his sister Karly was so admirable to us all. Karly, who lives with multiple disabilities and survived a brain tumour as a toddler, was Kurt’s inspiration to recognize the daily challenges people like his sister fought hard to adapt to, to live their best life despite barriers. As a result, organizations like Special Olympics and TeleMiracle have always been near and dear to Kurt’s and the Holmes family’s hearts. And it should be noted that Kurt’s estate generously donated $20,000 at this year’s TeleMiracle.

But the greatest loves of Kurt’s life were certainly his fiancée, Kara, and stepdaughter Ella. He was so happy to build a life with them in Prince Albert. Kurt made Kara and Ella feel safe, calm, and above all else, loved. Ella called him their big, strong man, and she still sleeps with his shirt every night.

On October 2nd, 2024, Kurt was killed in a workplace accident. And on this day of mourning, we remember victims of workplace tragedies and work towards ensuring health and safety remain a focus for those on the job. We miss you, Kurt. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Carrot River Business Owner Gives Back to Saskatchewan

Terri Bromm: — Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize a business owner from my constituency. Kyle Goossen, owner of The Outback Butcher, is well known for providing quality products throughout Saskatchewan. What began in 2020 as a meat processing plant has expanded with a recently opened store on Main Street in Carrot River, which is a popular stop for both residents and visitors.

Kyle is known for his generosity, supporting not only the community of Carrot River but those less fortunate in our province. His local support of 4‑H, the Carrot River fire department, and the Carrot River Outdoors Club are just to name a few.

During the summer of 2025 when forest fires ravaged the province, Kyle brought meat sticks to Prince Albert to be sent north to hand out to hard-working firefighters. Recently the Nipawin Oasis centre was donated with 150 pounds of sausage from The Outback Butcher to help feed people in need. After the Christmas Day fire at the Salvation Army in Prince Albert, Kyle, in conjunction with the Conservation Officer Service, worked on a project to provide 326 pounds of ground elk meat to feed hundreds of residents who rely on the Salvation Army’s food program.

Mr. Speaker, small-town businesses like The Outback Butcher are what make Saskatchewan special. Looking out for one another, helping when we can, is what makes this province great. I ask all members to join with me in acknowledging Kyle, his wife Shelly, and his staff on a job well done.

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

Provincial Sales Tax Affects Affordability

Brittney Senger: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over the past number of weeks, we’ve heard the government stand in this House and claim $4.5 billion in affordability measures, and that families in Saskatchewan are somehow better off. Let’s be clear about the reality. In 2017 this government didn’t just raise PST [provincial sales tax] from 5 per cent to 6 per cent. They expanded that tax onto essentials like children’s clothing, restaurant meals, insurance premiums, construction labour, and more.

These numbers are staggering. According to the government’s own revenue estimates in 2017‑2018, those changes now generate over $1.5 billion in tax revenue from Saskatchewan people, including nearly 600 million from construction labour, over 270 million from insurance premiums, and more than 160 million from restaurants meals and snacks.

Mr. Speaker, that’s not improving affordability; it’s creating affordability problems. So when this government talks about giving money back, families should ask, how much are they still taking? Sure, they’re returning a few dollars to you this year through some tax deduction, but it pales in comparison to the taxes they have imposed. You cannot take over $1.5 billion from people and claim you’re making life more affordable.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Estevan-Big Muddy.

Effect of Power Generation Plan on Workers

Hon. Lori Carr: — Mr. Speaker, this week workers in southern Saskatchewan sent a clear message about the NDP’s [New Democratic Party] so-called Grid and Growth Plan. And spoiler alert: it wasn’t supportive. Members of IBEW [International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers] 2067, the very people who power our province, are openly questioning a plan that risks their jobs, their communities, and their future. Their message is simple: come to Estevan and Coronach and explain how this plan replaces what it shuts down.

Ken Hoste, assistant business manager of IBEW 2067 said, and I quote:

There’s been a lot of communication about this plan, but the people they’re not communicating with about their new plan are the people in Estevan and Coronach that actually have some skin in this game with this. To us this is very real. This is people who, if this plan came to fruition, are probably losing their livelihoods.

That’s the problem, Mr. Speaker. The NDP talks about transition but offers no credible path for the families who depend on these jobs, no certainty for the workers, and no real plan to keep the lights on affordably.

We will continue to stand with our workers, protect reliable power, protect their livelihoods, and ensure decisions are grounded in energy security, reliability, affordability, and reality — not ideology. On behalf of our government, I want to say thank you to the folks down in Estevan and Coronach and the good people of IBEW 2067 for all of the work that they do, Mr. Speaker.

QUESTION PERIOD

Speaker Goudy: — Well I’d like to welcome all of the students to their Chamber once again to witness question period.

I recognize the Opposition House Leader.

Regulation of Grocery Prices

Nicole Sarauer: — Mr. Speaker, Saskatchewan people are struggling to keep up with the rising cost of living. The cost of gas is up, yet the Premier refuses to cut the gas tax. The cost of food is up, yet the Premier refuses to cut the PST on the food families buy in grocery stores. And he refuses to pass our bill to ban unfair pricing.

Why won’t the Premier act? Why won’t he ban unfair AI [artificial intelligence] price gouging today?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Premier.

Hon. Scott Moe: — Mr. Speaker, we’ve answered this question a number of times on the floor. We’ll answer it again today, Mr. Speaker. We are, through the minister and the Ministry of Justice, through the Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority engaging with the Competition Bureau federally, Mr. Speaker.

We feel this action needs to be federal in nature, Mr. Speaker, to benefit all Canadians and to actually be enforceable across the nation of Canada. Enforceability is a significant question if one province is to attempt to move in this place, Mr. Speaker.

And so we’re working with the federal government, as I say, through these organizations to make a true difference across this nation because the issue raised, Mr. Speaker, with respect to the pricing online — in particular for groceries but also for other items, Mr. Speaker — is very real. And I believe it needs to be addressed and addressed across the nation of Canada, and that’s what we’re working to do.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Opposition House Leader.

Nicole Sarauer: — Mr. Speaker, we’re joined today by members of the UFCW Local 1400. Their members work in grocery stores all across this province, and they know that the big grocery companies are using AI pricing to rip people off.

