Mr. Speaker, all members of the Assembly, we are joined by representatives today from both CUPE [Canadian Union of Public Employees] 5430 — health care workers — as well as SEIU-West [Service Employees International Union-West]. Mr. Speaker, I had an opportunity to meet with leadership and members from both unions this morning and was able to have productive conversations with both about how we continue to work together, government and our union partners, to improve the health care system for workers and for patients in this province, Mr. Speaker.

On behalf of the government, I want to thank all the health care workers here today for serving patients in communities south to north, east to west, right across our province. Thank you to them for putting patients first in everything that they do.

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

Meara Conway: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to join with the minister in welcoming the front line of our health care system here to this legislature today. We have with us in your gallery the formidable team from SEIU-West. We have the president, Lisa. We have Jason, the vice-president. We have Devin. We have Amy, Angela, Shantarra, Amanda, Jason, and Lisa — nurses, front-line electricians, CCAs [continuing care assistant], Mr. Speaker, the folks that hold our system up each and every day.

We are also joined by dozens of health care workers from CUPE 5430, largest health care union in Saskatchewan; their president, Bashir Jalloh; president of CUPE Saskatchewan, Kent Peterson; and their vice-president, Arlene Picard.

And a number of us on this side also took some time to speak with and meet with the 1,000 health care workers that were just on the steps of this legislature, Mr. Speaker. So to you and through you, I want to welcome the folks that are in here today. But I also want to extend my thanks, my gratitude, my welcome to the 1,000 health care workers that had to come to their legislature on the eve of a patient-first Throne Speech from their government. And I want to say that we understand that words need to be met with action. We need to get these workers a fair deal.

So through you, Mr. Speaker, welcome to these health care workers.

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

Hon. Ken Cheveldayoff: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I would like to join with the minister and the member opposite to welcome our friends from various unions across the province. I know I participated in the meeting with SEIU-West this morning. We have had discussions with CUPE. Unifor is here as well. And to all of them, I want to thank them for what they do each and every day in our province to make our province a better place. And as Minister of Labour, I’m pleased to engage with them whenever possible.

While I’m on my feet, Mr. Speaker, I want to introduce to you and through you a couple of individuals who help reduce and eliminate workplace injuries and fatalities in our province. First I would like to welcome Ryan Bast, the executive director of the Motor Safety Association of Saskatchewan. Ryan, welcome to your Legislative Assembly. Ryan is the recipient of the Saskatchewan Safety Professional of the Year award.

And joining him today is Collin Pullar, who has served as the president of the Construction Safety Association of Saskatchewan for 12 years. Collin will be going on to future endeavours. But I want to ask all members to help me welcome these two individuals to their Legislative Assembly.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Trade and Export.

Hon. Warren Kaeding: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask for an extended introduction.

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

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Hon. Warren Kaeding: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Seated in your gallery, I would like to introduce several guests who are joining us today from Melville in connection with the Support Our Heroes fundraiser. Most will remember this as the province-wide fundraiser based in Melville to support our two police officers who were injured while serving in the line of duty this summer.

Representing the organizing committee are Melissa Moar and Tyler Stewart. And Melissa is joined by her wife, Kaylee Moar, a Melville RCMP [Royal Canadian Mounted Police] officer. And Tyler is joined by his wife, Jennaya Ottenbreit, and their newborn daughter, Hallie.

Also joining us today is Hadley Polk. Ten-year-old Hadley raised more than $13,000 through her bracelet fundraising in support of the two injured Melville RCMP officers. She is joined by her mother, Lacey Polk; her sister Brynlee Polk; and her grandparents, Harmon and Sherry Polk.

These guests represent the many volunteers, the donors, sponsors, first responders, community members who came together in support of the injured officers and their families.

And finally, Mr. Speaker, I’m especially pleased to welcome RCMP member Jason Gnanathayalan, one of the two officers who was seriously injured in the line of duty on June 21st. Jason, it means a great deal to have you here with us today.

And I’d ask all members to welcome these folks, these guests, to their Legislative Assembly.

Speaker Goudy: — The member isn’t finished with his introductions. Minister of Trade and Export.

Hon. Warren Kaeding: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Now I’m also pleased to rise today to welcome some very distinguished guests to our Legislative Assembly. Joining us today from the Sweden-based Actagon AB are Ola Stenudd and Andreas Skinnars, both partners with this firm. Actagon AB specializes in building international partnerships that connect industry, technology, investment, and innovation, with a particular focus on defence, security, and industrial development.

They are accompanied by representatives from Des Nedhe, a Saskatchewan-based Indigenous-owned business: Sean Willy, president and CEO [chief executive officer]; Trent Campbell, director of Indigenous and community engagement; and Nick Crighton, the director of corporate affairs with Des Nedhe and DNG Defence.

Mr. Speaker, these organizations are helping strengthen international relationships, explore new investment opportunities, and showcasing Saskatchewan’s growing potential and innovation, defence, and advanced industries. We are so pleased to welcome them here to Saskatchewan and look forward to the opportunities that these partnerships may bring to our province. I ask all members to join me in welcoming these distinguished guests to their Legislative Assembly.

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

Trent Wotherspoon: — Thanks, Mr. Speaker. It’s a pleasure to join with the minister to provide a very warm welcome as well, first and foremost here to the Actagon delegation that’s here from Sweden. They’re here in very fine company with the leadership that they’re here with here in Saskatchewan. I want to welcome you to this province and to the Saskatchewan Assembly. I want to thank the Saskatchewan leadership here, Nick and others, for the leadership and for this work together. So I ask all members of this Assembly to provide a very warm welcome to all these guests that are here today.

Mr. Speaker, I definitely want to take a moment though to join with the member from Melville, the minister, in providing the very warm remarks and remarks of respect for the Support Our Heroes delegation from Melville here today. I want to welcome the leadership that’s here today — Melissa and Tyler, Jason — for your service, for your strength, for being here today. We can only imagine what you’ve been through.

To 10‑year-old Hadley: what an inspirational effort you’ve put together. What these members went through is incredibly awful, Mr. Speaker. It reminds us all of the risk that’s taken by those that are on the front lines every day, serving and protecting all of us, Mr. Speaker.

And on behalf of a very grateful opposition and a grateful province, I want to join in remarks of respect and thanks and just continued well wishes to the two members that were injured in such an awful way this year, Mr. Speaker. So on behalf of a grateful province, let’s extend our gratitude.

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

Hon. Michael Weger: — Mr. Speaker, I request leave for an extended introduction.

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

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Hon. Michael Weger: — Mr. Speaker, to you and through you, I ask all members to join me in welcoming Corey Zaharuk, assistant deputy minister of policing and community safety services. Joining Corey up in the west gallery is his partner, Carla Randall. Corey has decided unfortunately after three decades of public service in Saskatchewan that it is time to embark on a new chapter in the corporate world.

