Hon. Warren Kaeding: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to introduce, to you and to all members of this Assembly, distinguished guests from the Italian Republic seated in your gallery, Mr. Speaker.

It’s my honour to welcome His Excellency Alessandro Cattaneo, the ambassador of Italy to Canada, who has served in this role since December of 2024. Ambassador Cattaneo brings with him a distinguished career in diplomacy, including senior roles in Rome and abroad, with extensive experience in international security, NATO [North Atlantic Treaty Organization] affairs, and global diplomatic relations.

Now joining him is Paolo Miraglia Del Giudice, consul general of Italy in Vancouver, who has served Italy with distinction across the globe, including postings in Brazil, Venezuela, China, and the United Kingdom.

Mr. Speaker, we are also especially proud to recognize a valued member of our own community here in Regina, Sebastiano Deiana. Mr. Deiana has been a pillar of Saskatchewan’s Italian community for decades. As president of the Italian cultural centre G. Marconi, he has dedicated his life to preserving and promoting Italian language, culture, and heritage. And his contributions have been recognized with the honour of the Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.

Mr. Speaker, Saskatchewan values its strong cultural ties and enduring friendship with Italy. Today’s visit is a testament of the importance of international partnerships, people-to-people connections, and the vibrant Italian community that continues to enrich our province. Our Provincial Secretary has had an engaging morning with our guests. And I look forward to our meetings tomorrow morning, as well as a full day that they’re going to have to experience Saskatchewan.

So I ask all members to join me in extending a warm welcome to our Italian distinguished guests.

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

Vicki Mowat: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s an honour to join in with the minister opposite and, on behalf of the official opposition, welcoming this delegation from the Italian Republic, specifically Alessandro Cattaneo and Consul General Del Giudice. Thank you so much for joining us here today, along with Sebastiano Deiana as well for joining at your legislature. Thanks for all of your leadership.

We know that international partnerships are so important to the success of our province, and that this relationship building leads to always positive results for both sides. So I want to thank you for spending time today in the legislature and for joining us for question period. And I ask all members to join me in welcoming this delegation to the Assembly today.

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

Hon. Ken Cheveldayoff: — Thanks, Mr. Speaker. I’d request leave for an extended introduction.

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

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Hon. Ken Cheveldayoff: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, colleagues. Being health and safety week, we had a very exciting morning here in the legislature where we welcomed business leaders, union leaders, community leaders to the legislature to talk about the Workers’ Compensation Board and WorkSafe Saskatchewan and the rebranding for WorkSafe Saskatchewan.

I have a few introductions of people in the gallery, Mr. Speaker, led by Gord Dobrowolsky and Phil Germain, the executive team at Workers’ Compensation Board; Gord being the Chair of the board and Phil being the CEO [chief executive officer]. And I welcome them to their Legislative Assembly and thank them for all the good work that they do with the Workers’ Compensation Board.

We had many leaders from the province here this morning. Many were not able to stay, but some were able. And I know further to that introduction, in your gallery, Mr. Speaker, we have Ms. Lori Johb, who is the president of the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour. And right beside her we have Sean Tucker who is a professor of occupational health and safety at the University of Regina. They were all there this morning as well, Mr. Speaker.

And joining them, looking over all of us to make sure that we are safe, is WorkSafe Bob. And I’m going to take a bit here, Mr. Speaker. It’s an honour today to recognize a figure who has become a true ambassador for safety in our province. WorkSafe Saskatchewan — the partnership between the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety and the Workers’ Compensation Board — has been steadfast in the commitment to protecting our workforce. In 2008 WorkSafe launched the Mission: Zero campaign, and with it introduced a character now known in communities across the province as WorkSafe Bob.

Mr. Speaker, Bob’s mission is simple yet profound: to humanize our shared goal of eliminating every single workplace injury and fatality. Whether he is leading the fourth quarter stretch at the Saskatchewan Roughriders home games or visiting families at community events across our province, WorkSafe Bob makes a critical conversation around safety approachable for workers and employers alike.

Mr. Speaker, by using such a reliable figure, WorkSafe Saskatchewan continues to champion the fundamental rights of every worker — the right to know, the right to participate, and the right to refuse unusually dangerous work. These rights were first enshrined in our history in 1974 in this very legislature under the visionary leadership of the late Bob Sass, whose work transformed occupational health and safety, not only in our province but across North America.

Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity to get to know Bob a little bit, and I want to thank Bob Sass for all that he’s done. And I know members on both sides of the House have had an opportunity to work beside him, as Ms. Johb certainly has as well.

Today WorkSafe Bob stands as a modern extension of that legacy, ensuring the spirit of occupational health and safety remains at the forefront of our provincial identity. Bob’s unwavering dedication to workplace safety and health has left a legacy that continues to protect workers every day, and one which we remain deeply grateful.

So, Mr. Speaker, through you and to you, on behalf of all my colleagues, I thank Bob and who he represents and all that have participated in the ceremony this morning to make sure that Saskatchewan retains that goal of making each and every day a safe workday. Thank you.

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

Nathaniel Teed: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. To you and through you, I would like to join the minister opposite in welcoming all these folks who joined us today for a very special event in the Saskatchewan Gallery, where we announced a rebrand of WorkSafe Saskatchewan.

I’d like to join the minister in welcoming Phil Germain, the CEO of Workers’ Compensation Board; Gord Dobrowolsky, the Chair of the Workers’ Compensation Board; as well as Lori Johb, president of the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour; and Sean Tucker, a professor in the space of occupational health and safety.

And of course we had WorkSafe Bob with us. But the costume, I hear, is a little too big to sit in the gallery. So he made his appearance, and him and his entourage will likely be in the building for a little while if folks want to get a photo.

I just want to thank the minister for the invitation to attend the event today. And I want to thank all the folks who joined downstairs and are joining us in the gallery here to celebrate health and safety week here in Saskatchewan. So I’d ask all members to welcome these folks to their Legislative Assembly.

And while I’m on my feet, Mr. Speaker, it’s truly an honour to welcome the first school group that I’ve had the honour of introducing in this Legislative Assembly. Coming all the way from Saskatoon, this is a school group coming from North Park Wilson School. We have 40 grade 7/8 students in the galleries today, Mr. Speaker.

And I had the absolute honour of speaking to this class earlier this week in advance of their trip to the Legislative Assembly, outlining the role of an MLA [Member of the Legislative Assembly], how the government works so that they would have an idea, kind of, what they’d be witnessing. I also walked them through what the day in the Chamber would like when they got here — introductions, petitions, members’ statements. Then the big show, question period, at the end.

I promise, Mr. Speaker, I will be on my best behaviour today for my school group. But I just want to quickly welcome — and give us a wave as I welcome you — we’ve got teacher Deanna Fast with us today, teacher Meagan Dunn, and teacher Brittany Arsenault. They are joined by the principal of North Park Wilson School, Kara Helms, as well as an educational assistant working in the school, Erin Pederson. So Mr. Speaker, without further ado I would ask all members to join me in welcoming this fantastic group of students to their Legislative Assembly.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Deputy Premier.

Hon. Jim Reiter: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, to you and through you to this Assembly, I am pleased to introduce a long-time public servant in your gallery, Mr. Speaker, a long-time public servant. Mr. Speaker, we have Karen Bolen who will be retiring after 15 years in the public service with the Government of Saskatchewan. Mr. Speaker, she was with Social Services. The last five years she was with cabinet secretariat, and she will be missed, Mr. Speaker.

We want to wish Karen well in her retirement. She plans on spending time with her husband, Kevin, and her family and, most of all, spoiling her grandkids. And we wish her very well. Ladies and gentlemen please give her a warm welcome to her Legislative Assembly.

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

Trent Wotherspoon: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To you and through you it’s an honour to join with the Minister of Finance to wish Karen a very happy and fulfilling retirement and to thank her for her service to her province. On behalf of all in this Assembly, I ask us to all come together and recognize Karen, Karen’s service, to thank her for that service, and to wish her all the best into retirement.

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

James Thorsteinson: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s always a great day when I get to introduce constituents from the great constituency of Cut Knife-Turtleford. So to you and through you to all members of the Assembly, I am pleased to introduce 22 grade 9 students from the heart of Cut Knife-Turtleford in the town of Maidstone.

They are accompanied by their teacher Natasha Wicks and Brad Lejeune and parent chaperones Leah Allen — and I might screw some of these names up, Mr. Speaker — Zena El-halabi, Melanie Schempp, Maggie Rhinehart, Carter Makin, Travis Hutchison, and Kurtis Franks.

Now, Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity just about a week and a half ago to speak to the grade 8 class with Ms. Wicks and speak to them. And last year I had the opportunity to speak to this class when they were in grade 8. They asked some great questions when I was there. So today I think we’re going to turn the tables a little bit. I’m going to ask them some hard questions instead when I have the opportunity to meet with them a little later after question period.

Traditions, yeah. Tradition is quite often ice cream. The member from Lumsden-Morse likes his ice cream as a dairy producer. I am not a dairy producer, Mr. Speaker, as I’m sure people well know. I am a beef producer, so I have beef sticks for all the kids after question period.

So, Mr. Speaker, I ask all members of the Assembly to welcome these fine grade 9 students from Maidstone to this, their Legislative Assembly.

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

Joan Pratchler: — Request leave for an extended introduction.

Speaker Goudy: — She’s requested leave for an extended introduction. Is leave granted?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Joan Pratchler: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To you and through you, I would like to introduce Lucille Gilliland and her husband, Mark Gilliland, from Moose Jaw. Lucille is not only a Canadian but a Saskatchewan pillar of child care. She was born and raised in Moose Jaw and knows the families and community very, very well.

Lucille always liked to work with children, especially children with intensive needs, and had a special love for working with children through inclusion, and medically fragile children. Her family also volunteers in the community and within the child care sector as well, because they understand the importance of early learning and child care for formation years.

She continues to work in the Southwest Day Care, which has been around since 1975. Lucille has many designations, which has made her work so well respected over the years. She’s an independent certified instructor in baby sign language. She’s a certified family educator working with families and children, and learned much of this from supporting her brother with cerebral palsy since childhood.

[13:45]

Lucille has received many accolades over the years, many which I’ll mention in my member’s statement. And she’s very, very proud of the one when she received the Prime Minister’s Award for early child care and education.

It’s wonderful to see today that she’s here with her husband. And with that I invite all members to join with me to welcome Lucille and Mark to their legislature today.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Moose Jaw Wakamow.

Megan Patterson: — Hi. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Through you and to you, I would also just like to welcome Lucille and Mark. They’re constituents of mine in Moose Jaw on South Hill where I grew up. I’ve been to her daycare and she does a wonderful job. And I just want to thank her for her dedication to child care. So everyone please join me in welcoming Lucille and Mark again to their Legislative Assembly.

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 join with the member from Saskatoon Meewasin in welcoming these students from North Park Wilson. North Park Wilson was the first school I ever taught at in Saskatoon, so you might see my picture up on the wall from 2010.

But that’s not why I’m on my feet necessarily, Mr. Speaker. Two colleagues of mine: Deanna Fast, who I worked with at École College Park School, she is a very collaborative person and worked well with a friend of mine, Ms. Kelleher. And I’ve known Ms. Helms, Kara Helms, for a very long time. Is that okay if I say that? Ms. Helms has done so much to shape music in our city. She was the arts ed coordinator for Saskatoon Public Schools. And the ambitions that she has obviously has taken her to an administrative level. But the people of Saskatoon think so highly of you, Ms. Helms.

And I’d ask all members to join me in welcoming North Park Wilson staff Deanna Fast and Kara Helms to this, their Legislative Assembly.

Speaker Goudy: — How about we just go here just for a moment. I recognize the member from Saskatoon Centre.

Betty Nippi-Albright: — Request leave for an extended introduction.

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

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Betty Nippi-Albright: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to do a special recognition to a very special person in my life, and that’s my husband, Ivan. He is not one to be involved in the work that I do, and has always shied away from any involvement in the work. And under the circumstances, you know, he came here today. You know, and when I think about why I do the work I do, I wouldn’t be able to do that without the support and love of my partner.

And knowing that I don’t walk this journey alone means a lot. And having a loving and supportive partner to journey this life, walk this life with, means a lot to me. And I wouldn’t be able to have the strength and the courage to do what I do without that love and support from my husband, who shies away from anything politics and also just public. So for him to be here, to show support and his love for me . . . I love you, you know. I love you.

And he does a lot of work in taking care of me, in managing our home, in being there for our grandchildren, in being my chauffeur at times. It’s wonderful. And I know it wasn’t easy for him to come be here under the circumstances, but that’s the way he shows his love is to be present, to be there. And for that I will always be grateful for his love and support and for all that he does for me and our family.

So I ask all members to join me in welcoming my husband, Ivan, to his legislature.

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

Terri Bromm: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To you and through you, it’s my pleasure to welcome four grade 8 students and four grade 9 students from Pasquia Hills Christian School. Hi, everybody. The school, located about 14 kilometres from Carrot River, has 34 students from kindergarten to grade 9. It’s over an eight-hour drive round trip to get here today to be with us. So welcome again, everyone.

Today with them is their teacher Greta Koehn. Accompanying them are Russell and Karla Wiens, Robert and Joanne Wiens, Andrew and Kathrene Boese. And I really look forward to meeting with them and answering some questions today. And I am going to follow the more traditional treat and provide ice cream to our group here today. So I look forward to that.

And I’d like to ask all members in joining me to welcome these fine folks here to our Legislative Assembly.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Community Safety.

Hon. Michael Weger: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To you and through you, I have a few guests to introduce today, Mr. Speaker. I’ll start with one seated up in your gallery. It’s my constituency assistant, Krystal Heisler, and I welcome her to the gallery today to watch proceedings live. I know she watches every day from our constituency office back in Weyburn. And Krystal’s been a good friend, co-worker, a very trusted individual that I’m very lucky to have known for many years now.

And in turn, the constituents of Weyburn-Bengough are very lucky to have her as a constituency assistant as well. It seems like every time I’m back in the office, there’s another thank you card on the shelf from someone who’s writing in to say that she assisted them, or our office assisted them. So thank you to Krystal for being here today.

And second, Mr. Speaker, up in the west gallery I have my wife, Cara, and my youngest daughter Abigail. They’ve stopped by today, Mr. Speaker, on their way to Medicine Hat for a dance competition. Last weekend it was a hockey tournament here; this weekend it’s a dance competition.

And just a little bit about Abigail, Mr. Speaker: she’s a little bit shy, as you can see. But she’s really fallen in love with politics, Mr. Speaker, and in particular question period. And I believe she’ll be moving over to your gallery so she gets a better perspective on question period here today. And one piece of feedback from Abigail: I think she would like if, when she’s watching at home, she could control the camera, Mr. Speaker, to see the entire Chamber. So do with that what you will, Mr. Speaker.

And with that, Mr. Speaker, I’d just like everyone to welcome Abigail, Cara, and Krystal to this, their Legislative Assembly.

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

Hon. Ken Cheveldayoff: — Yeah, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Second time around. I have noticed in the Speaker’s gallery two community leaders known across Saskatchewan: Lise Merle and Mike Couros. And I just want to thank both of you for all you do in the province.

And I know Lise a bit. I know of her and all the work that she does. Mike Couros, I know him. I got a lot on this guy, I tell you. But he does so many things in the community of Saskatoon for sure. And I think back to my early career. I think the first event that I did officially as an MLA back in 2003 was Care & Share, and it was Mike Couros and former MLA Ted Merriman and others that led that. And they provided school lunches for students very quietly behind the scenes and did that.

So, Mr. Speaker, today I want to recognize Lise Merle and Mike Couros for all that they do across the province, and welcome them to their Legislative Assembly. Thank you.

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

Betty Nippi-Albright: — Sorry, 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.

Betty Nippi-Albright: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just was notified of two people that just popped in that are friends of mine. And they missed by a few minutes . . . As I was introducing my husband, I didn’t realize that they just popped in here. Anyway I want to introduce Allyson Schaefer and Lorne Gill that messaged and said, we’re coming. And I was just notified that they’re here.

So it’s always wonderful to have people that are supportive and also to have friends to come and listen to the proceedings in the House. So thank you so much for your support, your friendship, and surprising me with this visit here in the Chamber today. And it’s very heartwarming.

So with that, thank you so much. And I ask all members to join me in welcoming Lorne and Allyson to their Legislative Assembly.

PRESENTING PETITIONS

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

Jared Clarke: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to present a petition calling on the Saskatchewan government to implement rent control now.

The undersigned residents of the province wish to bring to our attention the following: that Saskatchewan tenants are currently experiencing the highest level of rent increases in the country; that without rent control landlords can implement unchecked rent hikes, making housing increasingly unaffordable and unstable; that with rent control residents can budget more effectively, potentially putting them in a position to save for a down payment on their first home; that provinces such as British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, and Prince Edward Island have already implemented rent control measures to protect tenants and maintain housing affordability.

Mr. Speaker, I’ll read the prayer:

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

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

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

Hugh Gordon: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to present a petition to the Legislative Assembly to enact an advocate for persons with disabilities Act.

We, the undersigned residents of the province of Saskatchewan, wish to bring to your attention the following: that 24.6 per cent of the Saskatchewan population have a disability; that barriers and obstacles to full and equal participation and inclusion are social, attitudinal, physical, financial, and policies and practices that make it difficult for people with disabilities to achieve full and equal participation and inclusion in society; that Alberta put forward the Advocate for Persons with Disabilities Act in 2017.

The Government of Saskatchewan’s 2015 disability strategy recommends supporting inclusion by a mechanism to address systemic issues. Options include developing a vulnerable persons commissioner or advocate. That an office of the advocate for persons with disabilities should (1) report directly to the Legislative Assembly; (2) undertake independent, individual, and systemic reviews, investigations, and reporting; (3) initiate and oversee examinations of government policy, practice, or legislation; and (4) provide guidance on available disability supports and services.

We, in the prayer that reads as follows, respectfully request the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan call on the Government of Saskatchewan to immediately enact an advocate for persons with disabilities Act.

Mr. Speaker, the signatories to this petition reside in Regina and White City. I do so present.

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

Tajinder Grewal: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise to present a petition to fix the crisis in health care.

The undersigned residents of the province of Saskatchewan wish to bring to your attention the following: that in the past five years the health care closures across rural Saskatchewan disrupted services for a total of 8,613 days; that 3,953 of those days were disruptions to Saskatchewan emergency rooms; that Saskatchewan has the longest wait times for knee and hip replacement surgeries; that Saskatchewan people deserve to have adequate and accessible health care where and when they need it.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I’ll say the prayer that reads as follows:

Respectfully request that the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan call on the Government of Saskatchewan to immediately address the short-staffing crisis in health care and work with health care workers on solutions to improve patient care.

The petition has been signed by residents of Saskatoon. I do so present. Thank you.

Deputy Speaker B. McLeod: — I recognize the member from Regina Coronation Park.

Noor Burki: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise to present our petition to proclaim October of each year as Islamic Heritage Month.

[14:00]

We, the undersigned residents of the province of Saskatchewan, wish to bring to your attention the following: that Islam is the second-most common religion in Saskatchewan, accounting for 2 per cent of the population; that between the 2001 census and the 2021 census, the Muslim population of Saskatchewan grew elevenfold; that the Muslim organization in Canada was first registered in Regina, Saskatchewan in 1934 by Lebanese immigrants; that Muslims across the province contribute to Saskatchewan’s culture, economy, and community; that the Muslim community must currently reapply every year to have October recognized as Islamic Heritage Month; that the Government of Canada, Alberta, Ontario, Manitoba, and Newfoundland and Labrador have all proclaimed October as Islamic Heritage Month.