That is what UFCW 1400 President Lucy Figueiredo has to say:

UFCW members are on the front lines of this affordability crisis, and they know every dollar matters for the families they serve. Surveillance pricing pushes costs even higher on essential goods, and that’s simply unacceptable. This legislation sends a clear message: profiteering off people’s data has no place in our economy.

Why won’t the Premier listen to these workers and ban AI price gouging today?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Premier.

Hon. Scott Moe: — Mr. Speaker, I would say, with respect, another welcome to those members from UFCW that have joined us here today. And I would extend through them an invitation to their members across the nation of Canada in their meeting with the minister of Advanced Education later today, Mr. Speaker, to work alongside the government, as we work alongside the federal government.

So work alongside the provincial Government of Saskatchewan as we work alongside the federal government in this nation to ensure that we’re able to address this from a national perspective so it can actually be enforceable, Mr. Speaker, and so that it can be actionable to not only protect UFCW workers across this nation, Mr. Speaker, but to protect the entirety of Canadian families, wherever they might live.

That is truly a greater impact than implementing a provincial law that would not be enforced and certainly would have workarounds in today’s digital age, Mr. Speaker, as we know how large the internet is.

Let’s work together, and an invitation is there. The invitation is there, Mr. Speaker, for these UFCW members to extend that invitation to their brothers, UFCW workers across Canada, to work alongside the Saskatchewan government as we engage the federal government to truly have a plan that is enforceable, actionable, and has an impact for Canadian families.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Opposition House Leader.

Access to Addictions Treatment

Nicole Sarauer: — Mr. Speaker, another place where this government is failing to do their job is when it comes to addressing the drug crisis in Saskatchewan.

Yesterday another overdose alert was issued right here in Regina, the second in a week. Three people died; 29 overdose calls were responded to in a single weekend. The Premier claims to be doing his job, but yesterday couldn’t answer basic questions about how many spaces were vacant for people to get treatment.

The Premier’s had a day now. Can he tell us how many spaces are open for people who need life-saving addictions treatment today?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Premier.

Hon. Scott Moe: — Mr. Speaker, we have 312 spaces across the province. I don’t have the vacancy rate of those spaces, Mr. Speaker. Unfortunately, I would fear that they are largely full, Mr. Speaker. That’s why this budget is funding an additional 200 spaces.

We have the partners in place to deliver on those spaces, achieving a commitment we made to the people of Saskatchewan to put forward availability of 500 intensive addiction spaces. This, in addition to the almost 500 recovery spaces we had operating in the province to date, Mr. Speaker. And I would suggest that we are going to have to have a discussion as caucus and cabinet of the government, Mr. Speaker, to increase that number once we achieve those 500, which I said is on top of the 500.

There is, depending where you are in the province today, Mr. Speaker, between a one- and six-week wait. Our goal is to have a no-week wait, Mr. Speaker, an immediate opportunity for people in this province to enter a life of recovery.

[14:30]

Mr. Speaker, that is the goal. The aspirational goal of this province, of this government is to remove drugs from our community, those poisonous drugs from our communities, Mr. Speaker, and provide a recovery opportunity for each and every individual that unfortunately has fallen into a life of addictions.

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

Betty Nippi-Albright: — Mr. Speaker, that’s not an answer, nor does that bring comfort to those families who’ve lost a loved one. The reality, as we hear constantly, people are dying of drug overdoses while waiting to get treatment.

In Saskatoon this government closed Prairie Harm Reduction and sidelined more than 120 front-line health care workers. Yesterday, and for every day since the closure, we’ve heard from people fearing their loved ones will die without the services offered by PHR [Prairie Harm Reduction].

What, if anything, has been done to provide those services elsewhere before more people die?

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 communities is the goal of this government.

Mr. Speaker, we continue to work with our community-based organizations on outreach for individuals that might find themselves in a situation where they need that help, Mr. Speaker. As the Premier had mentioned, we do have recovery spaces. We already had 500; we’ve added 312. We’re going to add another 200 — probably more than that, Mr. Speaker — so that individuals can get the help that they need. We as a government are going to offer recovery, Mr. Speaker.

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

Provision of Addictions Services

Betty Nippi-Albright: — People want to know can they get a treatment bed today? Not in a year, not in two years — today. Nothing. That answer says nothing. More people will die while this Premier sits on his hands.

Perhaps the problem is that his Sask Party government has locked itself into a multi-million dollar contract with a private, out-of-province company called EHN. This company, from what we can tell, treats addiction treatment as a for-profit industry.

Can the Premier explain why he’s chosen to ignore Saskatchewan-based, government-funded agencies and is going out of province to privatize addictions services?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Premier.

Hon. Scott Moe: — Mr. Speaker, we’ve chosen this company because they save lives and change lives for families. Mr. Speaker, I take great exception to myself or the minister or anyone — in fairness on either side of this House — sitting on their hands when it comes to addressing mental health and, all too often, subsequent addictions issues that we see in communities across this province and across this nation, Mr. Speaker. The poisonous drugs that we are seeing in our communities today are very different than what we saw 10 years ago.

This is a government that is very serious when it comes to enacting our recovery-oriented system of care, Mr. Speaker, and in enhancing entry points — whether it be through an urgent care centre, whether it be through the investment in complex-needs facilities, whether it be through the forthcoming legislation of the compassionate care Act so that families can refer individuals to that recovery opportunity and that recovery lifestyle, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, this certainly is not a government that is sitting on its hands in any way. This is a government that cares. This is a government that is making very real investments alongside, yes, a number of operational partners, Mr. Speaker — whether it be tribal councils, whether it be communities, whether it be community-based organizations, or whether it be Edgewood Health, Mr. Speaker — to change lives, to offer opportunity, Mr. Speaker, for those individuals and to offer opportunities for the families that love them.

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

Betty Nippi-Albright: — Mr. Speaker, the people in this province want government-funded support services for mental health and addictions, not out-of-province, for-profit companies that charge this government, the taxpayers in the province, three times more for the services.