After joining the Regina Police Service in ’95, Corey built a distinguished career grounded in his commitment to being the best police officer he could be as he proceeded through the ranks.

In 2021 Corey joined the Government of Saskatchewan as the executive director of the Saskatchewan Police Commission, later advancing to assistant deputy minister of policing and community safety in 2024. Since my appointment as minister, I have appreciated Corey’s hard work and dedication, and I have benefited greatly from his knowledge and wisdom. In fact he’s referred to as the encyclopedia of policing.

Mr. Speaker, Corey is often my first call whenever I needed insight on policing matters, and he always has the answer or knows where to find it. Those who knew him know that his expertise is equally matched by his integrity and professionalism.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of this Assembly, I thank Corey for his many years of dedicated public service. I wish him all the best and success in his next career. Thank you, Corey, for helping build a strong and safe Saskatchewan. I would ask all members join me in welcoming Corey and Carla to their Legislative Assembly.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Opposition House Leader.

Nicole Sarauer: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To you and through you, I’d like to join with the minister in welcoming Corey Zaharuk and his partner to the Legislative Assembly, and also thanking him for his decades of service to this province, as has been mentioned, more prominently with the RPS [Regina Police Service] and then with government.

Having known him for a chunk of that time at RPS and then within his role at the Government of Saskatchewan, I can say with confidence that he has been an absolute delight in his roles. And you could tell in all the work that he did that he has an unwavering passion both for those who serve on the front lines of this province as well as the people of this province and the need for community safety.

So allow me to join with the minister on behalf of the official opposition in thanking him for his service and wishing him all the best as he moves on to his new endeavours in another province. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Travis Keisig: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To you and through you, it is my pleasure to introduce some guests in the Chamber today. Today we are joined by Julien Quentin, who is here all the way from France, Mr. Speaker.

My niece got married on the weekend and — quick story — Julien used to live with my sister Melanie Keisig, roomed and board. And he was studying agriculture in France, Mr. Speaker, and part of his education, he had to work overseas for a while. So he worked in Tasmania at a Tasmanian devil rescue facility, Mr. Speaker. And then his next service was in Tullymet at a large hog production facility, Mr. Speaker. Kind of opposite ends of the spectrum on agriculture production.

But anyway we were very hospitable to Julien. We took him to Rider games. We took him across the province and he had a great experience in Saskatchewan enjoying Saskatchewan hospitality.

So to you and through you, Mr. Speaker, please welcome Melanie Keisig to this, her Legislative Assembly, and Julien Quentin to the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly.

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

Nathaniel Teed: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. To you and through you, I just want to join with some of my colleagues on the floor here today in welcoming a delegation from Unifor to their Legislative Assembly.

[13:45]

Led today by western regional director Gavin McGarrigle, leadership from across Saskatchewan came to their Legislative Assembly to advocate on behalf of their workers, but also workers across this province in the area of workers’ rights and safety in their workplaces.

So I’m just going to read out a couple names; you can give us a wave as I do. I want to welcome Guy Desforges, Kaleena Baulin, Raymond Bucsis, Mike Dunne, Steve Busch, Jaime Sorrell, Chris Stinson, Della Rogers, and Mike Pilipow to their Legislative Assembly. We are so appreciative to take a number of meetings with this group today, representing workers from across this beautiful province.

I also want to join with my colleagues on the floor today in welcoming all of the health care workers and the leadership of the health care provider unions that we are joined by today. And specifically, Mr. Speaker, I want to draw attention to some letters that the union SEIU-West, the president, Lisa Zunti, passed to us that were written to members of the government. And I just would like to ask our wonderful pages if they would have these letters delivered to the Premier today at the end of my remarks.

So to you and through you, Mr. Speaker, I want to ask all members in the Assembly to welcome all of these guests to their Legislative Assembly.

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

Hon. Terry Jenson: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To you and through you this afternoon, it’s a great privilege to welcome 26 grade 12 students from the great community of Hague, from Hague High School, with us. Just give us a quick wave up in the west gallery. They’re joined today by their teacher, Becky Loroff, as well as somebody who’s become a pretty good friend of mine over the years, Vice-Principal Russell Dyck.

And you know, going up and down Highway 11, Mr. Speaker — I’m sure we’ve all done it — you absolutely do have to stop in in Hague. Daily Delights is a terrific little coffee shop. It’s part of our day program within disability programs operated in Hague. Make sure you stop in and do that.

And I just want to say thank you to the students for making the trip down today. I look forward to, you know, answering some questions downstairs once we’re done proceedings, after question period, and getting a photo done. And I will be bringing some treats to the school just before Christmas, and we’ll continue our dialogue there.

So once again, to you and through you, Mr. Speaker, welcome to 26 grade 12 students from Hague High School.

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

Noor Burki: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To you and through you, I would like to welcome 21 students from Mother Teresa Middle School’s grade 7. Mr. Speaker, they are living right in the heart of Regina Coronation Park, Mr. Speaker. These students are being accompanied by two amazing persons. They are accompanied by teacher Jordan Puscus and by a parent, Braydon. Thank you, Mr. Puscus, to bring in your students to the Legislative Assembly. Mr. Speaker, this is an amazing school I visited two times in the past, and they are doing an incredible job.

And myself and a member from Lumsden-Morse, we were witness of their talents when we went to attend their 15th anniversary of their school in Government House. We saw their energy; we saw their talent. I think this class is doing amazing. They are doing an amazing job. And I will be talking about that in a member statement down the days. Because they are doing such incredible work that many schools they give up, but they roll up their sleeves and increase the success rate of the students with very hard work, Mr. Speaker. They’re doing an incredible job.

With that I will be saying, Mr. Speaker, that I will be taking their questions in Qu’Appelle Gallery, down there in the gallery. So I will be facing their hard and smart questions. Sometimes they’re good. Sometimes they are very hard. But I will meet with them.

With that I will request all members to join me to welcome these incredible future leaders to our Legislative Assembly.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Justice.

Hon. Tim McLeod: — Mr. Speaker, I seek leave for an extended introduction.

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

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Hon. Tim McLeod: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I actually have two introductions this morning. First I’d like to begin with some guests who are seated in the west gallery visiting us from Lethbridge, Alberta that I had the pleasure of meeting yesterday: Jillian Wilson, her sister Catherine Furukawa, and Catherine’s daughters, 13‑year-old Ainsley and 11‑year-old McKenna.

Mr. Speaker, Jillian came to Saskatchewan from Lethbridge for school and decided to stay when she met her now-husband, Sean Wilson, who we have the pleasure of working with every day in this building. Mr. Speaker, Catherine is a constituency manager for Lethbridge Member of Parliament Rachael Thomas, and she and Jillian both come from a long line of political involvement. Their father, Rick Dempsey, was a campaign manager for the Conservative Party in Alberta, and their mother, Cindy Dempsey, used to work in this very building in the Premier’s correspondence unit under Premier Devine.