We, in the prayer that reads as follows, respectfully request the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan proclaim October of each year as Islamic Heritage Month.

Mr. Speaker, the signatories of this petition reside in Regina. I do so present.

STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

Deputy Speaker B. McLeod: — I recognize the member from Regina Rochdale.

Trailblazer in Child Care Makes a Difference

Joan Pratchler: — Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I rise today to acknowledge an icon of child care, Lucille Gilliland, who has been a leader and a trailblazer in the field of child care, not only in Moose Jaw but in Saskatchewan and Canada.

She’s currently the executive director of the Southwest Day Care and Early Learning Centre in Moose Jaw, and she’s worked there for many, many years — nearly 40 years. Her focus has always been creating a safe and inclusive daycare for children with special needs and those that are medically fragile.

Lucille has been recognized for her work many, many times. Here are some of her highlights. The Prime Minister’s Award for early child care and education, regionally in 2003 and again in 2013. She’s only one of a few people to receive an award more than once. She’s also received the 2020 Queen’s Platinum Jubilee medal for her work in the industry, the RCAF [Royal Canadian Air Force] 100‑year pin for work in the community, and most recently her centre has received Rick Hansen inclusion and accessibility certification, one of only two in Saskatchewan.

Lucille, you and your family are proof that when a kind heart, hard work, and perseverance meet, anyone can make a difference. And Lucille is surely a shining example of that. Congratulations, Lucille.

Deputy Speaker B. McLeod: — I recognize the member from Dakota-Arm River.

Safety and Health Week Fosters Safe Environments

Barret Kropf: — Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I rise today to recognize Safety and Health Week, taking place from May 4th to the 9th. This important week reminds us that preventing injury and illness is a shared responsibility whether at work, at home, or in our communities.

Safety is fundamental to keeping Saskatchewan strong, proactive, and growing. When we prioritize health and safety, we support workers, families, and businesses, and we help ensure that everyone can return home safely at the end of the day. Our government believes in protecting Saskatchewan, and that begins with putting Saskatchewan residents first. By putting safety, health, and well-being as a priority, we help make this province the best place to live, work, and raise a family.

Safety and Health Week is an opportunity for us all as employers, employees, and citizens across Saskatchewan to pause, reflect, and renew our commitment to fostering safe environments and a strong culture of prevention.

I encourage everyone to take the time this week to focus on safety, look out for one another, and help build a safer workplace and healthier communities. Everyone deserves to be safe and healthy, and together we can make that a reality this week and every day. Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker.

Deputy Speaker B. McLeod: — I recognize the member from Regina Douglas Park.

Al Ritchie Community Association Makes the Holidays Brighter

Nicole Sarauer: — Mr. Deputy Speaker, I rise today to highlight the Al Ritchie Community Association’s annual holiday drive. The Al Ritchie Community Association does incredible work all year round, but their impact is most apparent during the holiday season when the need is so great.

In Saskatchewan household budgets are already extremely tight. For many families in our communities, the ability to cover the added cost of gifts, warm clothing, and food during the holidays is simply out of reach.

This is why the Al Ritchie Community Association sources, organizes, and distributes donations of toys, warm winter clothing, and food every year around the holiday season. These donations make a world of difference for so many community members, as they help folks face the cold winter months and provide families with supplies that make the holidays feel special.

I had the privilege of spending time with the dedicated staff and volunteers this past year as they sorted and distributed donations of food, clothing, and gifts for countless community members who braved the frigid weather to access support.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, I ask that all members join me in thanking the Al Ritchie Community Association, the incredible staff, and the selfless volunteers for working tirelessly to make the holiday season brighter for so many. Thank you.

Deputy Speaker B. McLeod: — I recognize the member from Prince Albert Carlton.

Honouring Prince Albert Sports Hall of Fame Inductees

Kevin Kasun: — Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. This past weekend, both the Minister Responsible for Parks, Culture and Sport and I were very happy to attend the 2026 Prince Albert Sports Hall of Fame 34th induction banquet. Mr. Deputy Speaker, it was a wonderful event hosted by Mitch Holash with Dave Monette starting off the evening with bagpipes and greetings from Saskatchewan’s Sports Hall of Fame executive director Erin Stankewich and Prince Albert Sports Hall of Fame president Barry Mihilewicz.

We saw athletes like Joel Mihilewicz in racquetball; Katelyn Lehner in track and field. And as a side note, not only an athlete, Katelyn did an amazing job singing the national anthem.

Leah Tyree in volleyball, basketball, and track and field; builders Randy Emmerson and Tim Leonard in multi-sport and hockey. For meritorious service in multi-sport, football, and rodeo, Carol Soles and Rusty Clunie. We celebrated the 2013‑2014 Mintos AAA hockey team, and the World Cup of Softball host committee which was named Sports Organization of the Year.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, evenings like this are always a good reminder of what community is really all about. It’s about families, coaches, teammates, and volunteers who make it all possible, people show up supporting one another and helping create opportunities for others to succeed. I’d like to take this moment to congratulate all the inductees. They should be very proud of what they have accomplished and the impact they have had. Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker.

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

Public Safety in Saskatoon

Hugh Gordon: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to speak about public safety. People of my constituency are worried. They feel their streets aren’t as safe as they once were.

A stroll through downtown Saskatoon proves the point. Never thought I’d see the day when businesses on a major downtown street must keep their doors locked during business hours, yet entrepreneurs are now forced to lock customers out to protect their staff and patrons from violent crime. That is where we are.

Downtown businesses, the backbone of our communities, are being advised by police to lock their doors against the desperate, the violent, and increasingly the ill. Never before have I seen such urgent need on our streets — the need for physical and mental health services, for in-patient addiction care, and for housing.

We must heal the sick, not abandon them to the streets, and yet this Sask Party government offers no relief. There’s no plan to address these health and social crises. No plan to heal the sick, feed the hungry, or house the unhoused. Only more downloading onto our communities and allowing constituents to continue living in fear. Thank you.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Martensville-Blairmore.

Full Speed Ahead for Young Car Racer

Hon. Jamie Martens: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Imagine being just nine years old and already chasing speed, competition, and big dreams. That’s exactly where Carter Neudorf’s journey began. In 2022 Carter hit the track for the very first time. He didn’t just show up; he made an impression, finishing third overall and earning Rookie of the Year.

Year after year, he’s gotten only faster, sharper, and more determined. You’ll find Carter spending countless hours at Sutherland Automotive Speedway, not just racing but truly living the sport. And he’s gone beyond the driver’s seat — volunteering, giving back, and even stepping into the NASCAR [National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing] pit this summer. That’s not something many racers can say.

He’s been inspired by incredible role models like Blake Erb, Matthew Shirley, and Udi Saadon, learning from the best and pushing himself to be even better. 2025, his fourth year racing, what a year it was. He brought home the Bandoleros championship at just 13 years old. While most kids are figuring out what they want to try next, Carter is flying around the track at 100 kilometres an hour, loving every single second of it. Full speed ahead; go get ’em, Carter.

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

Canola Breeding Facility Provides Opportunities for Producers

James Thorsteinson: — Thank you. It’s another great day in Saskatchewan, Mr. Speaker. Earlier this year I rose in the House to speak about BASF’s $27 million investment to expand their Saskatoon canola breeding facility. And today I’m very happy to inform the House that they’ve turned the sod and started work on this momentous project. The expansion will add advanced infrastructure like precision-controlled growth systems and a research-grade glasshouse.

Mr. Speaker, canola is a critical crop for our value-added agriculture, and investments from major companies like BASF shows how much confidence there is in this province’s producers. It was thanks to this Premier working together with our federal and international partners that got tariffs reduced on our canola products.

Mr. Speaker, investments like this mean more jobs and more opportunities for our producers. But with BASF’s announcement, we’re still seeing the positive results of that trade deal. By expanding its research capabilities in Saskatchewan, BASF is strengthening its ability to deliver differentiated solutions that can drive greater yields, improve disease protection, and offer overall enhanced performance for farmers.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Government of Saskatchewan, thank you to BASF. And thank you to their work for over 625 Saskatchewan employees for the good work they do. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

QUESTION PERIOD

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

Addictions Services and First Responders

Carla Beck: — Mr. Speaker, Saskatoon firefighters are overrun responding to drug overdose calls. In April there were 680 calls in that city alone. That’s nearly one drug overdose call every hour and every day of that month.

Still, Mr. Speaker, we see nothing in terms of the desperately needed investment in front-line resources from that Premier. What is it going to take for him to act?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Premier.

Hon. Scott Moe: — That’s simply not the case, Mr. Speaker. In this province we have traditionally had about 500 recovery beds. We have built out 300 additional recovery beds across the province, intensive recovery beds. Two hundred more in this very budget, which the members voted against but have the opportunity this week or next to redeem themselves and vote for the appropriation, for the dollars to be invested into those 200 intensive recovery beds, Mr. Speaker.

Over 100 municipal police officers, 180 RCMP [Royal Canadian Mounted Police] officers, and Saskatchewan Marshals Service building their capacity, Mr. Speaker, to keep our communities safe. Over 30 of those municipal officers are right in the city of Saskatoon. Front-line officers to support the safety in the community, to support those individuals that may be living a life of addictions and to help us — each of us as individuals and a government — to provide those recovery opportunities for those very individuals, Mr. Speaker.

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

Carla Beck: — Mr. Speaker, let’s talk about the record of failure of that Premier and that government. The firefighters themselves, they say that this massive spike in overdoses comes in the wake of the sudden closure of Prairie Harm Reduction last month, Mr. Speaker, when more than 100 front-line health care workers providing needed services were sidelined in this crisis without warning. Right now in Saskatoon alone we see 400 vacant health care positions.

Mr. Speaker, these are people who should be working on the front lines of this crisis, who we need to be working on the front lines of this crisis. Why has this Premier failed to hire all of these workers so they can get to work saving lives in that city?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Premier.

Hon. Scott Moe: — I think the member opposite is alluding to the closure of Prairie Harm Reduction, a safe injection site that was never funded by the Government of Saskatchewan, Mr. Speaker. Not once were we funding that particular site, Mr. Speaker.

As the minister said on numerous occasions, and in this very budget, there are 200 additional recovery beds. That is the focus of this government, is to provide a recovery opportunity for individuals that are living a life of addiction, if they so choose, and support the work that is happening at those recovery centres, Mr. Speaker. There are many, many employment opportunities to fill those 200 intensive recovery beds, intensive recovery sites, to provide that opportunity for recovery for individuals in this province, Mr. Speaker.

We have a very focused plan. It’s focused on building 500 intensive recovery beds, Mr. Speaker, and supporting our enforcement agencies so that they can stop the drugs from coming into our communities and coming into our province. We need to prevent these poisonous drugs from coming into our province and into our communities, and prevent these drugs from being available to our friends and family members, Mr. Speaker. That is the approach of the government. It’s a very focused approach, and it’s one that we invested in in this budget.

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

Carla Beck: — Mr. Speaker, that Premier’s plan is failing the people of this province. Now we’ve asked that Premier for over a week now when those drug treatment spaces, those additional spaces, will become available.

[14:15]

The Premier himself has admitted that the existing spaces in this province are nearly full. We know that people are waiting weeks and weeks for life-saving care that they need.

Mr. Speaker, is this Premier actually comfortable with people in this province waiting for weeks for life-saving care? And why, Mr. Speaker, won’t he apologize for failing the people of this province every step of the way during this drug crisis?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Premier.

Hon. Scott Moe: — Mr. Speaker, as I said, we have been investing — and I would say investing heavily — in building out to our commitment of 500 intensive recovery sites across this province, Mr. Speaker. And they are looking to hire people to ensure that those sites can come online this fiscal year. They’re funded in this budget.

As I said, the NDP [New Democratic Party] has an opportunity to correct in my opinion what was a wrong in voting against this budget, vote for the appropriations bill. We have a very focused plan. We’ve discussed that on the floor of this Assembly, Mr. Speaker.

From what our understanding is, is that the opposition also has a plan that was funded by the taxpayers of the province. They have a secret drug report, Mr. Speaker, and we’d ask the Leader of the Opposition to table it today.

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

Measures to Prevent Children’s Exposure to Drugs

Carla Beck: — Mr. Speaker, the recommendations of that secret report were discussed in committee for five hours. I suggest the Premier check the record, Mr. Speaker.

Failure is the record of that Premier on this issue. This Premier also has failed to take the necessary action to learn from the heartbreaking deaths of children in this province — 13 children who died due to exposure to toxic drugs. Mr. Speaker, the number one responsibility of his government, of any government, is to protect the most vulnerable, our youngest citizens. These were babies, Mr. Speaker.

Will the Premier, will he today launch a formal review of every single one of these deaths so that we can get to work making sure that a heartbreaking tragedy like a child dying from exposure to toxic drugs never happens again in this province?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Premier.

Hon. Scott Moe: — Mr. Speaker, the way to keep children safe, the way to keep residents in this province safe, is to remove the poisonous drugs that are in our communities. That’s why we invested in 100 additional municipal police officers. Over 30 of those are in the . . . Well the member opposite talks about ideology, Mr. Speaker. This is a government that is focused on investing in our enforcement officers, front-line enforcement officers in community after community across this province to ensure that they have the resources, they have the resources, Mr. Speaker . . .

[Interjections]

Speaker Goudy: — I’m just going to ask you to be listening careful to the responses, please, and we’ll listen good to the questions as well.

Hon. Scott Moe: — They have the resources to take those drugs away and stop those drugs from coming into our communities, Mr. Speaker. For those that unfortunately are already living a life with addictions, we have a very concrete and definitive plan on building our intensive recovery capacity out to 500 beds in this province.

What I was alluding to the other day, Mr. Speaker, unfortunately given the level of drugs that has entered our nation — entered our continent largely, but entered our nation, our province, and our provincial communities — we will likely have to go beyond those 500 intensive beds to ensure that we have the capacity and the access points through urgent care centres and complex-needs facilities to ensure that people are able to voluntarily access those 500 beds or whatever we need to build to, Mr. Speaker.

And in addition to that, we have a small number of people that will fall under The Compassionate Intervention Act, again voted against by the members opposite just yesterday, Mr. Speaker. An Act that was asked for by municipal leaders, Indigenous leaders, police chiefs, and — most important — families asking for the opportunity to intervene and provide their loved ones with a life of recovery.

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

Request for Head of Health Care Company to Appear at Committee

Jared Clarke: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Now that Premier can’t seem to get it together. Earlier this week we submitted a letter to the Chair of the Human Services Committee requesting that the CEO of EHN be called to appear before the committee. Now yesterday we asked the Premier to respond, and the Premier flat out denied such a letter existed.

Now his members, Mr. Speaker, can log in to something called MLA portal, and they can see that letter, which was uploaded before the House sat yesterday. Now you can only assume that they’re not reading their emails.

So can the Premier get his facts straight today? And more importantly, will he call for the CEO of EHN to testify at committee?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Premier.

Hon. Scott Moe: — Mr. Speaker, I believe the Chair of the committee received a letter at some point after 2:30 yesterday afternoon, after question period. So, Mr. Speaker, when the member asks for us to get our facts straight, maybe he could look in the mirror.

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

Jared Clarke: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Now if the Premier or the committee Chair are having trouble accessing MLA portal, there is a clearly labelled button on the log-in page. And it reads, and I quote, “Forget your password?” So perhaps they should click on that and they could read the letter.

But we are trying to get answers out of an unelected individual who oversees many of the mental health and addiction treatment spaces in this province, a man who models his treatment around aerial combat in the Korean War. And this government can’t even check their emails.

So why won’t the Premier take this drug crisis seriously and allow the CEO of EHN to answer questions before the committee?

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

Hon. Lori Carr: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our government is focused on ensuring that people struggling with addictions challenges can get access, and timely access, Mr. Speaker. That is why we work with community partners. These partners are chosen through a process of qualified companies. It’s rigorous, it’s fair, and it’s competitive.

The company that they’re talking about, Mr. Speaker . . . And I will quote Seann May, a firefighter. He actually said he attended a program last year at EHN’s counselling for addictions, and he said it was phenomenal, that he thought the world of that program, Mr. Speaker . . .

[Interjections]

Speaker Goudy: — Order, please.

Hon. Lori Carr: — Mr. Speaker, these are the types of services that we’re providing here in the province of Saskatchewan to help people get into that life of recovery through those addictions treatment spaces that the Premier’s been talking about. And we won’t apologize for the services that we’re providing to offer families hope, Mr. Speaker, with a bed and recovery.

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

Future of Information Services Corporation

Aleana Young: — You know, Mr. Speaker, later today we’re due to vote on the Sask Party’s bill to sell off ISC [Information Services Corporation of Saskatchewan]. It’s a bill of broken Sask Party promises, and these promises are going to drive up costs for Saskatchewan people.

The members opposite, they promised that no one beyond the people of Saskatchewan would ever own more than 15 per cent of ISC. Promise broken. They promised that the data of Saskatchewan people would never leave these borders. Promise broken. They promised that jobs would stay here. And, Mr. Speaker, promise broken.

Why is the Minister of CIC [Crown Investments Corporation of Saskatchewan] breaking all of those promises that Premier Brad Wall and the Sask Party made a few short years ago?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of CIC.

Hon. Jeremy Harrison: — Well thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I would encourage the members to actually read the bill. The bill was put in place to make sure that the protections for the Saskatchewan public are enhanced.

That is why we are ensuring, through the golden share, the head office remains right here in Saskatchewan, Mr. Speaker. That’s why we’re ensuring through legislation that jobs remain right here in Saskatchewan, Mr. Speaker. That’s why we’re including in the legislation provisions to make sure that the intellectual property managed by ISC stays right here in Saskatchewan, Mr. Speaker.

That’s why we’re adding a provision to the golden share that makes sure that the master services agreement is not just a contract, but it’s legislated, Mr. Speaker, to make sure that those services remain in place for the people of this province. Those members need to actually read the bill.

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

Aleana Young: — Mr. Speaker, this sell-off is going to mean higher costs for Saskatchewan people. Anybody starting a business, buying or selling a home or a farm — it’s going to raise their costs. All of this is going to get more expensive after ISC is taken over by a private company. Fees will go up when these out-of-province investors jack them up to maximize profit, squeezing families, farms, and small businesses for every dollar they can.

Now, Mr. Speaker, under this minister’s plan, that’s a feature, that’s not a bug. So, Mr. Speaker, just who is this minister working for? Is he working for the people of Saskatchewan, or is he working to ease the way for a giant, out-of-province, Quebec-based private company?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of CIC.

Hon. Jeremy Harrison: — Well these members demonstrate day after day why nobody takes them seriously, including their own MLAs, Mr. Speaker . . .

[Interjections]

Speaker Goudy: — Order, please.

Hon. Jeremy Harrison: — Well, Mr. Speaker, these members demonstrate day after day why they are taken seriously by nobody, including members of their own caucus . . .

[Interjections]

Speaker Goudy: — Member from Saskatoon Chief Mistawasis, I’d like to call you to order, please.