So I ask, Mr. Speaker, so I ask, how much total funding is being sent to EHN by this government? And will the Premier and the minister provide a complete record of all the meetings with EHN or their lobbyists by members of the Sask Party government?

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

Hon. Lori Carr: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have several publicly operated beds within this province. But they are publicly funded for the betterment of the public of this province, Mr. Speaker. Those services that they’re providing, Mr. Speaker, when we think of EHN and the complex-needs facilities in the community of Saskatoon, are helping individuals connect with services directly in their communities.

Those individuals are being helped out . . .

[Interjections]

Speaker Goudy: — Order, please.

Hon. Lori Carr: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this should actually be something that both sides of the House can agree on. This is not a divisive issue, Mr. Speaker. This is something that both of us are interested in helping individuals with, Mr. Speaker. And once again our government will continue offering that recovery-oriented system of care and recovery to individuals across the province, Mr. Speaker.

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

Safety Measures at Railway Crossing

Darcy Warrington: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Matthew Thompson is seated in your gallery. On December 29th Alyssa Thompson, Matthew’s wife, was tragically killed after her SUV [sport-utility vehicle] was struck by a train at a Churchbridge rail crossing. This sadly occurred only 35 days after their wedding.

This could have been avoided if safety measures were created years before, following a similar accident where a man and two children were also struck by a train at the same rail crossing.

Will the Minister of Highways meet with Matthew today following question period to hear his concerns and work towards safer roads in Saskatchewan?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Highways.

Hon. Kim Gartner: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The answer would be yes.

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

Darcy Warrington: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In January of 2023, a man died at that same railway crossing, his two children injured but thankfully survived. This Sask Party government should have added additional safety measures then and there. Despite Transport Canada regulations, Churchbridge residents and mayor call it a blind crossing. For a town of 900 residents, these costs are too high. But for the provincial government, it’s a drop in the bucket to save lives.

Will the minister protect drivers today and add increased safety measures to that railway to prevent future fatalities?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Highways.

Hon. Kim Gartner: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We’re going to continue to work with our partners, with the class 1 railways. This is an issue that is raised unfortunately far too many times. I’ve offered to meet with the town of Churchbridge, and I’m going to do that. And we’ll continue to work with the class 1s to try and get something solved.

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

Legislation regarding Availability of Emergency Health Care

Jared Clarke: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Now desperate and deeply concerned front-line health care workers have come to us again with more disturbing evidence of this Sask Party government’s failure when it comes to health care.

Now it appears that last week during a snowstorm, the intensive care units in Saskatoon were put on bypass, meaning that they couldn’t take any more patients. Now the closest available ICU [intensive care unit] was in Prince Albert, over an hour away in a blizzard. So can the Health minister tell us how this failure happened on his watch?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Health.

Hon. Jeremy Cockrill: — Well thank you, Mr. Speaker. For the member opposite and for all members of the House, I think some context is really important, Mr. Speaker. If there is an ICU bypass, Mr. Speaker, it does not mean the ICU is closed. It does not mean the hospital is closed, Mr. Speaker. It only applies to transfers from other facilities, Mr. Speaker.

Again, Mr. Speaker, this is exactly why this government, through our patients-first plan, is making additional investments in acute care capacity in Saskatoon: adding more acute care beds at Saskatoon City Hospital, adding more acute care and ICU beds at both Royal University Hospital and St. Paul’s Hospital, as well as adding more acute care capacity at Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital which serves children from all over the province, Mr. Speaker. Those are the solutions that this government’s bringing to the table to put patients first.

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

Jared Clarke: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Now the problems with the emergency rooms and ICU extends well beyond Saskatoon. Now we know that there were hundreds of emergency room closures without warning last year. This minister’s solution? To post a closures list once a day at 4 p.m.

Now the problem is the ERs [emergency room] close so often under this Sask Party government that once a day simply isn’t enough. So will the minister commit to real-time, public reporting of emergency room closures today, yes or no?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Health.

Hon. Jeremy Cockrill: — Well thank you, Mr. Speaker. Sometimes the members opposite use the word “closures,” Mr. Speaker, and I remind the patients of this province that only happened under a previous NDP government.

There are times, Mr. Speaker, and we acknowledge there are times that there are temporary service disruptions at different facilities around the province. This is exactly why we implemented the virtual physician program, Mr. Speaker. This is exactly why we have an ambitious health human resources action plan that’s filling chronic nursing vacancies, Mr. Speaker, and ensuring that services and facilities right across the province can be open and available to Saskatchewan patients.

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

Jared Clarke: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Now I have legislation before this Chamber requiring real-time reporting. That’s Bill 606. Now many, many of the Health minister’s colleagues support Bill 606, voting in favour of it at second reading. I mean, even the Premier supported it, and yet the minister stalls. So will he admit that the state of health care is so bad under his watch that his own caucus is no longer behind him?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Health.

Hon. Jeremy Cockrill: — You know, Mr. Speaker, the member opposite might be referring to the attendance of a member on a particular day in the House, Mr. Speaker. I can tell the House I was proud to be at the one-year anniversary of the Regina breast health centre, an investment by this government that is improving the life for Saskatchewan women in the southern half of our province and reducing wait times, Mr. Speaker.

Again, Mr. Speaker, our caucus voted for Bill 606 at second reading because we agree in principle, Mr. Speaker, that we want to provide accurate and reliable and the most up-to-date information as possible to patients across the province, Mr. Speaker. And much of what is in Bill 606 is already being operationalized by the Saskatchewan Health Authority, Mr. Speaker. We’re going to continue working towards that.

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

Population Numbers

Joan Pratchler: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, Mr. Speaker, one of my favourite news stories every year is the release of all the names of the newborn babies. So on behalf of the official opposition, let me welcome all the new Noahs and Olivias and Jacks and Laineys and every other new baby who was born last year.

But in the news there was also a sad note. Last year there were over 2,000 fewer newborns born in Saskatchewan hospitals in a year than in the year when this Premier took office. We’ve seen two quarters of population decline, and now fewer babies being born here. Can the Premier defend his record of the population decline?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Government Relations.

Hon. Eric Schmalz: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The opposition often talks about population decline. I can tell you there was no greater population decline than when I was a kid, Mr. Speaker, watching my family have to leave and move to other provinces to build those economies, Mr. Speaker. We are bringing them back with policies from this government.