That passion for politics has been passed on to the next generation, as both Ainsley and McKenna have said that they want to visit every legislature in this country. And that’s a noble, noble goal. Mr. Speaker, I would ask all members to please join me in welcoming these guests to the legislature in Saskatchewan.

And finally, Mr. Speaker, I would like to introduce a group of executive coordinators from the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General who are seated in your gallery. Mr. Speaker, these individuals’ professionalism, teamwork, commitment to supporting ministry operations, and identifying opportunities to improve processes are invaluable to the ministry’s success.

I would ask each of them to give us a wave as I call their name — Cesvan, Mario, Maxanne, Tara, Dionne, Margaret, Danika, Abale, Datu, Jessica, Kelly, and Allison.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all members to join me in thanking these individuals for the important work that they do and welcome them to this, their Legislative Assembly.

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

Matt Love: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ve got two brief introductions today. I’ll start by welcoming, seated behind me in the west gallery, Ryan Bast. He’s a leader in our province who wears many hats. I know he’s not here in his capacity with education today, but I do want to take this opportunity to thank him for his leadership as board Chair of Regina Catholic Schools.

Ryan’s a phenomenal leader, somebody who will advocate for the needs of students and families, Catholic education in Saskatchewan, and the buildings that those students and families need to learn and succeed. So I invite all members to join me in welcoming Ryan, and thanking him for his leadership.

And seated across from me, Mr. Speaker, in the east gallery, are three of the most important people in my life: my wife, Emma; and my boys, Tom and Myles, are with us today.

You know, these are incredible people that I get to walk through this journey of life with. And I’m getting a lot of comments here from my colleagues, and so I will, yes, concede that Tom is now the tallest member of the Love family. Fastest, we’re not sure about. We do race every summer and I think I got him this year. Next summer definitely he’s going to get me. I’m getting older and he’s getting faster. But these are just incredible, you know, people — current leaders, future leaders — you know, my best friends in this world and all the support that I need to do this job.

But you know, colleagues on both sides will recognize that one of us isn’t here today. My daughter Etta is in China at the moment, and she’s competing at world championships for Olympic weightlifting. So she’ll be lifting, representing our country. I know we’re all very proud of her. She’s representing Canada. She’ll be lifting there on November 8th. So stay tuned and thanks to all members for cheering her on and for the kind support that they’ve offered her and our family over the years.

I’d invite all members to join me in welcoming the Loves to their Legislative Assembly.

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

Brad Crassweller: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To you and through you, I’d like to acknowledge someone who really needs no introduction but I will anyways. Seated behind me is Don McMorris is here today.

I have the privilege and the big shoes to fill in following in his footsteps. Don served our constituency for 25 years, being first elected in 1999 and retiring here in 2024, a remarkable 25‑year career in politics where he served as minister in so many, if not all, of the portfolios in this entire government.

So thank you, Don, for all your years of service and for serving the people of our constituency, the great people of this province; thank his wife, Cindy. You might have heard of his boys Mark and Craig. We thank them as well.

But it’s an honour, Don, to consider you a friend. It’s an honour to have you here today. And I’d ask all of my colleagues to welcome Don McMorris back to his legislature.

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

Trent Wotherspoon: — Thanks, Mr. Speaker. It’s a pleasure to join with the member opposite to welcome Don McMorris back to his Assembly. He was an incredible force in this Assembly for the people that he represented on so many fronts as well.

We don’t miss him, Mr. Speaker, to be honest, in question period. And right now we have Throne Speech debates, Mr. Speaker, and he was prone to get pretty wound up and give it to us pretty good for a little bit, Mr. Speaker, during those moments. So we don’t miss him on those fronts, but we certainly miss his friendship. We miss his contributions to this Assembly. And he has a remarkable family, Mr. Speaker. And so we, you know, to you and through you, we give a thanks to his family and recognize Don’s contributions and that whole family as well, Mr. Speaker.

With that being said, I ask all members to welcome Don McMorris to his Assembly.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Premier.

Hon. Scott Moe: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. To you and through you, I would like to reiterate all of the introductions that have been made here today and add one, of Deanna Schmidt.

Deanna has worked with the Government of Saskatchewan in some way, shape, or form for 38 years across various roles within the government, Mr. Speaker. She’s been part of cabinet secretariat for the past 26 years. And during that period of time, she has processed just under 18,000 orders in council, Mr. Speaker, by various governments in that period of time — 17,700 orders in council. And so I would say that her professionalism, her dedication to serving the people of Saskatchewan, her commitment to excellence is going to leave very much a lasting legacy in the cabinet secretariat here in the province of Saskatchewan.

As I said, she’s retiring. I asked her what her retirement plans included, and they did include much travelling in the near future. And so we want to wish Deanna the very best in all that she chooses in a well-, well-deserved retirement, thank her for her service to the Government of Saskatchewan, to the people of Saskatchewan.

Mr. Speaker, I would invite through you all members of this Legislative Assembly to welcome Deanna Schmidt to her Legislative Assembly and thank her for her work on behalf of the people of the province.

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

Carla Beck: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I’d like to join with the Premier and all of the members who have spoken previously in inviting all of the guests who have joined us here today in this, their Legislative Assembly. Democracy is a participatory sport, and we are glad that you are here today to keep an eye on what is going on here in our province. And it is always great to look up into the galleries and see so many people who are invested in the future of this beautiful province that we all call home.

I do want to join with the Premier in congratulating and thanking Deanna for her 38 years of service to the people of this province. The Premier gave a very nice introduction. I just want to add to it. I’ve never known to approach you in the hallways and not see a smile, not see good wishes. And the well wishes certainly are extended by all members on this side of the Assembly for you in your future travels. Maybe a little bit of bowling I understand perhaps might be in the future. Mr. Speaker, 38 years of service to the people of this province is extraordinary, and we all owe you a debt for that service.

I also will join in welcoming Don McMorris back to his Legislative Assembly. I can’t help but agree. We wish you well, Don. Don’t always miss you in here. Two things: Don put me to shame by introducing my parents with a nicer introduction than I’ve ever given them. So I’ll concede that. And also one of the most embarrassing moments I’ve ever had in here where he called me out on saying “dragging the puck”, which honest to goodness I thought for many years. Of course it’s “ragging the puck”. Don, I won’t forget that. I do wish you and Cindy and the boys well.

And I, on behalf of the official opposition, would like again to extend thanks to all those who have joined us here today. Thanks.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Cumberland.

[14:00]

Jordan McPhail: — Well thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I had a very pleasant surprise here today. One of my friends from when I was barely tall enough to even stand above the height of the desk that I sit behind today joins us in the gallery here, Trent Campbell from Beauval, Saskatchewan, who the member from Athabasca would like me to say is the better part of the North. And for today and for the intents and purposes of this introduction, I will agree with him that yeah, we have Trent Campbell here from sîpîsisihk, Beauval.