Hon. Jeremy Harrison: — Well, Mr. Speaker, again they demonstrate over and over again why they’re taken seriously by nobody. The reality is that we are strengthening the provisions of the master services agreement, which contains the prices in the long term over 30 years, Mr. Speaker. And that is not just in the contract now. That is actually being moved into the legislation.

I would say, Mr. Speaker, again these members need to actually read the bill and what it does, because that member actually introduced an amendment yesterday that would mandate the renegotiation of that contract. We have a 30‑year agreement in place, and we’re going to keep it.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Cumberland.

Motion regarding Constituency Office Lease

Jordan McPhail: — Well thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I have to say that in my time as the shadow minister for ethics and democracy, I have found that one important tool for ensuring transparency and openness when it comes to this government is through using ISC. And let me tell you, you can learn a lot there.

Transparency is something that is in short supply with this Sask Party government. This morning I moved a motion to release the lease for the member from Saskatoon Willowgrove, but that was voted down by government members.

Why did the Sask Party government vote against transparency at committee this morning?

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

Prevention of Damage to Highways due to Flooding

Darcy Warrington: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This province is feeling the effects of the Sask Party government’s cuts to highways — a dozen or so impassable roadways today, Mr. Speaker. But they have cut the highways capital budget by $20.5 million. They cut the capital spending for dams and water supply channels by 16 per cent.

Now families are displaced. So many highways have been washed away. Communities in states of emergency. That minister failed to prepare. Now the people of Saskatchewan pay the price.

Why did that minister cut the highway capital budget?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Highways.

Hon. Kim Gartner: — Well thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I want to once again extend my appreciation to our highway teams. The road crews have been out all weekend and all week, working around the clock to ensure the safety of all motorists, quickly responding to changing conditions. Motorists are advised to check the Highway Hotline before they head out, and travel conditions are changing constantly.

The Ministry of Highways will continue to work beside the SPSA [Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency], WSA [Water Security Agency] to provide updates as needed. The ministry also remains in contact with many affected municipalities and communities to ensure the most up-to-date information is available.

And yes, Mr. Speaker, once the water levels begin to recede, damages will be assessed and repairs will be made to ensure continued safety for all those using our highways.

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

Darcy Warrington: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s unfortunate people have to use the Highway Hotline in the spring as opposed to in the winter when they normally would be.

But that being said, despite taking in hundreds of millions of dollars via the gas tax, there are, as I said, a dozen or so impassable highways that need immediate repair today. It’s unfair to ask the people of this province to pay the price for something the government won’t invest in. They tax the drivers 15 cents a litre — most residents using over 1800 litres a year, Mr. Speaker — and fail to provide safe and reliable highways.

Now families and their communities pay the price. Is that minister satisfied with his flood season prep?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Highways.

[14:30]

Hon. Kim Gartner: — Well thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our budget this year for the Ministry of Highways is $764 million. That budget will continue to improve the safety and enhance key transportation corridors for this growing province.

Our capital budget this year is $401 million. This year’s budget will improve more than 850 kilometres of provincial highways. In the seventh year of our Saskatchewan growth plan, we will build and upgrade 10 000 kilometres by the year 2030. We are now at 7900 kilometres and well on track to meet our target.

I would ask the members opposite . . . In your recent NDP campaign platform in 2024, you did not even mention highways once despite billions of promises of spending in other areas. Mr. Speaker, I ask them to pick a lane.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Athabasca.

Leroy Laliberte: — Well thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just to let that minister know, the lanes are washed out right now.

And to no surprise, that minister also cut the funding to northern Saskatchewan, Mr. Speaker. Northern communities are forced from their homes today and being evacuated. Over 26 communities have declared a state of emergency. Sturgeon Lake First Nation has also joined in declaring a state of emergency today, Mr. Speaker.

Now I want to say this, Mr. Speaker: there’s some roads in northwestern Saskatchewan that I brought up before that had a 20‑year lifespan and that started in the ’70s. So there’s a road at the Patuanak English River right now that has washed away in five different places. Now that’s a road that I’ve brought up numerous times in this Assembly, Mr. Speaker. Road into Beauval. Road into Pinehouse. Smooth Stone bridge washed away last night.

Now if this government did something properly in the 19 or 20 years that they’ve been government, that road would have been fixed already, Mr. Speaker.

So my question, Mr. Speaker, is that the North does need reliable highways. They need reliable highways today. In case of emergency, these people are stuck in their communities, Mr. Speaker. They only have one road in and one road out. Why is the minister not supporting these northern communities? And why is he continuing to cut the highways funding?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Highways.

Hon. Kim Gartner: — Mr. Speaker, you know, we don’t dedicate funding to any specific areas within the budget. It is a global highways budget. But we do take very serious the ability for our northern residents to safely and reliably travel between communities to services and to the rest of the province. That will always be a priority.

Mr. Speaker, this year’s budget has more than $86.3 million to build, operate, and maintain northern infrastructure, which is consistent with the five-year average of over $80 million annually. Over the past 10 years, the ministry has invested over $72 million in maintenance and capital improvements on Highway 102, 123, and 135. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Restrictions on Farm Landownership

Trent Wotherspoon: — Mr. Speaker, Monette Farms, a corporate mega-farm with massive Saskatchewan land holdings, has fallen into financial trouble and is in creditor protection with many impacts on producers and the province. This operation has been touted as the future of agriculture by the Premier and the Agriculture minister.

This is also at a time when producers are facing skyrocketing input costs with fertilizer and fuel prices soaring and challenging commodity prices. All the while, this government has been lax on illegal foreign farm-landownership and permitting the consolidation and purchase of farm land by large investment trusts and funds.

We need to urgently act to bring together the agriculture community, producers, and their organizations. Will this government work with us to urgently convene a special committee to focus on agriculture, including the creditor protection of this mega-farm and its impacts, the soaring costs of inputs, and economic fundamentals of farming and farm landownership? Quite simply sitting on their hands and looking the other way isn’t serving the interests of producers.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Agriculture.

Hon. David Marit: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Being a farmer all my life and still owning farm land today, nobody wants to see a farmer in financial difficulty. And that’s an issue that obviously that entity will work through with their financial institution in how they want to work it.

That’s why our government has taken farm landownership very, very seriously, Mr. Speaker. That is why we strengthened the regulations prior to. That is why we implemented all the recommendations from the Provincial Auditor. All nine of them have been implemented. Obviously everyone has to sign a declaration now in the purchase of farm land.

That is why we’ve also engaged with the industry now to do a fulsome review of the farm land security Act. That is ongoing now. We’ll probably carry on right through to fall and until early next year. The recommendations that will come forward through all of that consultation will be something that our government will graciously have a very good look at and see if there’s changes that have to be made that can be made, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Cumberland.

Future of Crown Corporations

Jordan McPhail: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Sask Party has promised time and time again that they won’t sell off our Crowns. Today what is clear is that Sask Party government plans to sell off ISC. Promise made, promise broken.

On this side of the House, we will do everything in our power to protect and bolster our Crowns. As shadow minister for SaskTel, I can’t help being concerned for that minister’s future plans.

To that minister: will he commit on record right now that SaskTel will never be sold?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of CIC.

Hon. Jeremy Harrison: — Well, Mr. Speaker, we’ve been very, very clear. SaskTel is not for sale.

But what they have not been clear about is SaskPower. They stood up in the House last week and advocated for the deregulation of the electricity market in this province, which by necessity would mean the privatization of SaskPower, Mr. Speaker. That is something that is never going to happen because of the fact that we have been able to use our Crowns to attract $60 billion of investment, including — under construction right now — a $12 billion data centre, the third-biggest project in the history of Canada, which they’re opposed to, Mr. Speaker.

WITHDRAWAL OF ITEM OF BUSINESS

Bill No. 623 — The Building Code Regulations (Henry’s Law) Amendment Act

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

Erika Ritchie: — Mr. Speaker, pursuant to rule 15(2), I wish to withdraw item no. 1, Bill No. 623, The Building Code Regulations (Henry’s Law) Amendment Act from the order paper.

Speaker Goudy: — Pursuant to rule 15(2), item no. 1 is withdrawn.

PRESENTING REPORTS BY STANDING AND SPECIAL COMMITTEES

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

Colleen Young: — Mr. Speaker, I’m instructed by the Standing Committee on Crown and Central Agencies . . .

Speaker Goudy: — Oh, I’m . . . She’s also in this as well. I’m sorry. I recognize the other . . . Deputy Chair of the Standing Committee on House Services.

Standing Committee on House Services

Nicole Sarauer: — Mr. Speaker, I am instructed by the Standing Committee on House Services to report that it has considered certain estimates and to present its fourth report for the thirtieth legislature, which includes the 2026‑27 estimates and 2025‑26 supplementary estimates no. 2. I move:

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

Speaker Goudy: — It has been moved by the Deputy Chair of the Standing Committee on House Services:

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

Is the Assembly ready for the question?

Some Hon. Members: — Question.

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

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Speaker Goudy: — Carried. I recognize the Chair of the Standing Committee on Crown and Central Agencies.

Standing Committee on Crown and Central Agencies

Colleen Young: — Mr. Speaker, I’m instructed by the Standing Committee on Crown and Central Agencies to report Bill No. 57, The Information Services Corporation Amendment Act, 2026 with amendment.

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

Hon. Jeremy Harrison: — I request leave to waive consideration in Committee of the Whole on this bill and that the bill and its amendments 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. 57, The Information Services Corporation Amendment Act, 2026 and that the bill be now read the third time. Is leave granted?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Speaker Goudy: — When shall the amendments be read the first time?

FIRST AND SECOND READING OF AMENDMENTS

Bill No. 57 — The Information Services Corporation Amendment Act, 2026

Hon. Jeremy Harrison: — I move that the amendments be now read a first and a second time.

Speaker Goudy: — It has been moved by the minister that the amendments be now read a first and second time. Is it the pleasure of the Assembly to adopt the motion?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Speaker Goudy: — Carried.

Deputy Clerk: — First and second reading of the amendments.

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

THIRD READINGS

Bill No. 57 — The Information Services Corporation Amendment Act, 2026

Hon. Jeremy Harrison: — I move that the bill be now read the third time and passed under its title.

Speaker Goudy: — It has been moved by the minister that the bill now be 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.

Some Hon. Members: — No.

Speaker Goudy: — Call in the members.

[The division bells rang from 14:40 until 14:46.]

Speaker Goudy: — All those in favour of the motion please stand.

[Yeas — 32]

Moe

Gartner

Kaeding

Marit

Cockrill

Reiter

Hindley

Harrison, J.

Cheveldayoff

Schmalz

Jenson

Weger

Martens

Wilson

Beaudry

Rowden

Ross

McLeod, T.

Carr

Crassweller

Steele

Young, C.

Harrison, D.

Weedmark

Kropf

McLeod, B.

Patterson

Bromm

Hilbert

Chan

Thorsteinson

Kasun

Speaker Goudy: — Would all those opposed to the motion please stand.

[Nays — 24]

Beck

Ritchie

Burki

Clarke

Mowat

Wotherspoon

Teed

Young, A.

Gordon

Laliberte

McPhail

Sarauer

Breckner

Blakley

Grewal

ChiefCalf

Jorgenson

Brar

McBean

Warrington

Pratchler

Housser

Senger

Roy

Deputy Clerk: — Mr. Speaker, those in favour of the motion, 32; those opposed to the motion, 24.

Speaker Goudy: — I declare the motion passed.

Deputy Clerk: — Third reading of this bill.

PRESENTING REPORTS BY STANDING AND SPECIAL COMMITTEES

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Chair of the Standing Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs and Justice

Standing Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs and Justice

Blaine McLeod: — Mr. Speaker, I am instructed by the Standing Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs and Justice to report Bill No. 52, The Heritage Property Amendment Act, 2026 without amendment.

Speaker Goudy: — When shall this bill be committed to the Committee of the Whole on Bills?

Hon. Alana Ross: — Mr. Speaker, I request leave to waive consideration in Committee of the Whole on this bill and that the bill now be read a third time.

Speaker Goudy: — The minister has requested leave to waive consideration in the Committee of the Whole on Bill 52, The Heritage Property Amendment Act, 2026 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. 52 — The Heritage Property Amendment Act, 2026

Hon. Alana Ross: — I move that the bill be now read the third time and passed under its title.

Speaker Goudy: — It has been moved by the minister 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.

PRESENTING REPORTS BY STANDING AND SPECIAL COMMITTEES

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Chair of the Standing Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs and Justice.

Standing Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs and Justice

Blaine McLeod: — Mr. Speaker, I’m instructed by the Standing Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs and Justice to report Bill No. 54, The Correctional Services Amendment Act, 2026 without amendment.

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

Hon. Michael Weger: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. 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 to waive consideration in the Committee of the Whole on Bill No. 54, The Correctional Services Amendment Act, 2026 and that the bill be 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. 54 — The Correctional Services Amendment Act, 2026

Hon. Michael Weger: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move that the bill be now read the third time and passed under its title.

Speaker Goudy: — It has been moved by the minister 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.

PRESENTING REPORTS BY STANDING AND SPECIAL COMMITTEES

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Chair of the Standing Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs and Justice.

Standing Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs and Justice

Blaine McLeod: — Mr. Speaker, I’m instructed by the Standing Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs and Justice to report Bill No. 56, The King’s Bench Amendment Act, 2026, a bilingual bill, with amendment.

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

Hon. Tim McLeod: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I request leave to waive consideration in Committee of the Whole on this bill and that the bill and its amendments be now read a third time.

Speaker Goudy: — The minister has requested leave to waive consideration in the Committee of the Whole on Bill 56, The King’s Bench Amendment Act, 2026 and that the bill be now read the third time. Is leave granted?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Speaker Goudy: — When shall the amendments be read the first time?

FIRST AND SECOND READING OF AMENDMENTS

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

Hon. Tim McLeod: — Mr. Speaker, I move that the amendments be now read a first and second time.

Speaker Goudy: — It has been moved by the minister that the amendments be now read a first and second time. Is it the pleasure of the Assembly to adopt the motion?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Speaker Goudy: — Carried.

Deputy Clerk: — First and second reading of the amendments.

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

THIRD READINGS

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

Hon. Tim McLeod: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move that the bill be now read a third time and passed under its title.

Speaker Goudy: — It has been moved by the minister 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.

ORDERS OF THE DAY

GOVERNMENT ORDERS

Deputy Clerk: — Committee of Finance.

Speaker Goudy: — I do now leave the Chair for the Committee of Finance.

[15:00]

COMMITTEE OF FINANCE

General Revenue Fund

Executive Council
Vote 10

Subvote (EX01)

Chair B. McLeod: — The business before the committee are the estimates for Executive Council. The first item of business is the main estimates for Executive Council, vote 10, found on page 51 of the Government of Saskatchewan Estimates book.

Before we begin I would like to advise the Committee of Finance of the process. First I will invite the Premier to introduce his officials, followed by calling the estimate, and the Premier can make his opening remarks. Would the Premier please now introduce his officials.

Hon. Scott Moe: — Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I would just take a moment to introduce the officials that have joined us here today.

Starting two chairs over from my own is Raynelle Wilson. She’s a deputy minister to myself, Mr. Speaker, and serves so very competently. And I’m very thankful for her service in leading our public service across the province of Saskatchewan. To Raynelle’s right, to my immediate left, is my chief of staff, Jared Dunlop.

To my right is Reg Downs. He’s the senior advisor to myself, Mr. Speaker, and a long time been involved with the Government of Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Party Government of Saskatchewan. I suppose he was involved with the former government as well, but it was in a different capacity, Mr. Speaker. And I say that tongue-in-cheek, Mr. Speaker.

Sitting behind me to my left is Sean Wilson. He’s the director of our House business and research within the Government of Saskatchewan.

And I’d like to just thank all of these officials publicly for their service to the people of this province.

Chair B. McLeod: — Thank you, Mr. Premier. Executive Council, vote 10, subvote (EX01), central management and services. The Premier may proceed with his opening remarks.

Hon. Scott Moe: — Thank you very much again, Mr. Chair. And I’d like to thank all the members for attending not only today but throughout this session, doing the work on behalf of the folks that we represent.

This budget that we will deliberate today — in amongst many other things, I’m sure — it’s called Protecting Saskatchewan, and that’s exactly what this budget does. It’s protecting the things that matter most to the people that live in this province, the families that live in this province: affordability, health care, education, and the strength of our communities.

But it does more than just protect. At a time of so much global uncertainty, when many places are focused simply on holding their ground or protecting what they have today, Saskatchewan — in addition to protecting what we have today — is building momentum. We’re seeing confidence in this province unlike we have seen any time in our provincial history. More than 60 private sector projects, add to that another project this morning with the BASF innovation research announcement, Mr. Speaker. Over 60 private sector projects representing over $62 billion of private sector investment in this province.

In fact, two of the three largest private capital investments in our nation are happening right here in our very province of Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan also remains the most affordable place to live in Canada. And this budget strengthens that advantage for Saskatchewan families with additional income tax reductions so families can keep more of what they earn, Mr. Speaker, at the front end of the process.

At the same time we’re making progress in health care, in education, in public safety, community safety, and investments that are improving the services that people and families rely on to make a real difference in their everyday life.

This combination of affordability, growth, and investment, it isn’t happening anywhere else across the nation. And this budget provides the very backbone to support this momentum and keep our province moving forward.

Three clear themes emerge from this session: affordability, health care, and accountability. And each one is focused on protecting the people that live in this province, the people that we represent as their government.

First on affordability, a few comments. Members opposite, well they continue to call for a number of temporary measures to address the cost-of-living concerns that we are seeing across the nation and, yes, families are seeing in our province.

And our government has taken a different approach to that conversation — one focused on lasting relief. Paying less taxes, for instance. We’re delivering permanent tax reductions that grow each year right through to 2028. We campaigned on that commitment. That was the commitment that we made to people just over a year ago.

And we’ve either implemented or are in the process of implementing each and every affordability measure that we had in that platform that people voted for in this province. So together those affordability measures now total two and a half billion dollars in each and every budget, annualized each and every year.

We did not use, unlike other provinces, global uncertainty as an excuse to back away from the commitments that we had made to the very people, the families across Saskatchewan. We used it as a reason to follow through with those commitments that we had made, those commitments that they had voted for. And to keep Saskatchewan the most affordable, and might I add, the best place in Canada to live.

Today Saskatchewan residents benefit from the second-lowest utility bundle in the nation of Canada. A family of four earning $100,000 pays nearly $4,500 less in provincial income tax than they did in 2007. That same family pays no provincial income tax in the first $65,000 of combined income. That’s the highest tax-free threshold in the nation.

Now if that couple were recent graduates, they can each benefit from the graduate retention program which is now increased to $24,000 per person. A program that again we see the opposition voted against.

If their kids are involved in sports and activities, they benefit from the active families benefit, which is increased to $300 per child. Again voted against by the members opposite.

And say they purchased their first home. They can take advantage of the first-time homebuyers tax credit, which our government has recently increased by 50 per cent to $15,000. Again opposed by the members opposite.

Now let’s say they’re renovating that very home after they purchased it. They benefit from the home renovation tax credit, which our government reintroduced and made permanent, allowing them to claim up to $4,000 against their income tax — once more, something we saw the members opposite vote against.

Altogether our tax reductions have saved people in this province more than $5 billion. And once fully implemented in 2028, 166,000 Saskatchewan residents will be removed from the provincial tax rolls entirely. That means 166,000 lower income residents in our province will not be paying a single dollar in provincial income tax, quite an attestation to this province being the most affordable province to live in. That is what lasting affordability looks like, and that is what our government means when we talk about helping people keep more of what they earn.