Mr. Speaker, they said that there was a decline last year. There was no decline last year, Mr. Speaker; 4,400 more moved to Saskatchewan year over year, Mr. Speaker. We will continue to provide policy that grows the economy and increases the population of this province going forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Joan Pratchler: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m talking about births. I do have some thoughts though, Mr. Speaker, on why we’re seeing a population decline. It might start with the mess that the Sask Party government has made on child care in this province or the news that education is in desperate need or that health care can’t attract specialists or that newborns needing critical life-saving surgeries in the southern half of this province are now forced to spend hours on the highway to get care.

This is a government who hiked taxes on children’s clothing, groceries. And it’s more expensive for families to afford housing and to keep the lights on. And a government that has done little as communities have become less safe.

Does the Premier take any responsibility for the fact that we now have fewer babies being born and a population decline?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Health.

[14:45]

Hon. Jeremy Cockrill: — Mr. Speaker, this line of questioning is exactly why nobody can take the NDP seriously. We know, Mr. Speaker . . .

[Interjections]

Speaker Goudy: — Well we’ve got a lot of kids in the balconies that are watching to see how these adults are behaving.

Minister of Health.

Hon. Jeremy Cockrill: — Mr. Speaker, again this is why it’s so hard to take the members opposite seriously, Mr. Speaker. We know . . .

[Interjections]

Speaker Goudy: — Order, please.

Minister.

Hon. Jeremy Cockrill: — We know they try and blame the government for everything. But blaming Scott Moe for the number of babies being born — pardon me, blaming the Premier, Mr. Speaker — for babies being born in Saskatchewan is a new level of ridiculousness even for those members opposite, Mr. Speaker.

Plus it’s not even accurate, Mr. Speaker. That’s the thing. Saskatchewan has the highest fertility rate among Saskatchewan provinces according to Statistics Canada, Mr. Speaker. The lowest fertility rate, Mr. Speaker, actually belongs to NDP BC [British Columbia].

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

Future of Information Services Corporation

Trent Wotherspoon: — Mr. Speaker, we lost 1,584 head office jobs in Saskatchewan between 2012 and 2023. That’s this government’s record, the largest net loss of head office jobs anywhere in Canada.

Now the minister responsible for Information Services Corporation of Saskatchewan has brought forward a bill that makes it easier to sell the company. In addition to driving up the costs for families, farms, and businesses, it puts at risk those head office jobs.

Why should Saskatchewan people have any faith in this sell-off of ISC [Information Services Corporation of Saskatchewan], that it won’t mean more job losses in Saskatchewan?

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

Hon. Jeremy Harrison: — Wow. Another example today why nobody can take the NDP seriously, Mr. Speaker. We introduced a bill on ISC that did the exact opposite of what that member just said, Mr. Speaker. A bill that will guarantee that the head office stays here in Saskatchewan, Mr. Speaker. A bill that guarantees that jobs are added here in Saskatchewan, Mr. Speaker. A bill that guarantees the intellectual property of ISC stays here in Saskatchewan. A bill that guarantees the service arrangements through the master services agreement with this province, Mr. Speaker. This bill does the exact opposite of what that member just said.

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

Trent Wotherspoon: — Mr. Speaker, this is the same minister that couldn’t remember if he brought his gun to the legislature, Mr. Speaker.

You know, a head office on paper is one thing. Actual jobs in a head office is something else. We’ve seen head office claims and guarantees in the past that haven’t been honoured, and a government of course over there that’s sat on their hands every step of the way and done nothing.

Now this minister wants us to believe that all the jobs will be protected. Why is this minister willing to put Saskatchewan jobs and that head office at risk?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of CIC.

Hon. Jeremy Harrison: — Well this member just demonstrated again why he is the longest serving opposition member in the history of Saskatchewan, Mr. Speaker, and why he’s going to stay there as long as he is here as well.

With regard to ISC, Mr. Speaker, we’ve been very clear. There is a review that has been initiated by the ISC board, Mr. Speaker. That review continues apace. We will look at the recommendations, if any, that come from that review, Mr. Speaker. And in the interim we introduced a bill that’s going to ensure that head office jobs stay here in this province, Mr. Speaker, that intellectual property stays here in this province. That’s the appropriate thing to do, Mr. Speaker.

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

Legislation regarding Regulation of Grocery Prices

Brittney Senger: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last week I gave a very lengthy explanation about the role of the provincial government and the role of the federal government when it comes to protecting consumers in Saskatchewan because life in Saskatchewan has become more and more expensive after 20 years of this Sask Party government.

No one should pay more for groceries because the government is turning a blind eye to unfair AI price gouging. That’s why I brought forward my private member’s bill. The Premier and the Sask Party government refuse to pass it into law. It would protect people in grocery stores. It would protect people when they shop online, and so much more.

When people see this government refuse to stand up to companies who profit from unfair AI pricing, it makes you wonder. Who is this government really working for, and what will it take for them to pass Bill 619?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Justice.

Hon. Tim McLeod: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And I can ensure the member opposite, this government is working for the people of Saskatchewan. That’s who this government is working for.

Mr. Speaker, through the Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority, or the FCAA [Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority of Saskatchewan], our government is committed to protecting Saskatchewan households and businesses from any unfair or unethical practices. This is work that already happens, Mr. Speaker, under the FCAA. We have legislation in place that largely deals with these concerns.

However, as the Premier said earlier, Mr. Speaker, this is largely dealt with at the federal level through the Competition Bureau, which is why I wrote to the federal minister last week, Mr. Speaker, expressing our concern and our desire to align our legislation in this province with the federal legislation, making sure that all of the people of Saskatchewan and all of the people of Canada are protected from unfair, unethical business practices. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

PRESENTING REPORTS BY STANDING AND SPECIAL COMMITTEES

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

Standing Committee on the Economy

Daryl Harrison: — Mr. Speaker, I am instructed by the Standing Committee on the Economy to report Bill No. 40, The Animal Protection Amendment Act, 2025 without amendment.