You know, at one point his brother stayed at my house. You know, we have billet families all across Saskatchewan with the SJHL [Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League]. Trent was part of the best SJHL team in the province, and that is the La Ronge Ice Wolves.

And you know, quick story about it. I think it was my sixth or seventh birthday, and we decided to have a street hockey tournament. I absolutely dangled that guy and got it past the goalie. So that’s my claim to fame in hockey. I gave up after that. He continued to go on. He played all over the world, inspired many young Indigenous hockey players to do better and be better. And thank you so much, Trent, for your service to the Indigenous youth across this province. So please welcome Trent to this, his provincial legislature.

And while I’m on my feet, I’ve said it many times in the House here on the floor and when I’ve had the honour and opportunity to stand that I’m a proud Unifor Local 2S member. And some of my union family sits up in the gallery here today. I hope each and every day that I have the honour and opportunity to sit in this chair that I do you proud as a brother and sister of your union.

And thank you so much for all the work that you do to stand up for workers and to hold people accountable across all different levels of government. And thank you for your guidance and your stewardship getting me to this chair and being able to serve you on this provincial legislative floor. And I ask that all members join me in welcoming my union family here, Unifor. Thank you so much.

Speaker Goudy: — And I wanted to join in with some of the members in welcoming Don McMorris to his Legislative Assembly.

And I just want to acknowledge, I was thinking as people were mentioning things, I’m sure — well maybe you don’t remember it — but I’ve had many mentors in my life. But I walked into your office one day and asked you for a favour and to help mentor me and help me succeed at something in life. And at first you weren’t so sure. And maybe a week later, you said, “You know what, Goudy, I’m in.” And that was a very important point in my political career and life. And I just want to thank you for taking a member from Melfort under your wing and helping him figure things out in this building. And friends forever; I appreciate you very much.

And I hope that one day, if I’m back at the Legislative Assembly, both sides of the House will say nice things about me too. That’s a big deal . . . Probably not. Yeah, that’s true. But there’s always hope.

PRESENTING PETITIONS

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

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

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

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

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

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

Brent Blakley: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise to present a petition calling on the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan for the acceleration of the construction of the new joint-use elementary and high schools in east Regina.

These residents of the province of Saskatchewan wish to bring attention to the following: that in September 2024, ahead of the provincial election, the Minister of Education promised to build a new joint-use elementary school and high school in east Regina; that there is currently no timeline for the construction and opening of either school, with the most recent government budget causing further delays; that the elementary schools in the east end of Regina are significantly overcrowded; that families living in new developments do not have a school in their area to send their children, having to be bused to schools outside their community; that the school’s library, dance studio, teachers’ lounge, multi-purpose rooms have all been used as temporary classrooms; and that all children have a right to a well-rounded education in a safe environment.

The prayer reads as follows:

We respectfully request the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan call on the Government of Saskatchewan to immediately provide the support needed to complete and open the new joint-use elementary and high schools in east Regina as soon as possible.

Mr. Speaker, the signatories today reside in the constituency of Regina Wascana Plains. I do so present.

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

April ChiefCalf: — Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the legislature today to present this petition calling for the implementation of rent control now.

The undersigned residents of the province of Saskatchewan wish to bring to your attention the following: that Saskatchewan tenants are currently experiencing the highest level of rent increases in the country; that rent in Saskatchewan has risen by four per cent in the last year alone, far outpacing wage growth and putting more pressure on families, seniors, students, and low-income residents; 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 BC [British Columbia], Manitoba, Ontario, and Prince Edward Island have already implemented rent control measures to protect tenants.

And with that, Mr. Speaker, I will read the prayer:

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

The signatories to this petition reside in Saskatoon, Mr. Speaker. I do so present. Thank you.

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

Jared Clarke: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to present a petition calling on the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan for a data centre moratorium.

The undersigned residents of the province wish to bring to our attention the following: that thousands of Saskatchewan people have raised concerns about hyperscale AI [artificial intelligence] data centres; that there is uncertainty around how these data centres will impact power rates, the protection of personal data, the province’s finances, and the environment; that the Saskatchewan government has not been transparent about the approval process for hyperscale data centres; and that the Government of Saskatchewan has failed to engage in any consultation with local residents who stand to be impacted by the hyperscale data centre being built south of Regina.

I’ll read the prayer:

We, in the prayer that reads as follows, respectfully request the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan call on the Government of Saskatchewan to immediately implement a moratorium on the construction of hyperscale data centres in Saskatchewan.

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

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

Darcy Warrington: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s a pleasure to be on my feet as a former and current and future band nerd to bring to your attention supporting band education in the province of Saskatchewan. I rise today to present our petition calling for the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan to support band education in Saskatchewan.

The undersigned residents would like to bring to our attention the following. We, the undersigned residents of the province of Saskatchewan, bring this to your attention: that the Regina public schools are facing significant budgetary pressures, and band programs have reportedly already been reduced and are at risk of being eliminated due to inadequate operational funding; that music education, including band programs, are a critical part of a well-rounded public education that supports student achievement, mental health, and engagement; that band programs provide unique opportunities for framework, teamwork, discipline, leadership, and inclusivity, particularly benefiting students who may not engage in traditional academic or athletic programs.

I’ll read the prayer:

We, in the prayer that reads as follows, respectfully request the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan call on the Government of Saskatchewan to adequately fund public education, ensuring that all students in Regina and Saskatchewan have access to band education as prescribed by the Saskatchewan arts education curriculum.

Mr. Speaker, this petition has been signed by residents from Swift Current, Southey, and Saskatoon. I do so present.

STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

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

Tragedy at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright

Hugh Gordon: — The members of our Armed Forces serve us with pride and dedication. They have joined our Armed Forces to serve and protect our country knowing that their job entails a great degree of danger in times of conflict and of peace. They exemplify everything it means to be a Canadian.

Sergeant Morgan Wong, Private Shaun Farrell, Private Aidan Goulding, Private Hayden Lykkemark, and the many others who were gravely injured at CFB [Canadian Forces Base] Wainwright during live-fire exercises all heeded the call of their country to serve. Like all professionals in our military, they understood the risks that come with that service, even while training for eventual combat.

What happened on October 17th, 2026 at CFB Wainwright has saddened the entire province and the country. From this tragedy we are reminded of the sacrifices that our armed services personnel make each and every day, not knowing what fate might befall upon them. Yet they continue to accept those risks to their lives to serve Canada to the utmost of their abilities.

The members of the Princess Patricia’s 3rd Battalion have endured an unbearable loss. Their loss is Saskatchewan’s loss, Canada’s loss. As we here in Saskatchewan mourn the death of our own native son, Private Shaun Farrell, our hearts go out collectively to the members of the Princess Pats, their colleagues, and their families. To those dealing with life-changing injuries, we wish them the best in their long road to recovery.