With respect to health care — very much on the minds of us on the floor of this Assembly and, I think, very much in the minds of the families that we represent across the province — this spring our government introduced the patients-first health care plan. It sets out 50 clear, measurable action items to ensure that Saskatchewan residents get the right care in the right time and at the right place. This budget backs up that plan with record investment in health care. And we’re making progress, and I would say that we’re starting to see some results from those action items.

Chronic nursing vacancies across Saskatchewan are down 61 per cent. In rural and northern Saskatchewan that reduction is even larger, down 72 per cent. We filled every one of our medical residency seats this year, all 162 of them, including five new residency positions in Melville, in Nipawin, and in Yorkton. In 2025 alone there was more than 100,000 surgeries that were completed, and we’re on track to meet our goal of performing 450,000 surgeries by 2028.

[15:15]

We’re also continuing to invest in the infrastructure that is needed to support care closer to home, wherever you live. The right place, Mr. Speaker, is the goal of the patients-first initiative. The new Weyburn hospital, for example, will be completed later this year. Construction of the new Prince Albert Victoria Hospital is also well under way and will serve the residents not only of that city but in the surrounding area and throughout the entirety of northern Saskatchewan. Planning and pre-design work is under way for new hospitals in Yorkton as well as in Rosthern. Here in Regina the single largest investment that this province has ever undertaken in long-term care is well into construction, Mr. Speaker.

And we are adopting new and innovative tools that are available today that weren’t available in years gone by to ensure that we are supporting our health care workers so that they have that innovation, today’s innovation and today’s tools, so that they can improve outcomes in our health care system. For example we’re expanding access to urgent care centres across the province with a new urgent care centre under construction in Saskatoon and five more to go across Saskatchewan: another one in Regina, another one in Saskatoon, Prince Albert, Moose Jaw, and North Battleford.

And, Mr. Speaker, we can see evidence that the urgent care centre here in Regina is not only alleviating some of the pressures — not removing, but alleviating some of the pressures — in our emergency rooms here in Regina but is allowing for quicker access to health care professionals for Regina and surrounding area families.

On the issue of expanding urgent care centres, critics have pointed to the hours of operation, focusing on the fact that they’re not open 24 hours a day. We’re focused on the outcomes of those centres, very much focused on the outcomes in all of the patients-first initiatives, all 50 of them that are there.

Urgent care centres do reduce the pressures that we see on our emergency rooms and expand access to care for Saskatchewan families. And we’re going to continue building and staffing them rather than walking away from what is a very real solution for Saskatchewan families to access care and to improve outcomes of that care.

Staffing challenges are real across our nation, not just in Saskatchewan, but we are experiencing staffing challenges here as well. But we need to continue working towards solutions, Mr. Speaker, to staff not only the facilities we have but new facilities that are being built, rather than explaining why those facilities may have temporary disruptions. We definitely won’t apologize for choosing progress over paralysis.

We’re also increasing access for patients with more complex needs in our communities, including a new facility under development as we speak in Prince Albert. We’re strengthening the workforce for our future, in particular in health care. Nine hundred new health care training seats. That includes 20 additional seats at the College of Medicine. Ten new residency positions. Increasing our nurse practitioner training seats by 45 per cent. These kinds of advancements and investments and expansions are not happening in other provinces across our nation.

And this was a tough budget. And yes, it does include a deficit, but it reflects a very clear choice by this government. We chose not to step back from investing in health care, but we chose to invest in real outcomes and improving the health care that Saskatchewan families can access. We’re continuing to invest in people. We’re continuing to invest in facilities and training and technology and always investing in everything that we can do to put patients first.

While other provinces we see pulling back, Saskatchewan is keeping its focus where it matters most by helping people get that right care at the right place and at the right time. With record investments in health care and a very clear direction put out in the patients-first plan that will guide our investments into the future, Saskatchewan is very well positioned. And we’re going to stay focused on improving those outcomes in our health care system for Saskatchewan families.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, we come to accountability. Throughout this session, we’ve seen the members opposite repeatedly avoid taking responsibility for conduct that falls short of the standard that Saskatchewan people expect from those that they elect to serve them on the very floor of this Assembly.

This session, for example, began with an email sent by the Leader of the Opposition’s chief of staff and their campaign coordinator to their supporters encouraging them to hate those that they disagree with. And I want to place those words on the record again. And I quote, “Just take a moment and think of all the faces of all those you hate so much: Scott Moe, Tim McLeod, Jeremy Harrison, Jeremy Cockrill.” Those targeted for hatred are public servants. They are parents and they are members of their respective communities, and they are members of our provincial community.

There was no termination. Saskatchewan residents still pay the salary of this individual. There was no apology. Instead the Leader of the Opposition chose to double down. This stands in direct contrast to what we have seen leaders of the opposition do in the past, when their staff or candidates made these kinds of what I would just say are disgusting comments. Cam Broten took action and he fired his candidates. Lorne Calvert took action and he fired his campaign staffers. This Leader of the Opposition did not.

And that lack of accountability has continued. The member for Regina Rochdale publicly insulted a respected community leader, a former mayor, by calling him a troll. The member from Regina South Albert attacked SaskPower officials during committee proceedings. The member from Saskatoon Silverspring attacked a Saskatchewan marshal, prompting SGEU [Saskatchewan Government and General Employees’ Union] to write the members opposite a letter and say, and again I quote, “Do not expect SGEU to stay silent as you publicly attack our members past, present, or future. We will not allow attacks on our members from any political party.”

The member from Regina Elphinstone-Centre has encouraged young people to not pursue careers in health care on the very floor of this Assembly, at a time when there is a government that is working very hard and investing in recruiting and retaining health care professionals in facility after facility across this province. The NDP went on further to claim that the city of North Battleford was forced to pay for private security, prompting the city itself to publicly correct this information that was put out.

And the NDP deceptively also sliced and edited a video to make it appear that the president of SUMA [Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association] was endorsing their policy or their plan, when she was in fact speaking about the government’s municipal revenue-sharing program.

Mr. Speaker, in our province and for each of us, the MLA code of ethics is very clear: “To our colleagues in this Assembly, we owe loyalty to shared principles, respect for differences, and fairness in political dealings.” And I would ask Saskatchewan people if they feel that the Leader of the Opposition and the NDP have lived up to that code of ethics.

While the opposition has been focused on division and distraction, our government has stayed focused on our responsibility. And our responsibility is to the people and families in this province to protect what matters most to them: protecting their affordability — most affordable province in the nation — protecting their health care system and improving outcomes when they utilize that health care system, protecting our education system, and protecting our communities.

This afternoon we’re going to have the opportunity to discuss a budget that reflects belief in this province and in its people, and a budget that protects Saskatchewan and supports the way of life that we all value.

Mr. Speaker, we talk a lot about a lot of different things on the floor of this Assembly, so it’s hard to summarize an entire session in just a few minutes, but I’m going to make an attempt to do so.

I’m going to read two quotes: “We had a choice: cut services, raise taxes, or protect Saskatchewan. We chose to protect Saskatchewan.” That’s from our ’26‑27 budget, Mr. Speaker. “This is a comprehensive, province-wide strategy to improve access to care and ensure everyone in Saskatchewan receives the right care in the right time at the right place.” That’s from our patients-first health care plan, Mr. Speaker.

And if I want to sum up this session in two sentences from the government’s perspective, that’s what this session was about — protecting Saskatchewan and putting patients first.

I also found two quotes to sum up the members opposite’s session as well, Mr. Speaker, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t read those into the record as well. First quote: “Just take a moment and think of all of the faces of the ones that you hate so much: Tim McLeod, Jeremy Harrison, Jeremy Cockrill.” And I missed my name on there, Mr. Speaker. “The ones you hate so much.” That’s an NDP fundraising email from the NDP leader’s chief of staff, of who the people of this province are still paying the salary of.

Second quote, sum up the members opposite’s session: “In good conscience I can no longer support the direction of Carla Beck’s leadership.” Mr. Speaker, that’s the member from Saskatoon Centre yesterday, who just abandoned the sinking ship known as the NDP opposition.

Those two quotes, I would say, pretty much sum up the NDP’s session, Mr. Speaker. And they sum up largely the contrast between the vision that the government members have, the vision the government has on behalf of the people that we represent, versus the vision of distraction, Mr. Speaker. It pretty much sums up the difference between the governing party and the belief that we have in moving this province forward versus the members opposite.

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Leader of the Official Opposition.

Carla Beck: — Mr. Chair, thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I’d like to thank the Premier in advance and his officials who have joined him here today and to all the members of Committee of the Whole.

Mr. Chair, I am really looking forward to getting into questions, so I’m going to keep my preamble, my opening comments, pretty short. I do have a few questions, and I hope we get some answers today.

But before I do that, I do want to say thank you to this team — a team that is focused on the future of this province, a team that is focused for now on our role as the official opposition, a team focused on holding this government to account, but most importantly a team that’s focused on the reality and the challenges that Saskatchewan people are facing.

I think it’s been pretty clear throughout this session — you might have even heard some of it here — that this Premier and his government, they don’t share that focus. Hopefully we can draw the Premier’s attention back to that, the reason that we all serve. I’m hopeful today that the Premier and I will have a good debate, as I said maybe even get some answers, and talk about where we’ve been during that Premier’s time in office as well as the choices in front of Saskatchewan people and where we go from here.

So, Mr. Chair, drawing that attention back to the people of this province, where it rightly should be, I want to talk about one of the main concerns that we hear from people right across this province, something we hear every day, and that’s around the cost of living. Since the conflict started in the Middle East, we’ve seen gas prices soar, causing real hardship for Saskatchewan people. In some places we’ve even seen that price per litre shoot upwards of $2 a litre.

Now we’ve seen recently the federal government acting to provide some relief, that much-needed relief to drivers. But we haven’t seen that from the Premier. Yesterday, Mr. Chair, it didn’t seem like he really knew what the price of gas was.

My question is — and this is a question I hear all the time from the people of this province — why has that Premier refused to suspend his gas tax and cut the people of this province a break?

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Premier of Saskatchewan.

[15:30]

Hon. Scott Moe: — Thank you, Mr. Chair. We’ve answered this question on the floor of this Assembly numerous times, and I explained it in the affordability section of my opening comments as well, as this government has taken a very deliberate approach to leave more dollars in Saskatchewan families’ pockets when they earn it, Mr. Speaker.

And there’s a number of measures that we campaigned on in the most recent election, Mr. Speaker, that we have now implemented or are in the process of implementing as well. And that savings, Mr. Speaker, of roughly about $4,400 for a family of four now, we believe that goes a long way to ensuring that not only today Saskatchewan is the most affordable place to live, but it will continue to be the most affordable place to live into the future.

However the Leader of the Opposition rightfully points out that with geopolitical challenges that we’re having, in particular oil tankers — fertilizer tankers as well for our ag producers — are caught in that strait, Mr. Speaker. It’s quite an economic channel for getting goods to the world out of a number of countries, Mr. Speaker, in the Middle East.

But the choice that we have made is to make permanent reductions and incentives that touch virtually everyone in this province, whether they be a student, whether they be some of our community’s most vulnerable, whether they be a senior, Mr. Speaker, living in our communities as well. And we felt it important to touch everyone, and not just those that might drive or drive more, but touch everyone with a permanent tax reduction or permanent incentive that they will see, Mr. Speaker, year in, year out — not just in the year where we’re seeing some global unrests that are impacting fuel prices.

So I’ll go through and list a few, Mr. Speaker. But as I said, we lowered the personal income tax, indexed that tax so that a family of four will see significant savings over the course of the next four years, going a long way to ensuring that we remain the most affordable province in the nation. Second-lowest utility bundle in Canada, Mr. Speaker, is preserved throughout this year.

We’ve reduced the education property tax. We have the active families benefit that increased, Mr. Speaker; we increased the income threshold on that $300 per child that families will be receiving. We enhanced the children’s drug plan. The first-time homebuyers tax credit, which I mentioned again in my opening comments; increased that from 10 to $15,000. We worked closely with the federal government on the child care program, Mr. Speaker, renewing and enhancing the child care program to ensure that those children that might have aged out of the program as they turned six mid-year, that they would be covered throughout the rest of that particular school year, Mr. Speaker.

There’s funding in here for those that need care when it comes to diabetes care, insulin pumps for continuous and flash glucose monitors, Mr. Speaker. Those programs were expanded as well. There’s funding in here for individualized autism funding as well, Mr. Speaker, to support not only the child but to support the family as well as they support their child that may have autism. There is a list of initiatives, Mr. Speaker, that I could find my way through here for the next couple of hours.

But we do see some changing in policy stances by the members opposite. It was after the 2020 election that we had committed to a 10 per cent reduction in power rates for a year, Mr. Speaker. And the members opposite had had some comments with respect to that, specifically the member from Regina South Albert, who had said — and I quote from her social media page — “Giving a 10 per cent power rebate to big donors and users doesn’t seem like good public policy to me,” Mr. Speaker. But now they call for that exact public policy.

We have taken a different path, Mr. Speaker, to ensure that the tax reductions, the incentives, the savings, the ensuring that Saskatchewan remains the most affordable place to live, is here not just this year but into the future as well.

Mr. Speaker, one of the ways — and I’m sure we’re going to get to discuss this as well — that we can ensure that Saskatchewan remains affordable is to watch very closely the challenges that we have across Canada in not only our existing power supply, make sure it’s affordable and reliable, but how we are going to power our province, our homes for families, and the industries that are creating jobs in our communities, Mr. Speaker. And the focus of our Saskatchewan power utility is to have affordable, reliable power today and affordable, reliable power into the future.

Mr. Speaker, we’ve seen one plan come from the members opposite this spring. And it was a power plan, Mr. Speaker, that they had come forward and spoken many times to the fact that that plan was going to include LNG [liquefied natural gas]. And so I just want to put on the record for Saskatchewan people what that would mean to Saskatchewan people and where the members opposite position was on this fuel that would cost in excess of 10 times more than the power fuels that we are using today.

So first, Mr. Speaker, at the municipal convention, the Saskatchewan urban municipal association’s convention right here in Regina — I believe it was April the 13th of 2026 — the leader said, and I quote:

Absolutely. I mean baseload is an important part. Our plan makes use of LNG, both importing LNG from other provinces but also increasing that LNG production, transmission here in the province as well. And I think that’s a key difference. Absolutely we need baseload. I think certainly we know that. The independent modellers [from Quebec, I presume] that we engage with on this plan understand that well; these are leading experts. Ours not only addresses that need for baseload, for predictability, but it also does so in a way that doesn’t double power rates in the province.

No, it likely ups them 10 times actually, Mr. Speaker. Again on April the 13th at that convention, the Leader of the Opposition one more time:

This is a practical plan that meets the needs of people in this province that does, as we talked about, include the use and expansion for that baseload power of LNG.

Mr. Speaker, we go on to April the 17th, I believe. No, let’s go to April the 14th. Pardon me. The Leader of the Opposition said in SaskToday, April 14th of 2026 . . . [inaudible interjection] . . . Oh there’s more coming. Mr. Speaker, that one’s pretty close to the last one.

Mr. Speaker, I’ll go on to April the 17th, where the member from Regina University did an interview in Prince Albert, Mr. Speaker. And a post from that interview is a photo about their plan, and she states, “And that will involve LNG.”

We go on to April the 27th in a SaskToday article, Mr. Speaker, as you find your way through the article to page 3 of 4: “Our plan makes use of LNG, both importing LNG from other provinces but also increasing that LNG production here at home.” Doubled down on the LNG commitment once again, Mr. Speaker.

And then on . . . Oh, I’ll back up to April. Still on April the 27th in an interview with Pipeline News, Mr. Speaker. The title of the article is “LNG, the NDP’s electrical plan and Spaceballs.” Never good when your policy and the one plan that you have released this session, Mr. Speaker, is being referenced as Spaceballs. But as always with NDP policy, it could be worse.

Mr. Speaker, we go to the very last sentence in that article: “As for LNG?” This is the author of the article, Mr. Speaker. And I quote: “As for LNG? That’s just nuts. Beck should know better.” That’s from the article. I’d like to take the opportunity to table all three of these articles, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, but this should be no surprise because policies that governments enact . . . And as my friend the previous member from Melville-Saltcoats used to say, Bob Bjornerud, and he said, in opposition you could say anything, Mr. Speaker, but when you become government, whatever you say, Mr. Speaker, automatically becomes a policy.

And so we see that in true form on many topics and policies that are made, decisions that are made with respect to policies, in particular how they impact our economy. And we’ve seen this in spades over the last eight years with our federal government and the policy initiatives that they have moved on, Mr. Speaker. The costs will come and the costs in many cases have come from those federal policies.

And I want to point to one, Mr. Speaker, and it was supported by these members on the floor of this Assembly many times and their federal counterparts in Ottawa every time. And that was the policy of the carbon tax. There was one government and one party, Mr. Speaker, in this province that stood feverishly against that silly tax that had no environmental impacts, only had detrimental economic impacts, time and time again.

And herein lies the difference of what we see today, Mr. Speaker, with respect to the opposition. It’s just like when you hear them speak today that they never voted for the carbon tax, time and time and time again. And now they want to go to Saskatchewan people and say, “Oh no, no, no, no. We never supported that policy. We never supported that policy.” They stood on their feet and voted for it time and time and time again.

Mr. Speaker, the same is happening with their commitment to the LNG, their LNG power plan — the only plan that they’ve released this year. A fuel that would be 10 times the cost of what we currently use today, Mr. Speaker. As they say it’s LNG, they double down in each and every scrum, each and every media opportunity. On the floor of this Assembly they doubled down. It’s LNG, it’s LNG, it’s LNG. We’re going to truck it in from British Columbia or the United States of America, Mr. Speaker.

And then when they realized that the true costs are going to be borne by Saskatchewan families, they said, oh no, no, no, no, we didn’t mean LNG after all. It’s just like the carbon tax. No, no, no, no, we didn’t support the carbon tax.

Mr. Speaker, what I would say to the people of this province is, when someone tells you who they are and what their policy is, believe them the first time.

[15:45]

Chair B. McLeod: — Before I recognize the Leader of the Opposition, I’m going to make a comment. I’m going to make a comment myself before I recognize the leader. Decorum in this place is important, and I’m going to insist on it on both sides of the House. With that said, I recognize the Leader of the Opposition.

Carla Beck: — Mr. Chair, I’ve only stood in this Assembly for 10 years and I’ve not seen a change of government, but I have heard from many that when a government gets a little too comfortable, when they start drinking a little too much of their own bathwater, when they’re past their best-before date, there will be signs, Mr. Chair. I will leave that with the Premier.

Now I’m not sure if he understands the fact that I have the ability to take some time to formulate questions, even respond to some of the comments, but I’m going to try to draw him back to the people of this province, to the matter in front of us. Because you know, Mr. Chair, the people of this province deserve that, and frankly they deserve better than what they just saw from that Premier.

Now I will state clearly again and emphatically, we do not support the carbon tax. I said it from the floor when I was running for leader. I’ve said it time and time again, Mr. Speaker.

With regard to the LNG comment, I made a mistake, Mr. Speaker, when I added an L to natural gas. This is, you know, shocking apparently to members opposite. It’s embarrassing — I will acknowledge that — but it was a slip of the tongue. Now the plan that is hiding on the internet, gridandgrowth.com, very clearly, very clearly does not include a plan for LNG. Natural gas, yes. So let me just correct the record.