Speaker Goudy: — When shall this bill be considered in the Committee of the Whole on Bills? I recognize the Minister of Agriculture.

Hon. David Marit: — I request leave to waive consideration in Committee of the Whole on this bill and that the bill be now read the third time.

Speaker Goudy: — The minister has requested leave to waive consideration in the Committee of the Whole on Bill No. 40, The Animal Protection Amendment Act, 2025 and that the bill be now read the third time. Is leave granted?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Speaker Goudy: — The minister may proceed to move third reading.

THIRD READINGS

Bill No. 40 — The Animal Protection Amendment Act, 2025

Hon. David Marit: — I move the bill be now read the third time and passed under its title.

Speaker Goudy: — The minister has moved that the bill be now read the third time and passed under its title. 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.

Deputy Clerk: — Third reading of this bill.

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

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.

STATEMENT BY THE SPEAKER

Questions of Privilege

Speaker Goudy: — Just on the questions of privilege, I wish to inform the Assembly that the rulings on both those questions of privilege submitted on April 27th, 2026 will be deferred.

ORDERS OF THE DAY

GOVERNMENT ORDERS

ADJOURNED DEBATES

SECOND READINGS

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 Nutana.

Erika Ritchie: — Well thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s been quite a day of highs and lows in the Assembly. We’ve heard some very impassioned speeches on some weighty matters. And it’s with that that I rise today to now speak on Bill No. 48, The Compassionate Intervention Act, a weighty issue itself.

And I want to begin by acknowledging something that every member of this Assembly knows to be true. There is not a single family in Saskatchewan untouched by the addiction crisis. And this issue is not abstract. It is not theoretical. It is lived quietly and painfully in homes across this province, in hospital waiting rooms, in late-night phone calls, in moments of fear that most people never speak about publicly. Families are watching people they love struggle, and communities are grieving the loss. And many are asking with urgency and heartbreak, why can’t we do more? And why can’t we intervene?

Mr. Speaker, this is not a slow-moving issue. People in this province are dying from drug overdoses every single day, and communities are being overwhelmed in real time. Yesterday I came across three individuals in a bus shelter in the throes of addiction, and one of them was non-responsive. I was compelled to call first responders to the scene. And this has become an everyday occurrence in our cities and towns across the province. The urgency at this moment demands more than the appearance of action. It demands solutions that are real, measurable, and effective.

Mr. Speaker, let me begin by acknowledging the intent of this bill. The intent is compassionate. It is rooted in the desire to save lives and to intervene when someone appears unable to help themselves. It’s to offer a path to recovery when all other options seem to have failed. And that is something I believe every member of this Assembly shares.

Now I’ve spoken to the Saskatoon chief of police and the Saskatoon Tribal Council chief, and they’ve expressed their frustrations to me with the state of affairs and want to see expanded tools to deal with the crisis. And I understand their motivations are truly good and well intentioned.

But you know, Mr. Speaker, no matter how sincere, good intentions are not enough. Because when we’re dealing with people at their most vulnerable, when we are dealing with autonomy, capacity, and coercion, we must ask, not only, do we want to help? But also, will this actually help? And just as importantly, could it cause harm?

Now, Mr. Speaker, before I go on, I want to say something clearly, and I hope that members of the Assembly are paying attention and listening or otherwise excusing them from the Assembly. When we speak about addiction in this Assembly, especially when we draw on personal experience, there is a risk that those words will be simplified, taken out of context, or used to question motive. And I’m not here to assign blame and I’m not here to score points, but I am also not willing to see deeply human realities reduced to political talking points.

Thank you. I am speaking today in good faith from professional experience and personal experience, and I would ask all members of this Assembly to meet this debate with the seriousness and respect it deserves.

Mr. Speaker, like many people in this province, my perspective is not only professional; it is personal. I have walked along someone I love deeply through addiction and mental health challenges. I have experienced the fear and the instability and the moments where you lie awake at night wondering what the next day will bring. And it invokes a perpetual cycle of grief and loss that is enduring and heartbreaking. And I have known what it is to feel like you would do anything, anything to keep that person safe. And I understand on a very human level why families are calling for intervention. I understand the urgency and the desperation and the need to act when it feels like time is running out.

But I’ve also learned something else. When people are at their most vulnerable, the solutions we choose matter profoundly. Because if we get it wrong, even with the best of intentions, we can unintentionally increase harm rather than reduce it. And that is the responsibility before us today.

[15:00]

Mr. Speaker, we have heard clearly from the Saskatchewan Medical Association and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan. And they tell us that involuntary addiction treatment is not supported by strong clinical evidence, and that it may increase the risk of overdose after release, and that our health care system does not currently have the capacity to safely implement this model. And those are not minor concerns. They go to the very heart of whether this legislation will achieve what it promises.

And this brings us to a critical question. If we accept the premise of this bill, where is the system that will support it? Where are the treatment spaces? Where is the supportive housing? And where is the coordinated plan that municipalities can rely on? Because right now those pieces are not in place. Across Saskatchewan, and very clearly in Saskatoon, we are seeing a system under immense strain. We are seeing rising homelessness, we are seeing escalating overdose calls, and we are seeing increasing pressure on emergency services.

In Saskatoon nearly 2,000 people are experiencing homelessness, more than three times the number than just a few years ago. And the Saskatoon fire department has responded to hundreds of overdose calls in just weeks. Every day residents witness fire trucks blaring by on their way to respond to another overdose, and the moral distress people are experiencing every day is palpable. This is not a system with capacity. This is a system in crisis.

And who is carrying that burden? It is municipalities, it is first responders, it is local taxpayers, and it is the families. Cities are responding to encampments, managing public safety pressures, and absorbing rising costs while this government brings forward legislation that mandates intervention without first ensuring that treatment spaces, housing, and supports are in place. This week the city of Saskatoon will consider a report that sees over $4 million this year alone directed at housing supports in response to this crisis.

Mr. Speaker, what we are seeing is a pattern. Responsibility is being downloaded, pressure is being shifted, and municipalities are being left to manage the consequences. That is not a plan and it is not leadership.