Let us all remember — Once a Patricia, always a Patricia.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Premier.

Hon. Scott Moe: — Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to acknowledge the tragic incident that occurred at CFB Wainwright. On October 17th, members of the 1st Canadian Division were conducting live-fire training when a grass fire ignited in the training area. Driven by heavy winds, the fire spread rapidly across the training grounds, overtaking soldiers who were preparing for deployment in support of Canada’s NATO [North Atlantic Treaty Organization] commitments in Latvia.

Four service members tragically lost their lives and 39 others were injured. Among those, we lost Private Shaun Farrell of Prince Albert. Like so many young Canadians, he chose a life of service. Shaun dedicated himself to something greater than himself. His loss will be felt deeply by his family, by his friends, fellow service members, and all that knew and loved him.

This was among the deadliest peacetime incidents involving the Canadian Armed Forces on domestic soil. So on behalf of the Government of Saskatchewan, I would like to express my deepest condolences to the families, to the friends, and to comrades of those that we have lost, and my sincere wishes for full recovery of those who were injured. I also want to thank the first responders, the medical teams, the emergency crews, who continue to support those that are affected. May the fallen rest in peace.

To Shaun’s family; to his father, Roland; his mother, Patricia; and brother Bryan: please know that Saskatchewan stands with you and that you are in our thoughts and prayers in the difficult days today and ahead. Thank you.

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

Canadian Islamic Heritage Month

Noor Burki: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m pleased to rise today to recognize October as the Canadian Islamic Heritage Month. Canadian Islamic Heritage Month recognizes and celebrates the many important things that Muslim communities have done for our province and our country.

Saskatchewan Muslim Canadians have been a part of our shared history for over 100 years. They have built businesses, serve in our health care systems, enrich our schools and universities, and contribute to the vibrant cultural diversity that make our province strong. Canadian Islamic Heritage Month is the time to honour this history. We can create a future of mutual respect and understanding.

[14:15]

Equally important, this month is also a time to reflect upon racism and discrimination that many people in Saskatchewan still face. We must continue to work together to build bridges between all communities and break down harmful prejudices and stereotypes. As we celebrate Canadian Islamic Heritage Month, let us continue to build a compassionate, inclusive, safer Saskatchewan for everyone. I would ask all members to join me in celebrating Canadian Islamic Heritage Month. Thank you.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Deputy Premier.

Remembering Ken Krawetz

Hon. Jim Reiter: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today with a heavy heart to recognize the remarkable life of our colleague and friend, Ken Krawetz. Ken was first elected to this Assembly in 1995 as a member of the Liberal Party. Two years later, he and seven other MLAs [Member of the Legislative Assembly] came together and founded the Saskatchewan Party, a decision that changed politics in our province forever.

Following the 2007 election, Ken became the Saskatchewan Party’s first minister of Education and deputy premier, later serving as the minister of Finance, and delivered five provincial budgets.

Ken was very proud of his Ukrainian ancestry. He helped to pass Bill 40, the Holodomor memorial day Act, which ensures the atrocity of the 1930s in Ukraine was recognized as a genocide. For this work Ken was awarded the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, the highest honour a non-Ukrainian citizen can receive, from Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko.

Many will remember Ken’s passion and attention to detail, often shown in this very Assembly. A mike was redundant when Ken got going. Ken was a tireless volunteer in his home community of Invermay. His list of accomplishments is too long to list.

What made Ken most happy was time with Gail, his children, and grandchildren at their Ukrainian dance concerts or sports activities.

Ken Krawetz, thank you for your service to this great country. Vichnaya Pamyat — memory eternal.

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

National Tree Day

Tajinder Grewal: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to recognize National Tree Day, celebrated on September 26th in my constituency of Saskatoon University-Sutherland. I was pleased to join Tree Canada, BMO [Bank of Montreal], the city of Saskatoon, and many volunteers for this special event. I thank the organizers and everyone who came out to participate.

Since its founding in 1992, Tree Canada has planted more than 82 million trees across Canada. Trees make our communities a better place to live. They provide shade, they support wildlife and pollinators, and they also add beauty to our neighbourhoods.

What makes this event special? The action people are taking. They are planting trees and shrubs that will benefit our community for years to come. There’s an old saying: when we plant trees, we don’t plant them for ourselves; we plant them for future generations. A tree planted today may provide shade for a child tomorrow. It may become a home for birds. It may be enjoyed by families for generations.

Mr. Speaker, I thank all the volunteers for their time and effort. Their work reminds us that small actions can make a lasting difference. I’m proud to support efforts to build greener, healthier communities for generations to come. Thank you.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the MLA from Melville-Saltcoats.

Fundraiser Supports Injured Officers

Hon. Warren Kaeding: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to recognize the tremendous community support shown for two members in the Melville RCMP detachment who were seriously injured in the line of duty on June 21st.

In the weeks that followed, our community came together in an extraordinary way. I know the MLA from Last Mountain-Touchwood and I joined more than 2,000 people who gathered at the Melville CN Community Centre for the Support Our Heroes fundraiser. A dedicated organizing committee — approximately 30 volunteers, local businesses, donors, sponsors, first responders, and residents from across the region, literally across the province — helped make the event an incredible success.

Mr. Speaker, as introduced earlier, Melissa Moar and Tyler Stewart are here today representing the organizing committee and everyone who contributed to the fundraiser. Also joining us is 10‑year-old Hadley Polk and members of her family. Hadley started selling bracelets in support of the officers, hoping to raise a few hundred dollars to, you know, help out. With tremendous community support, that effort has grown more than $13,000. And her sales are now worldwide. And I know even the Premier and I are wearing ours very proudly here today.

Both efforts demonstrate what can happen when a community comes together to support those who serve and protect us. To our injured RCMP members and their families, please know that the people of Melville and the surrounding area, along with communities across Saskatchewan, continue to stand with you. We thank you for your service. We wish you strength and continued progress in your recovery. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Strong and Steady Saskatchewan Economy

Brad Crassweller: — Mr. Speaker, while global unrest, tariffs and market turmoil affect trade relationships and economies across the world, Saskatchewan continues to be seen as a reliable place to do business and raise a family.

More than 60 major projects are under development right now, valued at over $100 billion. These investments are creating good jobs and strengthening local communities. Capital is flowing through sectors from potash, oil, uranium, critical minerals, and energy development to agriculture, manufacturing, and transportation. Because of this diversified strength and stability, we remain a top destination for forward-thinking companies looking to expand and succeed.