Let me draw it back to the people of this province and that government’s “deliberate approach” when it comes to affordability in this province. Their deliberate approach has Saskatchewan people using the food bank in record numbers. Their deliberate approach has Saskatchewan people with the highest rate of mortgages in arrears in the entire country. And their approach, Mr. Chair, has health care workers sleeping in their cars after they care for our loved ones.

So he had a problem with being called, as many Saskatchewan people are calling for cutting the gas tax, but we’ve put forth other ideas too. I’ve got a list of them here. I’m going to ask them all at once so maybe, you know, we can save some time. Cut the $25 million Sask Party tax on groceries, the $20 million Sask Party tax on kids’ clothing. Stop, stop their plans to impose rate hikes on car insurance. Pass our rent control Act and stop the madness with 43 months of continuous rent hikes for the people of this province. Pass legislation put forth by the member from Saskatoon Southeast to crack down on AI [artificial intelligence] price gouging, and support my private member’s bill to increase competition and decrease grocery prices.

There’s a list. Will the Premier take us up on any one of them? Because the people of this province deserve a break, and they need a break.

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Premier of Saskatchewan.

Hon. Scott Moe: — Mr. Speaker, I would extend the very same offer to the members opposite: to vote to support the appropriation. I wish they would have voted to support the budget with a number of the aforementioned . . . And I’ll go through a list again of the affordability measures that total two and a half billion dollars in this very budget, Mr. Speaker.

This is what we’ve been focused on. This is the policy of the government, and this is what I suspect government members will be voting on, and voting very positively and emphatically on, later this week. So to answer the member’s question, in short, is this is the focus of the government. This is what we will be supporting.

It’s more than fine for the members opposite to bring forward their temporary suggestions, Mr. Speaker, but the government is very deliberate in ensuring that Saskatchewan remains the most affordable province in the nation of Canada. And I’ll get to that in a moment, Mr. Speaker. But again . . . Mr. Speaker, maybe I’ll get to that right now.

When you go to the budget documents, starting on page 61, there’s some intercity comparisons of taxes, utilities, housing, and family at different income levels, Mr. Speaker. So we could start at a family income level of $75,000. When you take into account provincial income tax; any credits and rebates; health premiums; sales tax; gasoline tax; your household costs, like your home heating, electricity, cellular, auto insurance, Mr. Speaker; your housing costs, mortgage costs, property taxes — all of this taken into the affordability matrix, Mr. Speaker — the most affordable city across the nation is Regina, Saskatchewan, Mr. Speaker.

The total costs for a family with an income of 75,000 is 29,388. When you compare that to, for instance, an NDP government in British Columbia who ranked 10th, that number is 77,324. It’s actually more than they make. I’m not sure how they manage that in that particular NDP province, Mr. Speaker. Going across the province, Winnipeg ranks quite well, Mr. Speaker — 32,000 — but third, much higher than in Regina.

Let’s go to a different income level on the next page. Mr. Speaker, this would be the budget documents, page number 62. Increasing that intercity comparison at the family of $100,000 total income level, the first-ranking city in the nation of Canada again is Regina, Saskatchewan, Mr. Speaker. Most affordable place to live in the nation if you are a family and you have an income of $100,000. Mr. Speaker, again Winnipeg is third, again Vancouver is 10th, and we go through the rest of the cities across the nation.

But let’s increase that to $125,000, Mr. Speaker, of family income. Mr. Speaker, the first-ranked city, the most affordable city in the nation of Canada to live: Regina, Saskatchewan, Mr. Speaker. At all of those income levels for a family, Saskatchewan remains the most affordable place to live. And I point to pages 61 and 62 of the budget documents, Mr. Speaker.

I do want to just respond to one comment, Mr. Speaker, somewhat trailing from the last question on the position of the opposition when it comes to the federally imposed carbon tax in this province. There was a motion that was moved on the floor of this Assembly on October the 25th of 2016. And I’ll quote the motion on page 868, October 25th, 2016:

That the Assembly supports the Government of Saskatchewan’s position on climate change as outlined in the climate change white paper released on October 18th, 2016; and further

That this Assembly oppose the federal government’s plan to impose a national carbon tax.

Mr. Speaker, the yeas and nays, and the yeas had it in that particular vote. There was 48 individuals that voted to support this Assembly, oppose that carbon tax, Mr. Speaker. There were eight nays, and I want to read into the record the names of the eight nays, Mr. Speaker. And everyone can check this out, and I’ll table it after so it’s available: Wotherspoon, Sproule, Beck — let me do that again — Wotherspoon, Sproule, Beck, Chartier, Forbes, McCall, Belanger, Rancourt, Mr. Speaker. Those were the individuals that voted for the federal government’s carbon tax, Mr. Speaker, on the very floor of this Assembly.

So I say once again to Saskatchewan people . . .

Chair B. McLeod: — I just need you to make sure that you refer to the MLAs — MLA — make sure that not just their last name, but MLAs . . . Read that back into the record again, please.

Hon. Scott Moe: — My apology. The MLAs that voted against the motion to oppose the federal government’s carbon tax. Thank you for that clarification. I’ll read them into the record again.

Chair B. McLeod: — Why is the member on her feet?

Nicole Sarauer: — I’m asking that the Premier keep his answers relevant, at least somewhat relevant to the question, please. He’s been filibustering the last two questions 45 minutes each, barely even touching the questions that the Leader of the Opposition had been presenting to the Premier, Mr. Deputy Chair.

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Government House Leader.

Hon. Tim McLeod: — In response to the Opposition House Leader’s point of order, Mr. Chair, I would point out that the Leader of the Opposition opened her question with exactly this content. The Premier is addressing the question as it was framed. He is exactly on point in terms of the content of the question.

I understand the members of the opposition don’t like the answer, but he is certainly on topic, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Chair B. McLeod: — My suggestion here is that we are having wide-ranging questions that allows for wide-ranging answers. And so I’ll ask the Premier to continue, please.

Hon. Scott Moe: — I will be very brief in the conclusion of my answer, Mr. Speaker. But I would like to just read the end of the motion again: “That this Assembly oppose the federal government’s plan to impose a national carbon tax.” Everyone on this side of the Assembly voted to support that motion, Mr. Speaker. And the MLAs that voted in favour of the federal carbon tax were again: Wotherspoon, Sproule, Beck, Chartier, Forbes, McCall, Belanger, Rancourt.

Mr. Speaker, again I would say to Saskatchewan people, when people tell you what their policy is, Mr. Speaker, believe them the first time. And I would table this.

[Interjections]

Chair B. McLeod: — I’ll call the member to order. Member from Saskatoon Meewasin, you will come to order and stay in order.

Nathaniel Teed: — Yes, yes, I will.

Chair B. McLeod: — Thank you. This document is tabled. I recognize His Majesty’s Loyal Opposition.

Carla Beck: — Well, Mr. Chair, there will be signs. I’m going to again try to draw that Premier’s attention back to today, to the people of this province. Now he doesn’t seem to want to respond or understand or believe that people in this province are struggling the way that they are, the way that we know that they are.

So I’m going to offer him a suggestion. He often doesn’t like my suggestions, but I’m going to offer it anyway. You know . . . [inaudible interjection] . . . Would you care to amplify that comment, Minister?

I suggest that he or maybe his Finance minister go and take their affordability matrix, go shop it around at the gas pump down on Albert Street. Or maybe in La Ronge. Maybe he wants to take it to folks who are, you know, at the grocery store putting items back, who are having to cut their medication in half so that they can afford to put some food on the table. Or maybe the folks coming out of the food banks, Mr. Speaker. Because maybe, just maybe then he’ll get what people in this province are facing and why we are trying to get that government to do something to address the crisis that’s in front of us.

[16:00]

And I’m going to go on to one more way that this government is making life more expensive for Saskatchewan people at a time when they simply cannot afford it. That’s their $136 million SaskPower hike, Mr. Chair, something that families and farms and small businesses in this province are paying that they can’t afford. They’ve got another hike coming next year.

My question is, why is this Premier hiking SaskPower rates twice in two years, even after he stood in this Assembly just a few short months ago and promised the people of this province that they weren’t even contemplating a rate hike? Mr. Chair, did he misspeak, and would he care to apologize to the people of the province?

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Premier of Saskatchewan.

Hon. Scott Moe: — Mr. Speaker, there is an increase to power rates that we have announced in this province to ensure that we can continue to deliver reliable power in an affordable way in this province. It’s part of our overall utility bundle, which is less . . . and I can read the numbers but we are less than many other provinces. But when you go across the nation as well, what we are seeing are increases to power rates in most, if not virtually all provinces, Mr. Speaker. And our increase is coming off a zero per cent increase last year, Mr. Speaker.

In Manitoba, when you look out over this year and the next three years, ’25 to ’29, they’re looking at 11 per cent increase in Manitoba. Mr. Speaker, New Brunswick’s looking at seventeen and three-quarter per cent, Mr. Speaker. That’s coming off a twelve and a quarter per cent in 2024, so significant increases in New Brunswick. Newfoundland is coming off, in 2024, seven; 2025, seven, Mr. Speaker; and an anticipated seven over the next number of years. BC [British Columbia] is coming, 2024, with six and a half per cent; 3.75 and 3.75 in ’25 and ’26.

So there are increases in power rates across the nation I would say to a couple reasons. One is inflationary costs are also being felt by our power utility companies, Mr. Speaker. And also power utility companies are preparing to not only continue to provide reliable power that we need today, but preparing for more power that will be necessary in the future, and in Saskatchewan, that more power will be necessary for a growing economy. As I said, we have over 60 projects with over $62 billion of private sector capital that is being invested.

What I would like to know, and I didn’t see it in the Grid and Growth Plan, Mr. Speaker. But what I would like to know is what the impact would be of replacing our fuel source with LNG, a cost 10 times more than what we’re currently using, Mr. Speaker. And if that was not the language that was in the Grid and Growth recommendations that came from their consultant . . . I think their consultant came from Quebec, but I’m not sure.

But I would maybe ask the members opposite to table that report that came from that consultant, Mr. Speaker, if for no other reason, so that we can ensure and advise Crown utilities to not use a consultant that is going to recommend we use a fuel source that is 10 times the cost of what we currently have available, Mr. Speaker. I don’t think that would be prudent policy making or it would be prudent for Crown utilities or any ministry across this government actually to use a consultant that is going to make that type of a recommendation like they did to the NDP Party.

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize His Majesty’s Leader of the Loyal Opposition.

Carla Beck: — Mr. Chair, I think I’ve been clear on the record. As I said, that plan is available at gridandgrowth.ca. Perhaps the Premier has never made any mistakes in his life. When I make a mistake I apologize, I correct the record, and I move on to what is important. Right now that is what we’re talking about here.

I find it a bit extraordinary, Mr. Chair, that the Premier had no knowledge of those inflationary costs and somehow he became aware some time between December the 4th and January the 2nd. But I’ll leave that there.

It’s not just us that are calling out this SaskPower rate hike and the way that it was sprung on the people of this province, the farms, the families, the businesses. SARM [Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities] and the CFIB [Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses] have spoken out, and so has SIECA [Saskatchewan Industrial Energy Consumers Association] — SIECA, a group representing the largest power users in the province, those sectors like mining, agriculture, manufacturing, and health care, Mr. Chair.

And I’m going to quote a couple of quotes from the letter that they sent the rate review panel. First, and I quote:

The lack of transparency or adherence to established processes not only weakens confidence in the Crown rate setting, but it also creates broader uncertainty regarding the investment climate in Saskatchewan.

I end the quote. Here’s the second quote:

Further, any discussions on exploring the viability of adding carbon capture units to offset emissions is another factor that must be closely examined with respect to affordability as compared to a new natural gas plant or further renewable investment.

While SIECA can appreciate the importance of energy security and SaskPower’s all-of-the-above approach to its asset generation mix, affordability remains a vital concern. And natural gas generation is affordable, reliable, and extremely flexible in its ability to complement renewable energy.

However an all-of-the-above approach should also include all-of-the-above solutions moving forward rather than heavily investing mostly in coal in the short term.

To summarize, this Premier’s costly plan not only makes life more expensive for Saskatchewan people and businesses and farms, it puts jobs and investment at risk. Will he please scrap his rate hike, scrap the coal rebuild, and focus on reliable, affordable natural gas?

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Premier of Saskatchewan.

Hon. Scott Moe: — I’ll make some comments with respect to power costs, Mr. Speaker, and I put on the record a number of those costs in the previous answers.

I also want to address the fact that humans make mistakes as well, Mr. Speaker. We all do, and it’s important for us to acknowledge when that happens, Mr. Speaker. And so I would ask the Leader of the Opposition if it was a mistake to authorize or to support in any way those emails that went out inciting hatred to individuals. To me that would be a good place to acknowledge that a mistake was made and take the appropriate action, like previous leaders.

Mr. Speaker, in this province we have a number of projects that are moving forward. And I’d referenced the over 60 projects with over $62 billion of investments, many of them in the ag space. I look at Cargill that will be coming online in very short order, Mr. Speaker. In fact there’s already a ramping up just outside the city of Regina here, very much in the agricultural space, Mr. Speaker.

As we find our way to a nuclear future in this province, Mr. Speaker, and look to provide that affordable, reliable power into the future, we need to ensure that we have that affordable, reliable power today. And the most affordable, reliable power source that we can find is to utilize the existing assets that we have, Mr. Speaker. To replace the existing assets that we have and to build, that would be a $21 billion cost, Mr. Speaker.

We can replace and utilize our existing assets as we find our way to that nuclear future, whether it’s small modular reactors or maybe even large-scale reactors, Mr. Speaker, whichever makes economic sense and operational sense for our Crown utility, Mr. Speaker. But we can do that by utilizing the existing assets we have. And by utilizing those assets we can also attract the investment that we see landing in this province here today, because we have the power available for those investments to move forward.

Most notable I think, and most recent . . . Well BASF this morning, with a $27 million investment in Saskatoon, would be the most recent. But another most recent or more recent or somewhat recent investment announcement was the data centre right here in Regina, Saskatchewan, Mr. Speaker, which is a $12 billion investment, the third-largest investment in the nation right now and most certainly will use some power that we have available, but will provide 1,600 jobs for not just Regina and surrounding area but across the province, Mr. Speaker. That’s what utilizing our existing power resources can provide for us, is careers, opportunity, and buy us the time that we need to build out our nuclear future.

And I want to mention a number of other investments, Mr. Speaker, starting with $39 billion in projects in the mining sector. Another, the 12.1 billion in the data centre space. And then forestry, oil and gas are 20 projects in that space, about $7.4 billion, and about $4 billion in the agricultural space. That’s allowing us largely to make the agriculture industry more efficient, but also allow us to climb the value chain, to start exporting ingredients like canola oil, for example, as opposed to canola seed.

Among these investments is the Jansen potash mine, second-largest private sector investment in the nation of Canada today. So first is the LNG Canada plant. Second is the BHP mine here in Saskatchewan. Third is the data centre here in Regina, Saskatchewan. Two of the largest three investments in our nation are happening in our province right now. That is unlike any time in our province’s history.

We have the mine expansion at K+S just north of the city. The McIlvenna Bay metals mine, what was the Foran Mining project, Mr. Speaker, now is Eldorado. The Wheeler River uranium mine, that’s by Denison mines, Mr. Speaker. The Rook I uranium mine, that’s by NexGen Energy. We have Paladin working on a third mine. Again two operating uranium mines in our province today. Two more approved and likely a third on the way, all going to start construction.

We have a pea-processing facility at Yorkton. The data centre I mentioned. Drake Meats has invested in their meat processing facility. SAGD [steam-assisted gravity drainage], a project by Strathcona at Plover Lake and Meota, two of them. Prairie Lithium project. Mr. Speaker, we have investments being made in the helium industry, and I think some opportunity is coming in that space as well.

[16:15]

You add to this all of the ongoing investments by globally leading companies, Mr. Speaker, whether it be in the oil industry, companies like Whitecap, the only net zero oil company operating on earth. Strathcona, Cardinal, Cenovus, all operating in our province, all with a very strong environmental sustainability matrix, Mr. Speaker, and creating jobs for many Saskatchewan residents.

We have, in addition to BHP and K+S, Mosaic. We have Nutrien, Mr. Speaker, in the potash mining space. I forgot Urano and Cameco in not only the uranium mining space, but now moving into the actual nuclear reactor space as well, Mr. Speaker. So we now today have a Saskatoon company that owns one of the global-leading nuclear companies, Mr. Speaker. And that’s certainly technology that we would want to look at as we move forward.

Each of these projects had decisions to make around power rates. Each of these agricultural projects had decisions to make to locate here around the power rates, the utility bundle, the regulatory environment that we have in this province, Mr. Speaker. And what we see is a record number of investments, either by dollars or by number in this province, unlike anything we’ve seen in our provincial history. Over 60 projects, over $62 billion, private sector dollars being invested, Mr. Speaker. Going to create construction jobs, yes, but going to create many, many ongoing jobs as well for Saskatchewan residents, Mr. Speaker.

I would also say, just in this time of uncertainty — not just in our nation or our continent, for that matter, but around the world — what we are seeing happen in Saskatchewan with these 60 projects, $62 billion in multiple different industries, Mr. Speaker, is unlike anything that we see happening in any other province across the nation right now.

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Leader of the Opposition.

Carla Beck: — Mr. Chair, I’ve got a shorter question for the Premier. How much is it going to cost to refurbish the coal plants?

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Premier of Saskatchewan.

Hon. Scott Moe: — Mr. Speaker, the most recent report and estimate that we have — in an inflationary environment, yes — is a report by Hatch. I’ll name the company. It’s $2.6 billion to refurbish the coal plants that we’re looking at here today, Mr. Speaker. That’s the latest estimate that SaskPower Corporation has.

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Leader of the Opposition.

Carla Beck: — Mr. Chair, I’m going to take a little walk down memory lane. The minister first said that the cost to rebuild, refurbish those coal plants would be under a billion dollars. SaskPower put the cost at $2.6 billion in its submission to the rate review panel. That was a tripling of the price in just a few months.

But, Mr. Chair, the story doesn’t end there. We have obtained leaked internal documents from SaskPower showing that the costs are now projected at over $26 billion. Mr. Chair, that is more than 30 times the initial cost that that minister put forward. That is 10 times what that Premier just said.

Can the Premier please explain to the people of this province — the ones who are going to be paying those costs not just today but far into the future — how those costs went from $900 million to 26 billion? And I suggest he listen to this question. Was he aware of those numbers that that minister was green-lighting or was he kept out of the loop? And I suggest that he answer carefully because this is going to matter.

While he is doing that, Mr. Chair, I am going to table the documents that I’m speaking of.

Chair B. McLeod: — I’ll just ask the Premier, do you want a copy of these documents?

Hon. Scott Moe: — Yes, Mr. Chair, I just have to see the document.

Chair B. McLeod: — Okay, so we’ll get them prepared for you.

I recognize the Premier of Saskatchewan. Apologies for being a little short there.

Hon. Scott Moe: — And for future notice, I will wait to be recognized, Mr. Speaker, and I appreciate being recognized on the floor of this Assembly.