We cannot download responsibility and call it a solution. We cannot mandate care that does not exist. And we cannot expect municipalities to continue absorbing these pressures without real partnership and real investment that meets the scale and the scope of this tragedy. Because if we do, this legislation will not relieve the system; it will add to the strain.

Mr. Speaker, this issue also demands that we resist the temptation to oversimplify. Addiction is complex. It intersects with mental health, with trauma, with housing instability, and with an increasingly toxic drug supply. If we reduce this complexity to a single solution, we risk implementing policies that feel decisive but fail in practice.

We should be very cautious about turning deeply complex human struggles into simplified political narratives. Because when that happens, we lose sight of the people at the centre of this issue and we risk making decisions based on perception rather than evidence.

Mr. Speaker, the medical community is not telling us to do nothing. They are telling us to do the hard work; to expand voluntary evidence-based treatment; to invest in supportive housing; to build capacity in mental health and addictions care; and to ensure services are accessible, culturally appropriate, and effective. What is needed now is not just legislation; it is a clear and costed emergency plan, a plan that includes expanded treatment capacity, new supportive housing units, and real partnerships with municipalities. Because without these elements in place, this legislation will not succeed no matter how well intentioned it may be.

Mr. Speaker, people in this province are not looking for the appearance of action; they are looking for results. And right now there is a gap that’s growing between what is being announced and what is actually being delivered. This legislation asks us to act in the name of compassion, but compassion is not defined by intention alone. It is defined by outcomes, by whether the actions we take actually help the people we are trying to serve.

Families in this province are looking to us for leadership, not just to act but to act wisely; to act based on evidence, on ethics, and on a clear understanding of what works. We owe that to them. We owe that to the medical professionals and front-line responders who have asked us to listen. And most importantly we owe that to those who are struggling with addiction, who deserve care that is effective, safe, and grounded in dignity.

Mr. Speaker, I hope that we can rise to that responsibility, and I hope it will elevate the debate on this subject and ensure that whatever path we choose, it is one that truly serves the people of Saskatchewan. Thank you. And with that I will adjourn debate on Bill No. 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.

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 University-Sutherland.

Tajinder Grewal: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s my pleasure to enter debate on Bill No. 55, The Medical Profession Amendment Act, 2026. Mr. Speaker, we do support this bill. Basically members from this side of the House advocated for these changes, which is happening and we can see in this bill. And particularly our shadow ministers of Health — our member from Regina Walsh Acres and member from Regina Elphinstone-Centre and member from Saskatoon Churchill-Wildwood — they advocated for these changes, and finally government’s taking it seriously.

And we know that, Mr. Speaker, there are some fraudulent medical practitioners in Saskatchewan, and their practice could be dangerous, could be harmful, and may be possibly life-threatening to the people.

And I’m a professional. Mr. Speaker, I do know that licensing is important. Certification is important. I’m a professional agrologist. In my profession, you need a certain qualification and experience to become an articling agrologist. And once you have that, then you have to fulfill further requirements to become a professional agrologist to practice agrology.

And once you become a professional agrologist, it’s not final. Every year you apply for renewal, and then you have to show a minimum of 35 hours of continuing education. Every profession changes with time, and you need to learn about what’s happening new and you need to keep yourself updated. And that’s very true in the medical profession too, Mr. Speaker.

And as I said before, it’s important to have the professional licence. It serves many purposes. The number one is to protect the profession. You don’t want unqualified people, incompetent people going to your profession. You don’t want the bad actors to ruin the reputation of your profession. Because it takes years and years to build the reputation with the public, and any bad actor can muddy the water. So every profession makes sure that people coming to their profession, they must be licensed, they must be certified.

And second important thing is that you have to protect the public who you serve, because you have to provide ethical and professional service. And this is extremely important, Mr. Speaker, in the medical profession because those people, they are dealing with the lives of the people. And you have to make sure the people who are doing this practice, they are certified, they are licensed.

And in this bill it gives more tools to the College of Physicians and Surgeons to practise this profession. If there’s any bad actor, they can take that bad actor to the court and remove that person doing the practice in the medical profession.

So as I said before, Mr. Speaker, we do support this bill. So I move that this bill go to the next stage. Thank you.

Speaker Goudy: — The question before the Assembly, is a motion by the minister that Bill No. 55, The Medical Profession Amendment Act, 2026 be now read a second time. Is it the pleasure of the Assembly to adopt the motion?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Speaker Goudy: — Carried.

Deputy Clerk: — Second reading of this bill.

Speaker Goudy: — To which committee shall this bill be committed? I recognize the Government House Leader.

Hon. Tim McLeod: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the Standing Committee on Human Services.

Speaker Goudy: — This bill stands committed to the Standing Committee on Human Services.

Bill No. 56

[The Assembly resumed the adjourned debate on the proposed motion by the Hon. Tim McLeod that Bill No. 56 — The King’s Bench Amendment Act, 2026/Loi modificative de 2026 sur la Cour du Banc du Roi be now read a second time.]

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

Nicole Sarauer: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s my honour to rise today and enter into the debate on Bill No. 56, The King’s Bench Amendment Act.

Now I understand this legislation, pursuant to the second reading speech that the minister had, flows from conversations and recommendations from the Chief Justice of King’s Bench, of course looking for more supports for the work that the judges do at that level of court. I understand both in conversations but from experience that the workload there is quite high, Mr. Speaker. I understand that these associate judge positions will be similar to positions that exist in other jurisdictions as well.

I have some questions of the minister and his officials about this bill, in particular the appointment process, the compensation process, and the work that these judges will be doing. In order to provide me the opportunity to ask those questions of the minister and his officials, I am prepared now to allow this bill to move on to its next stage.

Speaker Goudy: — The question before the Assembly is a motion by the minister that Bill No. 56, The King’s Bench Amendment Act, 2026 be now read a second time. Is it the pleasure of the Assembly to adopt the motion?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Speaker Goudy: — Carried.

Deputy Clerk: — Second reading of this bill.

Speaker Goudy: — To which committee shall this bill be committed? I recognize the Government House Leader.

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. 57

[The Assembly resumed the adjourned debate on the proposed motion by the Hon. Jeremy Harrison that Bill No. 57 — The Information Services Corporation Amendment Act, 2026 be now read a second time.]