Companies like Drake foods, with a new plant opening in Saskatoon; North American Helium, who are investing in Swift Current to support a rapidly-growing helium industry; NexGen Energy, Denison Mines, Foran Mining, Prairie Lithium, Canadian Energy Metals, who are investing in energy projects from Assiniboia to Tisdale to Uranium City; and Bell Canada, which has chosen Regina to become a new tech and AI hub that will create an entire industry with the commitment of over $50 billion in the great constituency of White City-Qu’Appelle, which I’m very proud to represent.

Growing venture capital investment, start-up incentives, and digital infrastructure projects are becoming powerful drivers of Saskatchewan’s economy. Mr. Speaker, in an uncertain world there’s one choice: strong, steady Saskatchewan. Thank you.

QUESTION PERIOD

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

Provision of Health Care

Carla Beck: — Mr. Speaker, 6 out of every 10 Saskatchewan people — more than half — don’t have access to a family doctor. And our surgical wait times here are longer than anywhere else in the country. But the answer that we see from this arrogant and entitled, out-of-touch Sask Party government is to roll out . . .

Speaker Goudy: — Let’s maybe start the whole thing . . . Calling them arrogant is certainly unparliamentary. Could I ask you to apologize and withdraw that.

Carla Beck: — Apologize and withdraw.

The answer from this entitled, out-of-touch government is to roll out the same plan that they first rolled out in 2014. Actually they rolled it out in 2009 and 2008. Actually 2007 was the first time they rolled it out. And, Mr. Speaker, maybe they thought we wouldn’t notice.

To the Premier: don’t Saskatchewan people deserve better than a health care plan that you photocopied from 20 years ago?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Premier.

Hon. Scott Moe: — Mr. Speaker, I can only think that the Leader of the Opposition is referencing the patients-first health care plan, a health care plan with 50 action items to improve health care services across this province in communities from corner to corner in this province. A patients-first health care initiative to take today’s innovation and today’s technology that’s available to us and to provide that to our health care professionals across this province so that they can continue to improve the outcomes in our health care system in this province, Mr. Speaker.

This is a plan that is very much focused on action and investment, Mr. Speaker. And I’d be prepared to table every single news release from the Government of Saskatchewan representing an investment in health care, an investment in a community, an investment in our health care professionals across this province, Mr. Speaker, who ensure that this is not just words. The patients-first health care plan is based on action. It’s based on investment. It’s based on improving health care across the province, Mr. Speaker, and it’s based on ensuring that everyone in this province has access to a primary health care provider by 2028.

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

Carla Beck: — Mr. Speaker, I do not care how many action items there are in that plan. The reality is that it is not working for Saskatchewan people. Mr. Speaker, a woman in Saskatoon died after suffering a broken ankle. We see a senior who was left to lie on the floor in an emergency room because there was simply no beds. And we have hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of front-line health care workers here today demanding better. And, Mr. Speaker, it’s not going to work without involving those health care workers.

Will the Premier commit to meeting with all of them today? Or is he going to continue to duck and dodge accountability while health care crumbles around us?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Premier.

Hon. Scott Moe: — It is my understanding that the Minister of Health has met with leadership from our collective bargaining tables, health care collective bargaining tables this morning, Mr. Speaker. And we continue to work very hard at the negotiating table, Mr. Speaker, through SAHO [Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations] to ensure that we can come to an agreement with all three provider unions that is good for our health care professionals, is good for patients across the province of Saskatchewan and, I think, recognizing the important work that health care professionals do in facility after facility across this province, Mr. Speaker.

When it comes to the action that was the first part of that question and the beds that are available in our health care system: as part of a building out of 400 acute care beds in this province and staffing those beds with health care professionals across this province, the Minister of Health, the rural and remote minister of health, and myself, Mr. Speaker, were in Saskatoon just about a week, a week and a half ago opening up an additional 80 of those beds in the city of Saskatoon.

Up to 400 beds will be open when Prince Albert hospital comes online, when the Weyburn hospital comes online, and the additional outbuilds are coming online and fully staffed across the province, Mr. Speaker. Four hundred beds would be the equivalent of two pretty significant size hospitals in this province, Mr. Speaker.

That is action. That is investment on behalf of the people across this province, improving health care outcomes and supporting and recognizing the professional work that our health care providers provide across the province as well, Mr. Speaker.

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

Cost of Living and Affordability

Carla Beck: — Mr. Speaker, we didn’t get an answer from the Premier about whether or not he was going to meet with these health care workers, but I would highly, highly recommend that he does, Mr. Speaker, because he could learn a lot from those front-line workers.

Now, Mr. Speaker, people in this province are not only suffering because of their failures on health care; this entitled, out-of-touch government is also failing to provide any relief to the high and rising cost of living. This is a premier and his MLAs — his jet-setting MLAs, I might say, Mr. Speaker — who tell everyone there’s nothing to see here. They tell us how affordable things are here in Saskatchewan. Yet child poverty in this province is worse than anywhere else in the country, and 40 per cent of those people who are using the food bank are children.

Mr. Speaker, we feed the world, but children here in Saskatchewan are going hungry. Mr. Speaker, how is this in any way acceptable to that Premier?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Premier.

Hon. Scott Moe: — Mr. Speaker, two years ago in this province we had an election campaign where we largely campaigned on affordability measures, Mr. Speaker: affordability measures for students, for homeowners, for seniors, and for families across the province of Saskatchewan. Mr. Speaker, we have kept every single one of those commitments to ensure that our province — albeit facing inflationary pressures like every other province and every other Canadian family — but our province of Saskatchewan remains the most affordable province in the nation of Canada. In fact . . .

[Interjections]

Speaker Goudy: — I’m just going to ask . . . Every response has had quite a lot of noise, so I ask that we respectfully listen to the questions and the answers please.

Hon. Scott Moe: — In fact, Mr. Speaker, there’s a recent study that named our capital city, the city where we stand today, the most affordable city in Canada to buy a home. Saskatchewan has just been rated as the most affordable province to rent a home. We have the second lowest cost utility bundle in the nation, and we’ve reduced income taxes, Mr. Speaker, to the point where a family of four in Saskatchewan has the highest threshold of tax-free income across the nation of Saskatchewan.

Mr. Speaker, there’s more work to do when it comes to supporting families across this province and supporting individuals across this province, but it also needs to be recognized that today this is the most affordable place in the nation where you can live.

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

Data Centre Project

Carla Beck: — So there we have it, Mr. Speaker. In response to this province having the worst child poverty rates in the country, the Premier says, hey, think of how good you have it.

Not only is this tired and out-of-touch government failing Saskatchewan children, they’re also failing to be responsible and transparent when it comes to the Sherwood data centre. Now Saskatchewan people have many concerns, reasonable questions, about this megaproject. Where’s the environmental assessment? What is this going to do to power bills in Saskatchewan? But this Premier has plowed ahead without consultation and has provided none of those answers.

[14:30]

What does this Premier have to say to the people of this province who have questions that are going unanswered about this data centre?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Premier.