Mr. Speaker, these documents, I have not seen them, nor has the minister. They are dated November 2024, Mr. Speaker, so prior to the last election. And they talk about . . . I don’t see the 26- or -7-billion-dollar number in here. I see a 25‑year life extension, fuel costs, transmission costs, Mr. Speaker, 11.4 for the life extension, the fuel cost of 13 billion. I don’t know the period of time that’s over.

Transmission lines, however, are something that we may have to build as we generate more power to support more people and a more significant economy, Mr. Speaker, with the investments of 62 — or 60 investments, over 60 now, Mr. Speaker — representing over $62 billion. They will all need power. That’s our goal, is to provide reliable, affordable power.

So I don’t know what the context of this slide show is. It looks like somebody took photos of a slide show that are labelled confidential, Mr. Speaker, confidential and something else here. Can’t read them. Confidential and privileged is at the bottom, Mr. Speaker, this document from November 2024.

All I can speak to is, information that we’ve been provided is the most recent Hatch report on our coal refurbishment, $2.6 billion, Mr. Speaker. And I would put that report and utilizing our existing assets, Mr. Speaker, alongside the plan that we saw put forward by the members opposite. We’re not going to switch to products like LNG and be reliant on the US [United States] or British Columbia or anywhere else in the world.

We’re going to utilize our existing assets. We’re going to continue to find our way to a nuclear future, Mr. Speaker. And we will find the most affordable, reliable power source that we can to ensure that we can continue to attract those investments in our industries that are creating jobs for Saskatchewan people not just today but into the future.

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Leader of the Opposition.

Carla Beck: — Chair, I suggest that the Premier find his way to a very serious conversation with that minister. And he better be sure that he’s not having another did-you-bring-your-guns-to-work moment.

Mr. Chair, this is incredibly serious. The entire provincial budget is $22 billion. The Premier can take some time. He can add up all of those numbers in that SaskPower board document in front of him and he will see that they add up to $26 billion.

There’s also part 1 of those slides talks about cabinet decision items. The minister said this was a plan to save $21 billion but, Mr. Chair, these documents show that that is simply not the case.

I will give the Premier a minute. Is this really his plan? And if so, how many more times does he anticipate raising SaskPower rates on the people of this province, the farms and the businesses in this province, to make up that $26 billion decision made by that minister?

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Premier of Saskatchewan.

Hon. Scott Moe: — Now the first error I see with this plan, Mr. Speaker, is on the fuel costs. I don’t know how many years that would be over maybe the 25 years, but I would suspect that it includes the carbon tax that we talked about earlier, that the members opposite supported, Mr. Speaker. We since have taken steps to remove the carbon tax from all of our industrial users, in particular our power supply, Mr. Speaker. People in this province no longer pay the carbon tax on their electricity in this province, the only province in the nation of Canada, Mr. Speaker, so we could reduce that.

Mr. Speaker, the latest report, as I say, is from Hatch. It’s $2.6 billion for the refurb. The transmission lines, however, as we grow our power grid and service families and industries, Mr. Speaker, I don’t know if that is the correct number, but I am not going to say that we aren’t going to have to invest in expanded transmission lines in this province.

In fact I know that we are investing in a northern line to service some of the uranium investments that are happening there in some of the communities throughout the northern part of our province, Mr. Speaker. I know we are also investing in an intertie to the Southwest Power Pool, a 650‑megawatt intertie, Mr. Speaker, to have power come in and also for us to export power, to ensure that we are tied in, Mr. Speaker, to ensure that we have the affordability of our grid as well.

[16:30]

So I’m going to take this document. I’m going to provide it to SaskPower. It’s a dated document. And they can provide a response to the minister, to the government. But I suspect much has happened since November 2024 with respect to this plan, wherever it came from, Mr. Speaker, which does include the carbon tax that the members opposite support, Mr. Speaker, versus the plan that I had spoken to which is a . . . the latest estimate is a $2.6 billion cost of refurb.

To put that in perspective — and I said this at the beginning of my first answer, Mr. Speaker — this is foregoing a $21 billion capital cost, Mr. Speaker, which would include natural gas, LNG, whatever the members opposite were committed to. What we’re trying to do is navigate the most affordable and reliable path forward for our industries and families.

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Leader of the Opposition.

Carla Beck: — Again, Mr. Chair, this is a SaskPower board document. And if the Premier is not going to listen, I suggest the rest of the members opposite listen because this day will be remembered. And I’m not sure that that Premier understands what that minister has done.

This minister is presiding over what is bound to become the largest cost overrun in the history of this province. I don’t often look in the rear-view mirror, Mr. Chair. But looking back to the Grant Devine years, when this province was nearly bankrupt, well this is going to make that government, that premier look like a spendthrift. There are certain mudholes people should say “whoa” in, Mr. Chair. This is one of them. Under $1 billion to $26 billion in a few months. And I’m looking at faces over there, Mr. Chair, and I’m not sure the people who ought to have known know what this plan is going to cost.

Now this is the same minister that the Premier had to fire as House Leader after he forgot that he brought his gun to work. It is one of those moments for this Premier right now. It’s time for that Premier to scrap this $26 billion plan. Will the Premier do that today?

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Premier of Saskatchewan.

Hon. Scott Moe: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I spoke earlier to the most recent update that I’ve had on the coal refurbish plan, or the plan to utilize our existing assets — $2.6 billion by Hatch, Mr. Speaker.

This is not a plan, certainly not a plan that has been presented to the government. By its very date it looks like it’s from November 2024, prior to the carbon tax being lifted, Mr. Speaker. In fact this looks much closer to the Grid and Growth Plan that the members opposite had put forward, Mr. Speaker.

Maybe, maybe, and this is why I want to find out the name of that particular consultant, whether they be from Quebec or wherever, is that we don’t use consultants that are going to put forward plans like they had put forward, Mr. Speaker. Maybe that particular consultant was involved in this plan. I don’t know. I haven’t seen it. It’s pictures off a screen. It’s over a year or maybe two years old, Mr. Speaker.

I’ve spoken to what the most recent update of the plan that I have, Mr. Speaker, is a $2.6 billion capital cost to refurbish our existing assets and to move forward towards a nuclear future, ensuring reliable, affordable power for the people of this province and ensuring we continue to be an attractive place to invest for industries.

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Leader of the Opposition.

Carla Beck: — Again, Mr. Chair, these are SaskPower documents, post decision to refurbish coal. I suggest the Premier understand the gravity of what is going on here. Now in those documents there is reference made to three reports. The Premier’s in a tabling mood here. I would like the Premier to table all three of those reports referenced, Mr. Chair. Can he do that? And can he tell the people of this province why he has chosen a plan and a minister who is going to add $26 billion to the cost of their power bills in this province?

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Premier of Saskatchewan.

Hon. Scott Moe: — I just want it to be very clear in the record, Mr. Speaker. This is not the government’s plan, never has been the government’s plan. The plan, as I said, the most recent plan, the numbers are tabled. $2.6 billion is the most recent Hatch report that we have, Mr. Speaker. That has been provided to the rate review panel, Mr. Speaker, and I don’t know what the third tabling ask was.

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Leader of the Opposition.

Carla Beck: — Mr. Chair, the three documents that I referenced were the three reports that are noted in the document that we tabled. Hopefully that clarifies things for the Premier. The answers that the Premier is giving are raising more questions. He suggests this is a report from 2024. If the decision to refurbish the coal plants was not made until 2025, can he explain why this document went before the SaskPower board?

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Premier of Saskatchewan.

Hon. Scott Moe: — Mr. Chair, I would just say I’m going to provide this slide show to SaskPower if they have some . . . And maybe they can explain, Mr. Speaker, the timing of the report, the three reports that are in there. As I said, the information that the government has most certainly is that the most recent Hatch report that was provided to the . . . or the numbers were provided to the rate review panel were $2.6 billion to refurbish our coal.

Now, Mr. Speaker, as we find our way through time, what we have seen when we are building schools — 109 schools being built, Mr. Speaker — when we’re building hospitals, whether that be the Prince Albert hospital, the Weyburn hospital, Mr. Chair, or as we start on the largest long-term care investment in the history of the province right here in Regina, what we are seeing is an escalation of those costs, Mr. Chair.

We’ve seen that in the natural gas plants that we’ve built. I think in fairness, Manitoba is seeing that in the natural gas plant that they’re building as we speak as well, Mr. Chair. And so there is an escalation in costs as we find our way through time, partially due to geopolitical consequences, partially due to everything that’s happened the last number of years. So there may be a cost escalation in some of even the most recent reports that have been provided to the government.

But I would say with respect to this slide show that’s been tabled here, I’ll provide it to SaskPower and they may have some answers with respect to it. And I’d leave that to the power utility.

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Leader of the Opposition.

Carla Beck: — Mr. Chair, I have a sneaking suspicion that the Premier doesn’t have to make his way over to Victoria Avenue. He could turn around and ask that minister . . . [inaudible] . . . Mr. Chair, 300 times the initially reported costs: well that’s one heck of a cost escalation. And it’s going to be the people of this province who are paying for it. Not just the people today, Mr. Chair. It’s going to be their children and their grandchildren and their great-grandchildren.

If this really is that Premier’s plan, how many more times does he think he is going to have to raise power rates on the people of this province? I’m sure people out there, Mr. Chair, would like to know that.

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Premier of Saskatchewan.

Hon. Scott Moe: — Thank you, Mr. Chair. I can’t answer that question because this is not the government’s plan. It’s a slide show that has been provided and tabled by the Leader of the Opposition. It’s not the government’s plan.

I’ve reiterated what our most recent update of the Hatch report is with respect to those numbers, Mr. Chair. And we are going to move forward with that information that we have. So I don’t know where . . . Well they say SaskPower on them, private and confidential or whatever they say. They’re tabled by the Leader of the Opposition. But I can assure you this is not the plan of the Government of Saskatchewan, so I can’t answer that question.

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Leader of the Opposition.

Carla Beck: — Well, Mr. Chair, suddenly the Premier is interested in natural gas. Not LNG but natural gas. So I have a question for him. How many natural gas plants could this Premier, this government buy for that $26 billion?

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Premier of Saskatchewan.

Hon. Scott Moe: — Mr. Chair, as I say again, that’s not our plan. But the estimated cost of a 350‑megawatt natural gas plant today is about two and a half billion dollars. And that doesn’t really matter whether you burn natural gas or LNG in it. That’s the capital cost of a 350‑megawatt natural gas plant today. You can see with the Hatch report of $2.6 billion that that’s a far more economical path to move forward, even if there are some inflationary costs to that number over the next number of years.

Further to that, Mr. Chair, further to that, what this allows us to do is to take our workforce in Coronach and in Estevan, and to work alongside them with transitioning them to a nuclear future, so that those very same families that are currently working in our facilities in Coronach and Estevan can, over the next 5 to 10 years or even longer, Mr. Chair, transition their training, their abilities, maybe the next generation, their children’s abilities to work generating power just like people have for many decades in those two communities.

This is a structured plan. It’s a plan that provides continuity to those communities. It’s a plan that provides electricity security to industries that are investing here, and it’s a plan that is focused on affordable, reliable power today and into the future.

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Leader of the Opposition.

Carla Beck: — Mr. Chair, let’s get back to those reliable power rates that that SIECA letter talked about. Or I think, as we have seen today, incredibly unreliable numbers from that government, unreliable power rates going into the future.

Quoting the Chair about this Premier’s approach — remember, this was when we were at $2.6 billion and two sneak rate hikes — the Chair said, “We’ve expressed concern to the government about the process. This isn’t the way it was designed.” We’ve had a lot happen since then, Mr. Chair.

Why should Saskatchewan people have any faith, any faith at all about this rate review process when the Premier’s own Chair of the panel is expressing concerns? And again, that was before we knew the price tag was $26 billion.

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Premier of Saskatchewan.

Hon. Scott Moe: — Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am going to work off definitely the plan that we put in place, Mr. Chair. I’m not going to work off the slide show that was tabled from over two years ago apparently, Mr. Chair.

But with respect to the process, Mr. Chair, of where we, yes, have seen an increase in rates in the current time, we look at the utility bundle that we have in this province and we compare that to other provinces across the nation. And we also look at the investments that are being made in this province when those very investments have the opportunity to invest in other parts of not only Canada but around the world, Mr. Chair.

[16:45]

So with respect to the utility bundle that we have, Mr. Chair, we’re $800 less than British Columbia, $1,800 less than a family in Quebec, $3,700 less than New Brunswick, $4,200 less than Nova Scotia, 4,900 less than Ontario, and 4,800 less than Alberta.

So why should Saskatchewan people have faith in this government, that when we make the decisions that we do, it is in their best interests in keeping our power rates, our utility bundle rates as low as possible, our power rates affordable, Mr. Chair, but also ensuring that we have a reliable power grid across this province so that when families turn the light switch on the lights actually come on and their heater works throughout the winter?

I would say that that is the reason that the people of Saskatchewan can take this government very, very seriously, Mr. Chair. We have the second-lowest utility bundle in the nation of Canada.

Rates have increased in this province before, not when we were facing significant changes like looking at what our nuclear future is going to entail, Mr. Chair. In 2004 under the members opposite — and in about a 12‑month period with an interim rate and a regular rate increase — rates in this province went up just under 11 per cent, Mr. Chair. So that has happened before.

What we are seeing today is far less than that, Mr. Chair. And we’re going to continue working with SaskPower utility as well as our other utilities, Mr. Chair, to ensure that we can continue to keep the utility bundle in this province one of the lowest in Canada. And today it’s the second lowest.

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Leader of Saskatchewan’s Opposition.

Carla Beck: — Mr. Chair, while I truly, truly appreciate the Minister for SaskPower’s newfound solidarity this close to May Day with the workers in Estevan, I do sincerely wish that he would have found his way to have a plan at any time for those workers before he announced this surprise, I think, to almost everyone in the province that he was going to refurbish coal.

Now I wonder, does the Premier know how many natural gas plants . . . or how big the cheque would be that he could write to every one of those workers impacted? And absolutely we should be concerned about those communities and those workers, right? How big would that cheque be to every one of those workers, Mr. Chair, and still be able to build out those natural gas plants? Or for the cost he’s suggesting, even finance an SMR [small modular reactor]? How big would that cheque be? To the Premier.

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Premier of Saskatchewan.

Hon. Scott Moe: — Mr. Speaker, I think important to clarify for all of us on the floor of this Assembly when we start talking about, you know, what is the plan, what is in the plan, Mr. Chair. And I’ve been clear, and we’ve been very transparent with respect to what the most recent costs that we have, the Hatch report of about $2.6 billion for our plan to utilize existing assets to find our way to a nuclear future in this province, providing reliable, affordable power for Saskatchewan industries so we can continue to attract those industries at a record rate of which we are right now; in fact, unlike anything we’ve seen in the province’s history.

Mr. Chair, the slide show that was tabled, not the government’s plan, let’s just be clear with respect to that. I had said the 350 megawatt natural gas facilities, I believe they’re coming in at about two and a half billion dollars today, which speaks to the inflationary pressures that we’ve seen. I believe the first one that I had seen come through, you know, the cabinet and the caucus process was just under a billion dollars, the one at Swift Current, a number of years ago. Moose Jaw was higher, and now we’re seeing that cost increase exponentially, Mr. Chair.

And I think in fairness we’re seeing a lot of those private sector investments — whether it be the potash mine at Jansen with BHP or the expansion at K+S or the Cargill crush plant just outside of the city — have also experienced those inflationary costs that are there. But that is the government’s plan with the most recent updates that we have. Not the two-year-old slide show that was produced here.

We’ve seen, Mr. Chair, also a plan come out of the members opposite with respect to power. We’ve seen commitments to other plans as well. The plan that they released for power didn’t go so well. It was LNG, LNG, LNG. All day long it was LNG. And then, “Oh, that’s 10 times the cost; that’s not our plan.”

We’ve seen that same action with respect to voting for and supporting the federal government’s carbon tax: “Oh. Oh no, that’s not our plan.” And it’s no wonder they don’t want to release the other plans that they’ve committed that they were going to work on.

I remember words with respect to a, I think its big, bold, beautiful health care plan. Mr. Chair, something quite Trumponian actually in its title, Mr. Chair. But I note how far they got with that particular plan was hiring an American consultant — a little bit offside with respect to local procurement. That wasn’t good enough, so they started to take inspiration from an American actor, Mr. Chair, to help that American consultant. And then the first plank of that plan was to stand on the floor of this Assembly, the Health critic, and indicate that, you know, people just shouldn’t go into health care in this province.

Well we don’t believe that to be true. We believe there is a great future for caring individuals to go in and to serve their community — their friends and neighbours and people they live with — in our health care sector, Mr. Chair. And we’re working very hard to ensure that they are supported by this government and broadly by the people of the province.

They went on to vote against this budget that funded all of the initiatives in our patients-first plan, Mr. Chair, another plan released by this government. Fifty action items going to improve outcomes and going to ensure that we are taking the first steps to ensure that people can receive the right care at the right time in the right place, Mr. Chair.

But I have a question for the Leader of the Opposition with respect to releasing plans as well, Mr. Chair. And there is a reason why people in this province don’t take the NDP seriously, the NDP opposition seriously. In fact, Mr. Chair, I would say that not even some of what was, until yesterday, their previous MLAs don’t take them seriously.

And will the Leader of the Opposition release the secret drug plan that the people of this province paid for and she refuses to release, Mr. Chair? Will she release that plan?

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Leader of the Opposition.

Carla Beck: — Ah, Mr. Chair, there will be signs.

So while he’s flooding the zone I will remind the Premier of the question. The answer, in case he didn’t quite get to the math there, was $10 million for every one of those workers impacted. And absolutely we should take care of them, make sure that they are taken care of during this transition, Mr. Speaker.

But, Mr. Chair. I’m going to go back to something the Premier has repeatedly gone back to. He’s suggesting that these slides, these SaskPower board documents, are from 2024. I disagree with him. But we’ve disagreed before.

But if that is indeed the case that these slides are from 2024, can he explain to the people of this province why he has kept this $26 billion cost hidden from the people of this province? And how exactly did he not understand or know that there was going to be a power rate increase when he stood in his place in this Assembly on December the 4th, 2025 and promised that was the case?

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Premier of Saskatchewan.

Hon. Scott Moe: — What did you say? November 2024 was what I read off the first slide in the slide show that was tabled. And so that was what I was referencing, Mr. Chair. It’s the first time myself or the government has seen that particular slide show.

Mr. Chair, we have a plan. It’s the energy security strategy for Saskatchewan. It involves utilizing our existing assets. As I’ve said time and time again, that plan includes the most recent Hatch report, a $2.6 billion refurbishment cost. There may be some inflationary escalation to all of our costs in every industry, including the electricity industry as well, Mr. Chair. That’s the plan that we’re moving forward with.

And so I can’t speak to the other plan. Maybe the members opposite can continue to speak to that as well. But I would just say that, you know, as we find our way through this conversation, I agree with members opposite when she says there will be signs. Mr. Speaker, one of those signs is when one of your caucus members says, and I quote, “In good conscience I can no longer support the direction of Carla Beck’s leadership.” Mr. Chair, there will be signs. I would say in fact there are already signs, Mr. Speaker.

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Leader of the Opposition.

Carla Beck: — Well sometimes memories are short around here, Mr. Chair. So I will remind the Premier that there was a day during the election, I believe it was the day that the Premier stood up and proudly said that his first priority, should he form government, was to go after trans kids. I think it was that day that I stood with three former MLAs, two former Speakers — or a former Speaker and a former Deputy Speaker — and Brad Wall’s former speech writer, saying that they had lost confidence in this government and that Premier.