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

Meara Conway: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s a privilege to be on my feet to enter into the record some remarks on Bill No. 57, The Information Services Corporation Amendment Act, 2026.

Of course this is a bill with respect to ISC. And this is something that you’ve seen probably, and members of the public have seen some entries from this official opposition of late in the media regarding concerns that this Sask Party is planning to sell off ISC. Of course we have been vocal opponents of the continued agenda of privatization and selling off of Crown corporations and public services that we’ve seen from this government.

Unfortunately prior to the change of government in 2007 we saw clear commitment from the Premier at the time that Crowns — and I’ll just put a quote into the record here — that “Crowns are not going to be privatized and (subsidiaries) are not going to be wound down.” And yet what we actually saw from this government almost immediately was the beginning of privatization of different sorts, Mr. Speaker.

And we really saw that through five main approaches that I’d just like to briefly provide an overview of and then speak specifically to this bill because I think it’s part of a larger pattern. And this context gives some insight into why this official opposition is maybe having some trouble taking certain ministers’ words for certain things, if I can put it that way, Mr. Speaker.

[15:15]

One of the key mechanisms we see for sort of pursuing this agenda of privatization that we’ve seen from this government has been what has been described as a core services review. And that is where this government announces, “Well we want to evaluate the efficiency of this public service or this Crown. We want to look at if this goes to really the core function of government.” We saw that with what transpired over years with the SLGA [Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority]. We saw that with correctional food services, Mr. Speaker. So to us that’s a real red flag when we hear them speaking along those lines.

The other thing we often saw more in the P3 [public-private partnership] context, Mr. Speaker, was that they would bring in consultants to give an opinion on whether this would be, you know, a good candidate for a P3 under the pretense of . . . kind of giving legitimacy I think to what we sort of suspected or worried all along: that this was a fait accompli. There had already been a decision to do a P3.

And of course the CCPA [Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives] did a study of some of these consultations, Mr. Speaker, and found that 46 out of 47 projects that were being considered for P3, they actually recommended P3s — 46 out of 47. So, so much for kind of neutral consultations, Mr. Speaker.

The other thing that we often see in terms of an approach to this privatization is what’s often called to as load shedding. So it’s really restricting what that Crown can do. Think of the SLGA, Mr. Speaker, where at the time that the government was considering privatizing SLGA, there were calls from those workers and from those locations: we want to be able to be competitive, we want to be able to offer the consumer the same thing that these private retail locations . . . I think of, you know, when I go to the checkout at Sobeys, I can get chips, I can get pop, I can get different things.

They wanted to be able to do the same, and they were hamstrung from being able to do something like that. So really restricting and narrowing the services that can be offered, and then kind of pointing to the inability to compete in that area as the necessity to privatize then that Crown.

Another approach I think that we’ve seen kind of in terms of conduct from this government in advance of a sell-off or of a move to privatize, are budget cuts. I think of the STC [Saskatchewan Transportation Company] where this government, you know, hamstrung the STC, didn’t provide it with enough budget to kind of keep up with its fleet, keep up with its services, and then pointed to that as the necessity to sell off STC.

And I will add, you know — interesting fun fact for folks at home who are watching — we do have legislation in place here in Saskatchewan that protects our Crowns, that would require public approval before you sell off a Crown. But before you privatize a Crown or before you . . . But because the STC, that was a total cancellation of the program, that was a total shuttering of the program, it didn’t actually need to go through that process. Interesting. I learned that in preparing actually to do remarks on this bill.

Finally, I think one of the things we often see from this government before a move to privatize or to sell off is debt loading. And I think that our alarm should be going off when we see, instead of the profit coming back from Crowns, we see this government taking those profits and putting it into the General Revenue. We see that with many of our existing Crowns, Mr. Speaker, which limits those Crowns and then forces them to take on more debt. And then we see that increased debt as a pretense to then privatize or sell off.

So I think I’ve gone through kind of the five warning signs, as I would call them, that often occur before this government moves to privatize something. And you know, I mentioned that this government . . . And just to bring it back to the bill, Mr. Speaker, I think these examples are very clear indications of why this official opposition is very nervous when it comes to what is going on with ISC.

Because almost immediately after that commitment from the Sask Party back in 2007 that they were not interested in privatizing Crowns, we saw the kind of . . . sometimes more overt, but sometimes what I’ll call privatization creep. You know, using . . . Contracting out in SaskTel; that’s gone up incredibly. In fact a recent study showed that the increased private contracting in SaskTel has resulted in the net loss of 1,000 public jobs at SaskTel.

Mr. Speaker, I’ll give some other examples here. We often see the decision to sell off Crowns that are quite profitable. I think of . . . Or at a price to private corporations that, ooh, those prices. They get some pretty good deals, Mr. Speaker. I’ll give you one very concrete example: that is in 2008 this government sold Saskferco to Norway-based Yara International. They sold it to them for 783 million. And this was something that was bringing a return of 209 million back to the people of Saskatchewan in dividends, and that was between 1989 and 1993.

So we saw, you know, the selling off of what was quite a profitable Crown for the people of Saskatchewan. And I will say that, you know, I’ve asked the critic. I’ve been speaking with my colleagues that have been in this Chamber longer than me. The ISC is a very profitable Crown. It is something that’s working well. It is kind of, you know, the last sort of candidate that we should be looking to for this type of thing, for a final sell-off which is our concern here.

You know, I mentioned SaskTel, the contracting out. Some people have called it, you know, privatization by stealth. But you know, I worry about that, the shrinking workforce as a result of that contracting out. I think of health care and the increasing amount of, you know, private delivery of health care, including changes to legislation that took place in 2016 that now allows for people to pay out-of-pocket for diagnostics. And we have been dinged under the Canada Health Act for that.

So this isn’t something that happened overnight. We saw it with 2009, their first iteration of the patient-first plan. One of the recommendations was more privatized delivery of health care. And then over time we saw surgical contracts go to private companies. We saw diagnostics go to private companies. And then in 2016 we saw this change that would now allow for patient pay.