Hon. Scott Moe: — Mr. Speaker, when it comes to infrastructure, private sector infrastructure projects being built across this province including here in the city of Regina: over $100 billion of private sector capital and over 60 projects. Unlike any time in our province’s history, and unlike anything that’s happening across the nation of Canada.

The largest infrastructure project in Canada, not just today but in the history of our nation, is happening right here in Regina. It’s the Bell AI data centre, Mr. Speaker. The third largest ever in the nation of Canada is also happening here in the province of Saskatchewan, and it’s the BHP Billiton potash mine just outside of Jansen, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, this is what we do in this province. We build mine sites. Three uranium mine sites under construction as we speak. We build potash mines, two of them under construction as we speak. We build a copper mine, Mr. Speaker, that will be commencing production very shortly. We have crush plants built across this province including one just outside of the city of Regina. And there are fair questions to each and every one of those projects, Mr. Speaker.

In the case of Bell AI data centre, there are also very good answers with respect to every single one of those questions, Mr. Speaker. And Bell is providing those answers to the people of the province. Also providing jobs to not just people here in Regina, but you can ask the members of IBEW [International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers], Mr. Speaker, if they are working out of that facility, and the answer is yes. The Sask Building Trades, many of their members working out at that facility. And United Association Local, Mr. Speaker, also working on that record-setting investment in the province of Saskatchewan.

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

Carla Beck: — Mr. Speaker, we know this is a government, a Premier, very familiar with contracting out, but he cannot contract out his responsibility to answer questions for the people of this province.

Mr. Speaker, this is a government that just isn’t listening. People have reasonable concerns about this data centre, questions that are not being answered by his government. That’s why we’ve called for a moratorium on these data centres, Mr. Speaker. There is too much at stake, and no one is prepared to just trust that Premier and that government.

So my question is, will this Premier implement a moratorium on data centres today? Or will he answer the questions that people have about it?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Premier.

Hon. Scott Moe: — There are many good projects that are being built and have been built across the province of Saskatchewan; thus the over $100 billion of private sector investment that is creating not only construction crews but ongoing careers, as is the case with the Bell data centre, Mr. Speaker.

It is important to understand that we have a regulatory environment in this province, Mr. Speaker, that governs the construction of each and every one of those projects, like the Cargill crush facility just outside of the city of Regina that is also providing jobs for people that live not just in the city but in the surrounding area. Mr. Speaker, this is what we do in attracting investment to our communities and to our province and to our nation, building our province, building our nation, Mr. Speaker. And we have a very strong regulatory environment.

As I said, there are fair questions, Mr. Speaker. There are very good answers to each of those questions, and Bell is providing those.

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

Government Advertising Expenditures

Meara Conway: — You know, Mr. Speaker, a thousand health care workers rallied out on the steps today. Not only did they not show their face out there, the Premier just whistled past a question, a simple request to meet with them, have a conversation. I’m just pointing that out, Mr. Speaker.

How the government spends public money is a matter of government business, and Saskatchewan people have so many questions about how much government advertising appears in the pages of The World-Spectator. This entitled and out-of-touch government even ran ads for the latest rerun of the patient-first health care plan in this newspaper.

So how much money has been spent running government ads in The World-Spectator, a newspaper that happens to be owned by the high-flying member from Moosomin-Montmartre?

Speaker Goudy: — Can you pause the clock just for a second? I’m just going to caution a little bit on where we go with questions concerning government business, details about these kinds of numbers. Some of it has to do with the Board of Internal Economy, some with government. I’m just going to ask you to be extremely careful on the difference between the two and not to ride that line please. I’m going to ask that you would ask questions that are very appropriate to the government business and on numbers such as that.

Maybe I’ll ask that you move on to the next question and that we ask questions based on government business.

Meara Conway: — Mr. Speaker, how much government money has been spent on government ads in The World-Spectator?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Government House Leader.

Hon. Tim McLeod: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. If the member wants to ask a specific minister a question about the ministerial budgets, certainly that would be a fair question for this Assembly.

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to advertisements, I think what the member opposite is alluding to is MLA expenses that are allowed under the directives. And that is certainly a matter for the Conflict of Interest Commissioner or your office, Mr. Speaker. That is not government business. That is expense business that both the members on that side and on this side are entitled to, expenditures under the directives that govern all of our expenditures. And yourself and the Conflict of Interest Commissioner oversee that, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker Goudy: — Okay, pause the clock again please. I think you are being very clear on government . . . There is some confusion understandably though on some of the . . . So you can go ahead and ask your next question. But I do believe that you are asking government ministry advertisements in that paper, so you can go ahead and ask another question.

I recognize the member from Regina Elphinstone-Centre.

Meara Conway: — Well, Mr. Speaker, perhaps the Minister of Finance could answer this question: how much government money has been spent on government ads in The World-Spectator? Or you know, maybe the Minister of Health can tell us how much government spending has gone to health care ads on touting his patients-first plan in The World-Spectator.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Health.

Hon. Jeremy Cockrill: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the member opposite for giving me an opportunity to rise to my feet to talk about our patients-first health care plan. A plan, Mr. Speaker, that this government has put forward to make sure that patients receive the right care at the right time and as close to home as possible. Mr. Speaker, you know, they don’t want to hear my answers . . .

[Interjections]

Speaker Goudy: — Order, please.

Hon. Jeremy Cockrill: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m glad I can finish my answer. Of course the Ministry of Health has made expenditures to ensure that we are sharing the good work of the patients-first health care plan with patients right across the province, to talk about the progress that we’re making on our 50‑action plan, Mr. Speaker.

I don’t have a total for you for our whole advertising campaign for the patients-first health care plan, Mr. Speaker, but I’d be pleased to bring that answer tomorrow. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Negotiations with Health Care Workers

Nathaniel Teed: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. You know, if the Minister of Health wants to put patients first, he could first . . . by putting these health care workers first and getting them a deal signed today. We’re joined by dozens of those very health care workers who have gone years without a contract, four years without a raise because this entitled and out-of-touch government won’t negotiate a fair deal.

Now, Mr. Speaker, these are the folks who care for our loved ones in seniors’ homes. They care for us in hospitals. And these are the very folks who are struggling to keep our health care system afloat. They deserve a fair deal, and they deserve a government who cares.

So I would love to hear from the Minister of Health: when will this Sask Party government get a deal with these health care workers? And when will he commit to meeting with these health care workers today if the Premier won’t?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Health.

Hon. Jeremy Cockrill: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the member opposite for the question, Mr. Speaker. As I mentioned during introductions, I did have an opportunity to meet with CUPE 5430 and SEIU-West members earlier this morning and had productive conversations again about how we work together as government, the Saskatchewan Health Authority, and our union partners to put patients first and ensure that we can get to an agreement that’s going to work for both workers and patients, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite knows well that we don’t negotiate collectively bargained agreements on the floor of the legislature, Mr. Speaker. But I’m pleased to share . . . And the member opposite, Mr. Speaker, I’d invite him to check out the SAHO website and all the bargaining updates available there. It shows that we are making progress at every one of our health care tables right now, Mr. Speaker.