A lot has happened since then, Mr. Chair. A lot has happened today: $26 billion; the entire budget just over $22 billion; the entire debt from the beginning of this province until today, over $43 billion. Although the Premier, you know, he’s got a sizable portion that he can credit to himself and his decisions, Mr. Chair.

But I have a serious question. How exactly is this government planning to pay for this $26 billion? Is it debt? Is it going to be $26 billion in rate hikes? Or will it be a combination of both? Because, Mr. Chair, it cannot be neither. And Saskatchewan people are going to be the ones on the hook.

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Premier of Saskatchewan.

Hon. Scott Moe: — Mr. Chair, the energy security plan that I had spoken to with the most recent report of $2.6 billion to refurbish our existing assets, that’s the plan. There is no plan to have the . . . It might be their plan, Mr. Speaker, the members opposite, but there’s no plan for us to extract $26 billion and have the people of this province pay for that type of a plan.

That may be the plan that they had recommended to them by that consultant in Quebec that recommended LNG. I don’t know if he recommended LNG or if they misinterpreted, Mr. Chair, because we haven’t seen, you know, that document as well.

But our plan is very clear. It’s the energy security strategy in this province, Mr. Chair. We have the most recent Hatch report. We’ve submitted those numbers to the rate review committee, Mr. Chair, and that is the plan as we move forward.

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Leader of the Opposition.

Carla Beck: — Mr. Chair, the Premier continues to stand up and claim that this is not his government’s plan; this is SaskPower’s plan. And remarkably, Mr. Chair, this plan that has been tabled today, these SaskPower board documents, lays out the same timelines, the same consultants, everything.

It is the same as that government’s plan, with one exception. This one shows the costing — $26 billion. Which part of that, Mr. Chair, is wrong? Can the Premier please explain?

[17:00]

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Premier of Saskatchewan.

Hon. Scott Moe: — Mr. Chair, no matter how many times the Leader of the Opposition asks questions around the slide show that she tabled, it’s not our plan. Our plan has been very clear. I’ve said what our plan is on the floor of this Assembly, Mr. Chair. It involves refurbishing those existing assets that we have — the latest report is $2.6 billion — as we find our way to a nuclear future, Mr. Chair.

Our plan will be rooted in providing affordable, reliable power now and into the future so we can continue to attract those investments, of which we are doing today, unlike anywhere else in our nation and unlike any other time in the history of the province of Saskatchewan. That is the plan that the Government of Saskatchewan is putting forward before the people of Saskatchewan and will continue to move forward on, Mr. Chair.

And one of the most exciting things about that particular plan is, in it Saskatchewan is today and will remain the only carbon tax-free jurisdiction in the nation of Canada, Mr. Speaker — no help from the members opposite.

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Leader of the Opposition.

Carla Beck: — Mr. Chair, I hope that that Premier finds his way to a good heart-to-heart with that minister. But you know, as much as I would really, really like to spend more time on this . . . And I guarantee you there will be more questions. There will be more time. There will be signs. This Premier and this government are failing on so many fronts that I think that we should move on to some of those other concerns in this province.

Perhaps no one is being failed more than health care workers in our province right now. A reminder that these are health care workers who have not only been holding up the system for years, that are burning out, these health care workers have been without a raise for four years in this province. Meanwhile while they haven’t had a raise, we’ve seen compensation at SHA [Saskatchewan Health Authority] rise time and time again.

Mr. Chair, it’s not fair. And it is no wonder with this level of disrespect, with their frozen wages, that health care workers are leaving the province and leaving the profession altogether, leaving Saskatchewan people without the health care that they need and deserve.

Now the health care workers that I talk to, Mr. Chair, say that there should be no raises for those at the top until there are raises for those who are struggling providing that care on the front line.

Well I sure agree with that. Does the Premier agree?

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Premier of Saskatchewan.

Hon. Scott Moe: — Mr. Chair, just a little bit of context with respect to this question. I think I’m in the right space, taking a little bit of liberty with the reference, but it’s with the provider unions that I think that the question was directed at. And so that’s where I’ll direct my answer.

A number of years ago, and I can recall this, when we had I believe it was 11 health regions across the province plus . . . 12 plus the Cancer Agency. And we brought those together under the one single Saskatchewan Health Authority in this province. In doing so, in certain designations we had multiple organized representatives in those various health regions.

When SAHO [Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations] works with the provider unions through the negotiations that we have — and we are at the negotiating table as we speak — it’s with three provider unions: SEIU [Service Employees International Union], CUPE [Canadian Union of Public Employees], and SGEU.

Mr. Chair, we do understand that this has gone on a number of years, the negotiations that are here. That was realized back in 2025 when there was an interim offer made, understanding there’s affordability challenges for individuals across the province, including those that work in our health care sector. There was a 3 per cent interim adjustment that would have allowed for some of that retroactive pay to flow. They weren’t able to come to an agreement on that interim adjustment that was offered.

Mr. Chair, I would just say that as of April of this year, there’s been a total of 21 days — since February of this year — so there’s a number of days that they’ve been at the bargaining table. There’s financial offers that have been offered at that bargaining table, Mr. Chair.

And I would just say this. It is the government’s intent to support those negotiations, whether it be with the financial offers or the other bargaining discussions that happen at that table, to find a deal that not only works for our health care workers but to find a deal that ensures it is effective in improving outcomes for patients across this province regardless of where they may live.

That’s why we came forward with the patients-first initiative. And that initiative has opportunities to expand the scope of what our . . . allow our health care workers to work at their full level of training and the full level of their discipline.

But there’s other action items in that. There’s other action items in that patients-first document that also go further to support our health care workers, bringing in tools and innovation that’s available today that may not have been just a few years ago so that they can improve those health care outcomes, which we know they always want to do.

So there is financial offers at the table. And we are doing everything we can to support an agreement that would work not only for those health care workers and those three provider unions and other health care unions as well, but a deal that also works for improving the outcomes of patients across this province.

I would just note, you know, one challenge with . . . I think there was a bill introduced on capping. The intent was to cap executive pay in the health region. We had a look at that particular bill. I don’t think it’s worded correctly. It’s actually only capping the remuneration that board members would receive. So, Mr. Speaker, just maybe another reason why it’s sometimes a little challenging to take the members opposite seriously.

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Leader of the Opposition.

Carla Beck: — Well, Mr. Chair, I’m sure that those health care workers are going to be very interested in those tools and those innovations after this government actually gets to the table and ensures that they have a raise. And they’ve been waiting for four years, Mr. Chair. And I would suggest to the Premier, if he really wants to show those workers some respect — and gosh, that is long overdue — he would not try to bargain on the floor of this Assembly. He would actually direct people to get to the table and get a fair deal for those health care workers in our province.

Now again he’s talked about it here, the human health resources plan as if it’s some sort of a silver bullet. This government is very, very proud of their plans that they wave around. They don’t really stand up in the real world, Mr. Chair. Another one of those silver bullets that this government touted as being the cure to all of our problems were those urgent care centres. Now I’m going to quote from the Premier from a post on X where he said:

They were getting ready to set up. And early next year the new urgent health care centre, it will focus on mental health and addictions with a dedicated entrance for those who require specialized support. Operating on a 24‑7 basis, the new urgent care centre will offer an array of health care services for those who require care but do not necessarily need to go to an emergency room.

Mr. Chair, that building has never, never been open 24‑7. In fact these days it’s lucky to be open banker’s hours. That is because — and I hope this isn’t a revelation — those buildings do not provide health care for Saskatchewan people; it is those hard-working health care workers.

Will the Premier accept responsibility for yet another failed promise to the people of this province?

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Premier of Saskatchewan.

Hon. Scott Moe: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. First the Leader of the Opposition is correct. We do wave around our plans, Mr. Speaker. We certainly release them to the public. We don’t muzzle plans like they have with their drug plan, Mr. Chair, or with their big, bold, beautiful health care plan, Mr. Speaker. Ours is right there for the people of this province to see and to read.

In fact at that very municipal convention, the SUMA convention, Mr. Chair, while the member opposite was talking about her LNG power plan, we were placing our patients-first plan on every chair and every table in that convention because we wanted people to take it home, and we wanted them to read about the 50 action items in this plan that are going to improve outcomes in their community when it comes to the opportunities that they have to access our health care system.

[17:15]

We wanted them to read about the ability for them to access the right care in the right time at the right place regardless of where they live across this province. And we wanted them to read about those 50 action items that are going to ensure that health care in this province will be better tomorrow than it is today.

Part of that plan is — as it was referenced in the question — the health human resource action plan that we have in this province, also released, Mr. Chair, to the people of this province. The most ambitious health human resource plan in the nation of Canada, Mr. Chair.

So let’s put that plan to the test with respect to what results have come from that ambitious health human resource plan. Hired more than 7,500 health care workers since 2022; 346 more physicians; 2,000 more nurses. Four hundred health care workers have come directly from the Philippines, Mr. Chair.

This is a plan that is going to continue to be focused on to attract people not only into our province but attract people into communities where we need their discipline, Mr. Chair. And we’re going to expand the scope as part of that plan so they can work at the full scope of what they were trained to work at. And I’m going to talk about that in just a second, Mr. Chair.

But I wanted to comment as well as per the question on the urgent care centre. 65,000 patients have been through the doors of the urgent care centre. What we’re seeing is a significant patient flow through the urgent care centre that is . . . [inaudible interjection] . . . And we’re going to build another one. The member says it’s not enough. We’re going to build another one not only in Regina, two in Saskatoon, Mr. Chair.

And through our most ambitious health human resource plan, Mr. Chair, we’re going to ensure that we have the nurse practitioners, we have the physicians, the RNs [registered nurse], and the people to staff not only those urgent care centres, but the Prince Albert Victoria Hospital, a renewed Yorkton hospital, the Weyburn hospital when it opens, and the 400 acute care beds that we are in the process of expanding largely in the city of Saskatoon but across this province, Mr. Chair.

But I wanted to comment on the urgent care centres because the member actually is correct. It’s not enough. We need to build more and we need to recruit more people into health care in our province. Unlike the critic in their health care plan who said people shouldn’t go work in health care, we believe that people should choose a career in health care, a career of serving their community members and a career serving people, Mr. Chair, across this province.

65,000 people that otherwise would’ve been in an emergency room here in our capital city of Regina have had the opportunity to have care sooner at the urgent care centre. And very shortly they’ll have even a greater opportunity as we build one and open one in Saskatoon as well, Mr. Chair.

And so we are going to keep building, we are going to keep recruiting, and we are going to ensure that the 50 action items in that patients-first health care plan, Mr. Chair, that we do wave around often . . . And we’re going to continue to wave it around and then we’re going to update it. We’re going to wave that one around as well, Mr. Chair, because we’re very proud of the initiatives that are in here. We’re very proud of the fact that they’re funded in this budget. And we would invite the members opposite to vote for that appropriation later this week or next week when it comes, Mr. Chair.

With respect to Bill 48, The Compassionate Intervention Act that was discussed the other day, there was a number of amendments that were put forward by the members opposite. And I spoke earlier of the fact that a number of those amendments actually are included in the bill, Mr. Chair.

But I wanted to speak to a few of the other amendments that had actually changed the intent of the bill and who is going to be able to provide service, health care service to patients essentially, to Saskatchewan residents. And I want to transpose this as to what the view of the members opposite is across our health care system.

A number of those amendments: we want to expand the opportunity for people to work at their full scope of training, the full scope of what their discipline will allow anywhere in the nation of Canada. We want to mirror that here. Expand the opportunity for nurse practitioners, for example, and other health care professionals to provide health care service to Saskatchewan residents.

So part of what is in The Compassionate Intervention Act, and part of what is in the patients-first plan, is to expand that scope, provide that opportunity for people to have access to a health care professional. Not necessarily always a physician, but at times, yes, it does need to be a physician. But there are nurse practitioners that are working and being trained to work in our health care system today. There are RNs. There are many other professionals that can provide many of the services today and into the future.

And so many of the amendments that came forward are actually about narrowing that scope of service for those health care professionals and actually looking towards requiring a physician for each and every practice, each and every service that is being provided there, Mr. Chair. That isn’t expanding access to health care.

And if that is the intent of the members opposite, is to narrow our health care services to where only physicians can lead the teams, Mr. Chair, we want the entirety of the team to be made up of the entirety of health care professionals that are available, working at the full scope of their service. Working as a true team to deliver improved access, improved health care services. Have an improved health care experience when Saskatchewan patients, families, and individuals have to access health care in our province.

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Leader of the Opposition.

Carla Beck: — Mr. Chair, I’ll give them this: they’ve got ambition. They’ve got a lot of confidence in their own selves. They’re really good at self-congratulation, even putting a new cover on a report that was first released in 2009. But the results of this government unfortunately speak for themselves, and they need a lot more work.

I’m going to address something. I’m going to take the time because I haven’t had the ability to do this in question period. And that is that quote that the Premier continuously attributes to the member from Regina Elphinstone-Centre.

First of all, Mr. Premier, through the Chair: that member, her family are very much aware of the challenges in health care in this province and have done service to people in this city for a very long time. I’m going to start there.

The other thing I’m going to say is that quote is directly from a health care worker who is expressing just how much working in a system where you feel disrespected, where you don’t get holidays, where you don’t get a raise, how much that is burning those health care workers out. And yes, perhaps understandably in some cases, leading them to suggest to others that, unless the system gets fixed, that they might want to consider something else. Of course we don’t want that to happen. We want this government to do their job and fix our health care system.

You know, there’s another item I wanted to talk about, and that’s Bill 606, again brought forward by the member for Walsh Acres. It’s a good, practical private member’s bill, but another one of those bills that was built talking to the people of this province, listening to their concerns.

Now the Premier and the Sask Party, they voted for this bill at second reading but against it at third, which is unusual. I wonder if it was because some of those members were hearing from their constituents. Because we certainly have — people who have pulled up to an emergency room in rural Saskatchewan, in some cases symptoms of a heart attack or a serious injury, only to be directed by a piece of paper in that emergency room to drive down the highway, often in the other direction. This is dangerous, and it is going to cost people, in rural Saskatchewan in particular, their lives, Mr. Chair.

Now right now . . . And we’ve already talked about the Highway Hotline once here today. You can, and I think this spring probably many of us have, repeatedly looked at the Highway Hotline. You can not only see the condition of highways in our province in real time, you can also follow, if you click on those plows, where the plow is in real time. I think that is a good idea. It’s good use of taxpayers’ dollars. It is valuable information.

But how is it that we can know in real time where every snowplow is in this province, but we don’t know which emergency rooms are open or not or what services are provided? And why does the Premier think that Saskatchewan people should be in the dark when it comes to something as important as this, a matter of life and death?

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Premier of Saskatchewan.

Hon. Scott Moe: — Mr. Chair, thank you. Thank you very much. Mr. Chair, as the question was asked and answered I think quite well by our Health minister, I believe it was yesterday in question period, and likely been answered in multiple media avails as well, we voted for that bill because we do agree with that bill in principle. We do agree with notifying as often and as soon as we can — and I think the SHA does agree with this as well — people of any temporary disruptions that may occur in health facilities across this province.

Now it’s important to understand the difference between a disruption and a closure. Mr. Chair, there is no closures that this government is discussing. However there are temporary disruptions, despite those 7,500 health care workers that I spoke of earlier that have been acquired into this system, hired into our health care system, Mr. Chair, through the most ambitious health human resource plan in the nation of Canada.

And so we do believe in the principle of informing Saskatchewan residents as quickly as the Saskatchewan Health Authority is able to do so. And so through the discussions with Saskatchewan Health Authority, the minister came to the conclusion, with their advice, that at a minimum, at a minimum, that they would update their website with respect to any disruptions at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., twice a day or as soon as is possible, Mr. Chair. And so they may be able to do it more often, Mr. Chair.

And I would just say this is a point of pretty broad agreement between the members opposite and the government, Mr. Chair, working within the confines of what the SHA feels that they’re able to accomplish. So it will be updated at 9 a.m., 4 p.m., or sooner if the SHA is able to get it updated in a sooner fashion. And I would say that is a positive.

So good job by the members opposite. I don’t say that often. Introduced a bill. Created some change that is, I think, more responsive to Saskatchewan residents. It’s something that the Saskatchewan Health Authority can actually operationally do. We may move towards potentially doing that in a more frequent fashion if the Health Authority is able to do so. But I’d just say like, you know, take the win.

Not for me to give advice to the opposition in particular after, you know, this past week, this session. And I talked about some of the challenges that the members opposite have had this session, but even in the past day. A day ago they had four Health critics. Now they have three, Mr. Chair.

Take the win when it’s put forward. You put forward a bill. You created change, change that is positive for Saskatchewan people. Largely the government agrees in principle with the initiative and we’ve acted with respect to what the Saskatchewan Health Authority can do. Take the win.

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Leader of the Opposition.

Carla Beck: — Well, Mr. Chair, I’m glad the Premier is amusing himself as we talk about the failures of his government to address the health care concerns faced by people across this province.

[17:30]

I will give him this — more responsive, yes. But what is possible, what the people of this province deserve, no. We know that there is an internal SHA map that is live, that does these updates live, that this government could and should use to inform people of this province in real time.

Nine and four, sure, that’s better than what they had, Mr. Chair. I guess you try to schedule your heart attack before they do that 4 o’clock update so you know where you need to go, Mr. Chair. But it is not good enough for the people of this province.

Speaking of failures where this government has not done good enough — and boy, that is an understatement — was the response to last year’s wildfires. Hundreds of homes lost, entire communities in some cases, thousands of people displaced.

I honestly hope — hoped — that the Premier would’ve learned some lessons and done absolutely everything in their power to make sure that what happened last year doesn’t happen again this year or any time into the future.

Now the Premier and that government rejected calls from the member from Cumberland and Athabasca, put forward at the request, the urging of the people that they served, the people who were most impacted by these fires, for an unbiased, public-facing inquiry and recommendations into what went wrong last year and how do we make it better this year. That was rejected by this government.

Instead they decided to engage with MNP, commissioned that report. And I’ll remind this Assembly that we were supposed to see that report. It was supposed to be finished in February of this year. It’s now May. We are past the time when some of those fires, including the fire that wiped out Denare Beach, started last year and we have yet to see that report.

We also learned at committee that two water bombers will remain grounded in this province until July. Again we’re in May. Wildfire season has already started. Another one is not going to arrive until August.

How exactly, Mr. Chair, is it that this government was caught flat-footed again? We haven’t seen that report and we have no assurance to provide the people in the North, who went through the worst summer, the worst wildfire season of their lives.

How is it that our water bomber fleet is not fully operational? And what does this Premier, what does this government have to say to all of those people who are facing another wildfire season in this province?

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Premier of Saskatchewan.

Hon. Scott Moe: — Mr. Chair, I’d just address a number of items in the question that was there. First I would say thank you to so many that stepped up to defend communities in last year’s wildfire challenge.

There was, you know, community leaders, homeowners — yes, cabin owners — individuals, municipal fire departments went above and beyond, Mr. Chair. We tried to show some appreciation in this year’s budget with some incentives for those individuals that work with their municipal fire departments, of which there was many throughout the North.

And unfortunately in this province — and it is Saskatchewan — many of those same municipal departments are out addressing some of the flooding that we’re seeing up the east side and across the north part of our province, alongside highways, workers and many others. So, Mr. Chair, just let me start with a thank you to those individuals.