You know, it’s a bit of a slippery slope. And interestingly enough when I think of, say, the private-pay diagnostics which happened in 2016, the next year the provincial auditor actually said, whoa, hold on guys; wait times have actually increased as a result of this, allowing these two parallel systems. And again we see a lot of staff go from the public system into these private options, which has only served to deepen the staffing crisis in health care in Saskatchewan.

You know, education, an example there is the 16.7, I think, per cent increase we saw go to independent schools just a few years ago, compared to the same year a 1.5 increase to our public system, you know. So really a priority is around privatization.

I do want to touch on I think . . . I mean, there are many examples, Mr. Speaker, of where this government has said, “We will not be pursuing an agenda of privatization,” and then they move to do so.

I think of just a few examples before I move on to my main point here. I think of the automated system for fishing and hunting that was brought in. That was given to a Texas-based company. Mr. Speaker, I think of highway photo radar, again given to a private company. Livestock brand inspections used to be, that used to be public but that was transferred to a corporation.

Food services at correctional. We all remember that back in 2015; it garnered national attention. There was a hunger strike because of the poor quality of that food and the loss of . . . I believe 60 people lost their job. Good mortgage-paying jobs, Mr. Speaker.

I think of 2013 when we privatized laundry services in health care. I think of 2017 when we sold off executive air. Later that year they privatized cleaning services including, I believe, in this building. I still have a constituent who, thank God she’s got a bit of a pension. Based on that, she supports three generations in North Central based on that pension. But she sadly lost that good mortgage-paying job with a pension. Those jobs are disappearing more and more, Mr. Speaker.

I think of the sell-off of the Grain Car Corporation, its fleet of 900 provincially owned cars in 2017. Termination of the pasture program, transferred that public land to private control.

Outsourcing the responsibility for inspecting boilers. This is something that recently came to my attention because of course the tragic death of Henry Losco in my constituency in December of 2025. I didn’t know that that had been privatized. That agency used to be a public agency that would inspect those boilers. Now it’s been transferred to private inspectors.

I think this history is important, Mr. Speaker, because it very much informs our response to this bill and what’s being said on the other side, Mr. Speaker.

I just have a couple more here that I want to point to, and of course this is not an exhaustive list. I think of the sale of Crown land. Our member for Saskatoon Centre was an incredible voice on that. Back in 2021 we learned that since 2007 this province has auctioned off over 2 million acres of Crown land to the highest bidder, Mr. Speaker.

SGI [Saskatchewan Government Insurance], we now see 52 per cent, a majority of all estimates, are operated by private companies. So again, sometimes it’s overt; sometimes it’s a little bit on the side there.

Finally, I’ll just say that I think this is a really important example: the 2010 sale of the SCN, the Saskatchewan Communications Network. And I’ll tell you why I think it’s an important example. It was sold to Bluepoint, a privately owned Ontario-based business, who then sold it shortly after for nine times the amount that they paid for it from the Saskatchewan government. Nine times the amount that they paid for it from this government.

It’s just sad, Mr. Speaker, because these are generational choices. Once we sell those assets off we will never get them back. And many of these Crowns and these services, they operate in the public good. Some of them actually . . . And I want to be clear. I don’t think they have to turn a profit to be valuable, because there are some things in life where they shouldn’t be . . . the profit motive is not the main thing. It’s about whether we’re offering a good service to the people of Saskatchewan.

But in addition to that, in many of these cases these were profit-generating Crowns. These were profit-generating services. And you know, an example of maybe of the latter is the STC. There’s no price that I would put on connecting our communities in Saskatchewan. And of course at the time, and I’ll just turn to STC quickly, Jen Campeau, former MLA for the Sask Party, she said, “There is nothing to worry about. We are not going to privatize the STC.” And then lo and behold, Mr. Speaker, that’s what happened.

And at the time, the government said, “Well don’t worry. Private business is going to fill those gaps. They’re going to pick up the slack.” And we haven’t seen that happen, Mr. Speaker. We’ve seen the loss of the connection of our province. How many people, when I’m out door knocking, how many people do I talk to with complex medical challenges? They said, “Well, you know, after the STC shuttered, I had to move into the city because I had no way of getting here anymore to make my medical appointments.” This is a reality of people, Mr. Speaker. Again, once we see those sell-offs, we often don’t get those services and we don’t see those services come back.

And I want to just finally end on SLGA, because that’s an interesting example where it took years for this government to kind of finish that, what I think — reading between the lines — there was always an agenda of privatizing SLGA. There was always that agenda. And you know, in 2013 they announced that some of these stores would be privatized. Then in 2014, they began . . . or sorry, in 2013 they said any new liquor stores, Brad Wall said any new liquor stores are going to be private. And then in 2014 they started to privatize some of the existing SLGA retail stores to private, and then in 2015 we saw 40 of those public liquor stores replaced.

And then in 2016 they changed the legislation around the SLGA. They removed it from the list of Crowns where those safeguards were in place, Mr. Speaker. Then in 2017 they sold off 28 more. Then in 2023, as we now know, the Sask Party announced a plan to sell off Saskatchewan’s remaining 34 publicly owned liquor stores.

So we can see that, Mr. Speaker, sometimes this happens slowly and sometimes it happens quite quickly. And we see that sometimes this government makes certain commitments to the public, and then the action doesn’t reflect that.

[15:30]

So I will wrap up my comments here. The ISC is a profitable Crown, Mr. Speaker. It offers an important service to the people of Saskatchewan. It is responsible for the registration of land titles, personal property, and it’s a corporate registry. I myself have been spending a bit of time on this recently. I won’t get into the details of why, but I think some people could probably guess.

They privatized ISC back in 2012. So we saw the first iteration of this agenda, and we’re concerned that they’re planning the final sell-off, Mr. Speaker. We’re concerned about the impact on the professionals that work with this system. We’re concerned about the data. We’re concerned about this commitment around a head office. We’ve seen those commitments made in the past, and we don’t really believe that that’s what’s going to happen, Mr. Speaker. And we’re worried about the user costs going up, among other things.

So thank you for bearing with me, Mr. Speaker. I’m happy now to adjourn debate on Bill No. 57, The Information Services Corporation Amendment Act.

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

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

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

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

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

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

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

[The Assembly adjourned at 15:31.]

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

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