And there is an opportunity — and I’ve spoken to this — for myself to do better and for myself to have been in those northern communities sooner. I’ve said that publicly and I’d repeat that again. And that was a mistake that I had made and one that I had apologized to the members in . . . the residents of Denare Beach.

Mr. Chair, with respect to the water bombers, the refurbishment of our water bomber fleet, we’ve ordered, as we know, four Dash 8‑Q400s. One of those came last year. One will be coming this summer. There’ll be two more coming in subsequent years as well. Our current fleet of aircrafts is the Convair 580As. Those are land-based air tankers that, I believe, these Q400s would be replacing over time. There’s three of those Convairs.

The Q400ATs, those are the land-based tankers, Mr. Chair. There’s one of those that is flying. There’ll be one come on in Q2 [second quarter]. Hold on. I’m on the Q400s here, the wrong one. CL‑215s are our tankers, the amphibious tankers. That’s what I wanted to get to. There’s six of those. A number of helicopters are on contract, eight helicopters, as well as a number of Bird Dog Turbo Commanders and others, Mr. Chair.

With respect to . . . And I’d just point to a conversation I had with Grand Chief Hardlotte the other day of an agreement that we’ve been working on to train more type 3 firefighters throughout the North. And this actually does tie into an agreement that we had with the federal government last year in the midst of the challenging situation that we had, Mr. Chair, where folks maybe wouldn’t go work as a type 3 firefighter because they might have some of the federal benefits discounted or removed.

And so we phoned Minister Champagne actually at the time and asked if we could stop that. And he moved very quickly, to his credit, you know, working alongside the federal government, another thing I haven’t said a lot of in the last decade. And we’re appreciative of the effort. And then we were able to mirror that with any provincial benefits as well, preventing the removal of those benefits and allowing, you know, folks to go and to work as type 3 firefighters.

Brian Hardlotte’s conversation within the last month was the opportunity we had now to work together with SPSA and PAGC [Prince Albert Grand Council] on training additional type 3 and maybe some type 2 firefighters as well, have them stationed in northern communities over the months and years ahead. And so it was a very positive conversation, in addition to some of the land clearing, some of the other opportunities that we have to work with communities to make our northern communities as safe as possible.

Mr. Chair, with respect to the MNP report, the release of that report, we’ve been informed it has been delayed. We’ve all been informed of that, the reason being they wanted to have more conversations with more people. Which I would say, I don’t care for the delay. However a thorough report being done is the goal of the government, and I believe it would be the goal of everyone involved.

When that report is complete — I would hope it’s complete in a matter of days, not weeks or months; I mean, that’s our latest indication, Mr. Chair — we’d make that report available publicly. And we thank all of the folks that are partaking in that process and providing advice to the government, to the SPSA. And you know, we’ll certainly make that report public when we receive it.

Mr. Chair, there’s one other item that we’ve approached the federal government on, and I’ve spoke with a number of folks in northern communities. I think this is an initiative that we want to undertake in a collaborative way — in much the same way we look to federal government, provincial government, and local communities in infrastructure funding, to maybe some of our business risk management programs in the agriculture sector — is to share the cost of working together to FireSmart our communities in the North.

And I think there is an opportunity for that conversation. There’s a willing province. And I think on first conversations that we’ve had throughout this winter with the federal government, they seem to be willing to at least partake in the conversation and share those costs with the province and with the local communities so that we can further FireSmart many of our northern communities to keep them safe.

When we see, you know, it was a pretty unprecedented and challenging summer, tragic summer for all too many that lost their homes — yes, in Denare Beach, in East Trout Lake, and we’ve seen that in years gone by in Fort McMurray and Jasper recently, Mr. Chair. And we want to prevent that kind of tragedy from happening to any Saskatchewan community, including those throughout northern Saskatchewan.

So I think that is the next opportunity that we have to work with the federal government, to work with northern communities, is to enhance the FireSmarting programs that we have.

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Leader of Saskatchewan’s Opposition.

Carla Beck: — Mr. Chair, I’m glad to hear that the government perhaps finally is taking up PAGC on the recommendation to start training more class 3 firefighters. I know those recommendations have been sitting in front of this government for a number of years, I think going back to 2019. So perhaps they’re . . . I thank Grand Chief Hardlotte and PAGC for all of their advocacy, and I think that’s good news.

You know, I’m not clairvoyant, Mr. Chair, for the release date has been delayed. I would expect probably May 14th or 15th, but who knows? I will say to the government, we will still be paying attention, and so will the people of this province, especially the people in the North, when that report is finally released. I know we’ve talked a lot about the problems that this government has created or ignored, going back almost 20 years, but I am excited to talk about some of the solutions that we’re putting forward.

[17:45]

The Premier mentioned that, you know, this report is delayed because MNP had more people to talk to. Well I guarantee you, when you see that report on the big, bold solutions in health care, it will be because we have had so many people in this province who want to speak up, work with this team to deliver the change that they need to see in our health care system in this province. And those consultations continue. You can expect that report coming very soon, at least the initial report.

And really this has been . . . And you know, after the last election, we saw for a few moments — remember those? — I think the Premier was a little bit rattled. There’s been some movement in this Assembly. He promised, you know, hand over heart, he’d heard the people of this province, that he was going to do better, that they had learned their lesson.

We’ve had a number of hours here in committee. They’ve heard the Premier’s response. I think the people of this province can judge for themselves whether this is a government that has learned any lessons, has turned over any leaves, or if they are pretty darn content with themselves and happy to continue to clap for themselves. I’ll leave that with them.

But I don’t think that the contrast honestly can be more clear. This is a team, each and every one of them, that every day is connecting with people in this province, very much so fulfilling our role as the official opposition, which is our role. To scrutinize, to bring forth concerns, to hold the government to account — it’s an important role.

But this is a team also that is focused on delivering the change, the choice that Saskatchewan people so desperately need in this province right now. As I said, when that report comes out, that initial report on our health care consultations, I promise to send you a copy. You won’t even have to google it.

But I will give you a little bit of a sneak peek. One of those ideas that’s going to come out of that plan is ending out-of-pocket fees in health care. We’ve got a bill in front of the Assembly right now. In fact we’ve got a number of bills in front of the Assembly right now, but that one is there.

Will the government take us up on that bill and make sure Saskatchewan people don’t have to pay with their credit card to get the health care that they deserve?

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Premier of Saskatchewan.

Hon. Scott Moe: — Mr. Chair, as you know, in our patients-first initiative, our initiative with 50 action items to improve the outcomes in our health care system — to provide that right care at the right time in the right place — in amongst those 50 action items is some targets with respect to surgeries. And those are not surgeries that anyone needs to bring their credit card out for, Mr. Chair.

102,000 surgeries performed this past year, just announced yesterday I believe. 100,000 surgeries the year before. Both of those record numbers of surgeries being done in our province, Mr. Chair, as we embark on performing 450,000 surgeries over the next four years. We’re two years into that, Mr. Chair, and we very much are going to ensure that we’re able to achieve that target.

In that patients-first health care document, Mr. Chair, the ability for . . . One of those action items and one of those targets is for everyone to, for 90 per cent of folks to have a diagnostic within 60 days; for everyone to have access to a surgery in three months. Those are targets that you’re not seeing in any other province across the nation of Canada, Mr. Chair.

We are only able to put forward those targets with the investments that have been made through this budget. And I urge the members opposite one more time to consider voting in support of those appropriations to ensure that they can be part of the solution in this province. Part of the opportunity to improve access to health care, improve outcomes for Saskatchewan families, Mr. Chair. Funding that health human resource plan, funding the expansion of seats at the College of Medicine, funding the expansion of seats at the nurse practitioner, the nurse . . . the seats for nurse practitioners to be trained in — both in this province, Mr. Chair.

But what we hear all too often from the members opposite is this ingrained rooting in ideology, Mr. Chair. We are a government that is talking to people across this province, and we are going to utilize every tool that we have to improve health care in this province. That includes, where we can, to have publicly funded and at times privately delivered health care services, Mr. Chair. And I would go back really . . . There’s a few places where the inspiration for this came from a number of years ago, probably prior, well for sure prior, before I even had the honour to sit in this chair.

But you look at fee-for-service physicians across this province. They are private businesses, Mr. Chair. They are publicly funded, and they provide services in community after community after community. They have a fee-for-service billing schedule of which they hire their own staff and operate their own clinic. They are private businesses, Mr. Chair, working within a publicly funded health care system. We support that, Mr. Chair.

When you look at the changes that we had made with respect to publicly funded, privately delivered diagnostics and lab services in this province, what happened is that we started to look through the health care services that were being offered across Saskatchewan, and we saw that if you were a workers’ compensation, or a WCB [Workers’ Compensation Board] client or a Saskatchewan Roughrider, you were able to actually access a private diagnostic in this province. However the rest of us were not able to.

Now I tried really hard to be a professional hockey player, and we didn’t have football in my school, Mr. Chair. Still not exactly happy with the fact that they removed that when I got to grade 7, but I’m getting over it, Mr. Chair. But I was not going to qualify, nor was any other Saskatchewan resident going to qualify for one of those private diagnostics.

What we did is we extended that two-for-one system. Someone would have to purchase two diagnostics. They would utilize one of them and add another one to the system for someone else to be able to access to shorten our wait-lists when it comes to diagnostics. What we did was expand the program that was under the members opposite to all residents of the province, Mr. Chair.

What we have seen where we have made these, I think, very significant investments in health care that, yes, are publicly funded but maybe privately delivered, is our STARS [Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service] air ambulance service. A private operation, Mr. Chair, publicly funded, delivering life-saving service to Saskatchewan residents throughout rural Saskatchewan and the North.

Mr. Chair, I’d mentioned the diagnostics and lab services but also the surgeries. One in five surgeries in this province are privately delivered, but they are publicly funded. We see all too often the members opposite put ideology over health care outcomes, Mr. Chair, and we just simply aren’t going to do that. That’s why we stand here many times and say people in this province have a tough time taking the members opposite seriously, because they would cancel one in five surgeries because they don’t believe in how that surgery is being delivered. They might cancel STARS because that’s the same delivery option. Fee-for-service physicians — I would hope they don’t start pulling fee-for-service physicians out of our communities, Mr. Chair, but they’re funded in exactly the same way as those surgeries are, as those two-for-one diagnostics are, Mr. Chair.

And we’re going to continue to think outside of the box and to use every innovative tool that we have available to support our health care workers and to ultimately improve the patient experience and improve patient outcomes in this health care system in the province. That’s why we brought forward the patients-first initiative — 50 action items in this document, Mr. Chair, that are going to improve outcomes. They are going to support our health care professionals and they’re going to ensure that Saskatchewan residents receive the right care at the right time in the right place.

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Leader of the Opposition.

Carla Beck: — Mr. Chair, I think I’m probably on to my last question here. And I do want to thank you and those at the Clerks’ table for their time today, all of those who have joined us, the officials. This is going to be, as I said, my final question during these estimates.

We have canvassed a number of topics today, I guess maybe a few fewer than perhaps I had hoped to get to. But don’t worry. We will continue to ask those questions and hold this government to account.

We have seen, I think, a stark contrast on the floor of this Assembly today. Remember that the questions that we have been bringing forward are those that we’re hearing from people right across this province, very real concerns about issues that are facing the people of this province. People can see for themselves what those questions were met with by that Premier, by extension that government.

But one of those questions that came out today, I think, will be especially of interest to the people of this province, the farms, industry. And that is the $26 billion cost to refurbish coal plants in our province. Now the Premier said he didn’t have a clue. He’s had another hour to get more clarity on this issue. So I’m going to ask it again.

How can the Premier justify spending $26 billion to refurbish coal in this province? And why has he been keeping the real cost of that plan from the people of this province?

Chair B. McLeod: — I recognize the Premier of Saskatchewan.

Hon. Scott Moe: — We’re not planning to follow that slide show that was tabled here earlier, Mr. Chair. What we are planning to do is to take a very focused approach to address the concerns that Saskatchewan people have raised with government members, and in fairness with opposition members have been raised on the floor of this Assembly as well, and really in four areas. A number of those areas is what I had pointed out in my opening comments.

But first and foremost what we hear from Saskatchewan families is they want their community to be safer. They want the crime to not be happening in their community. And the source of that crime all too often is the poisonous drugs that we’re seeing coming into our Saskatchewan communities and our nation and available across North America, around the world.

That’s why we have a very focused plan when it comes to providing recovery opportunities — 300 intensive recovery beds, added to the 500 that we already had in this province, Mr. Chair, standard recovery beds. This budget — and again the opportunity is the opposition’s to support the appropriation in the next few days — that will add 200 additional beds, achieving this government’s commitment of 500 intensive recovery beds for Saskatchewan residents. And yes, if we need to go above that, we’re prepared to make that investment in subsequent months and years.

Mr. Chair, we’re also looking very closely at how we access those recovery beds, how people that are maybe ready to make a change, unfortunately might be living a life with addictions but have made the decision that they want to make a change. We want to build that capacity, build those access points. That’s why in that urgent care centre here in Regina there is an access point for mental health, addictions support to ensure that individuals, when they are ready, that they will have the opportunity to access a recovery bed in this province.

[18:00]

That’s why we have the complex-needs facilities to ensure that those that are having the most troubled times and having interactions with our enforcement agencies, Mr. Chair, that they have the opportunity to access those addictions services, those recovery services that we have in this province.

Mr. Chair, I would say there is another tool that can be utilized in this place, and it’s The Compassionate Intervention Act that was passed on the floor of this Assembly — yesterday, if I’m not mistaken, Mr. Chair. And that compassionate intervention Act, as I said, was asked for by First Nations leaders, asked for by community leaders, asked for by police chiefs and supported by those very police chiefs, but most importantly asked for by families so that they have the opportunity to intervene in a loved one’s life when it may involve severe addictions, so that they can have that opportunity for a recovered lifestyle. And we’re going to provide it for them.

And, Mr. Chair, alongside this we have made significant investments in this budget to ensure that we have increased enforcement, front-line enforcement folks in our communities keeping our families safe: a hundred municipal officers, on our way to 70 marshal officers in this province, and 180 additional RCMP officers, Mr. Chair. And we are working together with those enforcement agencies to ensure that they are supporting one another and in turn supporting safer communities across the province of Saskatchewan.

We talked much about health care here today — and will every day I’m sure as it is a priority for Saskatchewan residents, Saskatchewan families — and that patients-first health care initiative that has been put forward by this province, again funded in this budget, funded in this budget, Mr. Chair.

And again I invite the members opposite to think carefully about supporting that appropriation that funds those improved access points, those improved health care outcomes, supporting our health care professionals across this province. And that they think twice before they vote against that funding that is going to support the very health care professionals that are providing health care services from corner to corner in this province through that patients-first initiative. It’s going to ensure that we offer the right care at the right time in the right place.

Mr. Chair, much talk about affordability, literally the first question or two every question period, and there was questions here today. And I would just say again, Saskatchewan remains the most affordable place in Canada to live and will continue to be the most affordable place in Canada to live in the future because of actions taken by this Minister of Finance, our Deputy Premier, in this most recent budget. Again, ask the members opposite to consider voting for that appropriation, right a wrong in my opinion, Mr. Chair, when they voted against the budget that is supporting Saskatchewan families on so many fronts.

Last but not least, and I don’t know that we’re going to come to a point of agreement here, Mr. Chair, on attracting investment, attracting that investment to create and expand the industries that are creating wealth and jobs for Saskatchewan families. I had read a number of those investments into the record. That comes about by ensuring you are making policy decisions that are attracting and enabling those investments to come through the exploration stage in the mining sector for example, get through the pre-development stage and ultimately have a chance, have the surety that they come into production.

And that’s what we see in Saskatchewan with the mine sites that are being built and the uranium industry, the copper industry, the potash mining industry, the investments in the oil and gas, the helium, the lithium, the hydrogen, now data centres. Why you’re seeing that kind of investment here is because it is a competitive environment, Mr. Chair, but it also provides certainty. In what is an entirely uncertain world, Mr. Chair, today we are providing certainty in this very province, even more certainty than you can see across the nation of Canada for that investment to flow.

And that’s why we have over 60 projects, Mr. Chair. And I lost track at 60, but it’s over 60 projects with over $62 billion of investment that is going to create jobs and opportunity for the future.

So I ask the members opposite, and I ask everyone that might be watching here today or in attendance: is there anywhere else in the world that you would rather live than this province right here, Mr. Chair?

We have challenges, Mr. Chair. But you have a government that is dedicated to addressing those challenges, working with Saskatchewan people to find solutions, Mr. Chair, and to make this province better each and every day as we move forward.

Is there any other place in the world that you would want to live, that you would want to work, that you would want to raise your children and raise your grandchildren than right here in the great province of Saskatchewan within the great nation of Canada, Mr. Speaker?

Chair B. McLeod: — Thank you very much for your attention and your involvement here today. It’s an honour to serve as committee Chair for the Committee of the Whole. And so thank you for your attention today.

So the debate is concluded. And I’m going to ask the officials that are with us now to leave. And the committee will begin voting on the estimates. And we’ll just take a few moments for everyone to get their seats again. Thank you so much.

Thank you very much. I’ll call the committee to order again, please.

So we have a number of estimates to vote off tonight, and we’re going to start and work our way through.

Is subvote (EX01), central management and services in the amount of $6,285,000 agreed?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Chair B. McLeod: — Carried. Is subvote (EX03) communications office in the amount of $1,158,000 agreed?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Chair B. McLeod: — Carried. Is subvote (EX04), cabinet planning in the amount of $697,000 agreed?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Chair B. McLeod: — Carried. Is subvote (EX05), cabinet secretariat in the amount of $541,000 agreed?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Chair B. McLeod: — Carried. Subvote (EX06), members of the Executive Council in the amount of $158,000. This is a statutory amount. No vote is required.

Is subvote (EX07), Premier’s office in the amount of $534,000 agreed?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Chair B. McLeod: — Carried. Is subvote (EX08), House business and research in the amount of $273,000 agreed?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Chair B. McLeod: — Carried. Is subvote (EX10), intergovernmental affairs in the amount of $2,929,000 agreed?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Chair B. McLeod: — Carried. Is subvote (EX12), Lieutenant Governor’s office in the amount of $753,000 agreed?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Chair B. McLeod: — Carried.

Resolved that there be granted to His Majesty for the 12 months ending March 31st, 2027, the following sums for Executive Council: $13,170,000.

Is that agreed?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Chair B. McLeod: — Carried. The motion is carried. There being no further business before the committee, I would invite a member to move that the committee rise and ask for leave to sit again. I recognize the Government House Leader.

Hon. Tim McLeod: — Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that the committee rise, report progress, and ask for leave to sit again.

Chair B. McLeod: — It has been moved by the Government House Leader that the committee rise, report progress, and ask for leave to sit again. Is that agreed?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Chair B. McLeod: — Carried.

[The Speaker resumed the Chair.]

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Chair of Committees.

Blaine McLeod: — Mr. Speaker, I am instructed by the committee to report progress and ask for leave to sit again.

Speaker Goudy: — When shall this committee sit again? I recognize the Government House Leader.

Hon. Tim McLeod: — Next sitting of the House, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker Goudy: — Next sitting. It now being past the ordinary time of adjournment, this House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10 a.m.

[The Assembly adjourned at 18:11.]

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

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