I’m confident that we are going to come to agreements with all of our union partners, Mr. Speaker, and I know that SAHO is working anxiously to do so. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Nathaniel Teed: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’ll correct the record. We had 30 minutes this morning for 15,000 health care workers. We have a second health care provider union that’s here in the building asking for a meeting as well. And we had 1,000 health care workers rallying on the steps of the legislature because those negotiations are going so well, Mr. Speaker.

These health care workers deserve more than platitudes that a deal will get done at the bargaining table from this entitled and out-of-touch government. The deal should be signed already. They shouldn’t have to stop at the food bank on their way home from a shift.

You know, Mr. Speaker, it wasn’t that long ago that a job in health care, you know, it would pay the bills. You could afford the basics in life. They were good, mortgage-paying jobs. But you know what? Under this Sask Party government those days are long gone. And that’s why nearly 99 per cent of CUPE 5430 health care workers voted for job action just a few weeks ago.

So I will ask the Minister of Health again: how much longer is it going to take to get a deal with these health care workers? And will he meet with representatives from SEIU-West today?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Health.

Hon. Jeremy Cockrill: — Well thank you, Mr. Speaker. Perhaps again the member opposite didn’t hear me during introductions because he may have not been listening at that time, Mr. Speaker. I did have an opportunity to meet with SEIU-West leadership this morning and again thank them as well as the members of CUPE 5430 for the work that they do each and every single day serving patients and families right across the province, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, as I said, SAHO has been making progress bargaining with all of our union partners. And I draw the member opposite’s attention, Mr. Speaker, to the announcement made on Friday, where SAHO and SGEU [Saskatchewan Government and General Employees’ Union] have reached a tentative agreement. Obviously SGEU members will have an opportunity to review the deal, Mr. Speaker, before ratification.

Mr. Speaker, as I said, making progress at every one of our health care tables, and we look forward to getting to an agreement that works for workers and works for patients. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Addressing Homelessness

April ChiefCalf: — Mr. Speaker, in Saskatoon, Regina, and Prince Albert, encampments have sprung up because of this government’s choices. It was this entitled and out-of-touch government that decided to end direct payment of rent and utilities for folks on social assistance, leading to countless evictions and creating the encampment crisis we see today across the province.

Will the Minister for Social Services finally admit it was a mistake to end direct payments? And will he take responsibility for the crisis the Sask Party government created?

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

Hon. Terry Jenson: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When it comes to the SIS [Saskatchewan income support] program and the SAID [Saskatchewan assured income for disability] program, when it comes to direct pay to things like landlords and utilities and things like that, that actually does exist right now as does trusteeship for individuals who want trusteeship or who are very difficult to house, Mr. Speaker.

This is a government that wants to make sure that we’re putting individuals and families who are able to better themselves, they want to be independent, they want to grow and live their best lives . . . So we enable those individuals to be able to do things like pay their rent, pay their utilities, budget accordingly. And this is something that’s working, Mr. Speaker.

Like I said, when it comes to direct pay, this is something that the ministry has always offered, Mr. Speaker. They also offer trusteeship for individuals who want extended services such as money management and other services that can be done like that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

[14:45]

April ChiefCalf: — Mr. Speaker, this minister and this entitled and out-of-touch government just don’t get it. Housing is a provincial responsibility. Mental health and addictions is a provincial responsibility. And social services is a provincial responsibility.

Now fire chiefs and mayors shouldn’t have to deal with the challenges of encampments caused by the Sask Party’s choices. Again when will this minister take responsibility for the encampments created by his government in communities large and small?

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

Hon. Terry Jenson: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And, as we all know, homelessness is an extremely complex and a very complex issue, and it’s one that this government takes seriously as do, I would be certain, every government around this nation. Municipalities play a lead role when it comes to encampments. The encampments, they fall under municipal bylaws, Mr. Speaker.

Yesterday the Regina fire department determined that the encampment in Regina was no longer safe. There had been fires; there had been an explosion, Mr. Speaker. The Regina fire department took action and removed that encampment.

Mr. Speaker, the Ministry of Social Services, along with Indigenous partners, along with community-based organizations, we were lined up dealing with the people that were coming out of that encampment to provide services, to be able to provide shelters, and to be able to navigate them towards the supports they need so that they can get back their life. And we are going to be working with every one of those individuals who wants that assistance, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Opposition House Leader.

Nicole Sarauer: — Mr. Speaker, the encampment that was in Pepsi Park was in my constituency. It stood for more than 100 days. I represent the people living there, and I represent the community groups and local businesses in the area that were facing the impacts.

This entitled and out-of-touch government’s choices are what created this encampment. And this government’s failures are what the city and the community have been forced to deal with and are continuing to have to deal with. That government has provided nothing for resources for those people who have been displaced.

Mr. Speaker, what does the Minister of Social Services say to my constituents who are directly impacted by the homeless crisis this government has created? And what’s the plan to actually get housing and supports to the people who were in Pepsi Park?

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

Hon. Terry Jenson: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I’ll reiterate how serious this government takes this issue. This is not something that’s easy. This is something that is affecting more than just Regina. It’s also Saskatoon, Prince Albert, and other centres.

Mr. Speaker, we had income assistance workers, we had housing workers, we had community-based organizations on site last night until the evening hours working with those individuals, getting them into the income assistance program, navigating them to supports so that we can work with those individuals, so that we can get them into recovery, we can get them into supportive housing, we can work with Regina Housing Authority to house people who are ready for housing, Mr. Speaker.

This is work that I am so appreciative of the ministry, of the community-based organizations and our Indigenous partners right across Regina and I would say right across Saskatchewan, Mr. Speaker. This is work that will continue.

ORDERS OF THE DAY

SPECIAL ORDER

ADDRESS IN REPLY

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

Brad Crassweller: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s a privilege to stand before you today in response to the Throne Speech.

I need to begin by thanking some special people. I’ll begin by thanking my constituency. I’ve had a great summer attending so many different events, door knocking, and just having a great time interacting throughout the entire constituency. One of my favourite parts about being the MLA for White City-Qu’Appelle has to be the relationships that I’ve had the privilege to be able to develop and build with all of my councils and individual constituents who I have the pleasure of serving. I met with almost all my councils at least twice, some of them many more times. Great people that I’m getting to know. Great people giving of their time and taking on a leadership role in serving their communities.

We have incredible business owners as well. And again I’ve had the privilege of getting to know so many of them. I’m still blown away by the amount of events that take place in our constituency, and I try to make it to as many of them as possible. But I still fall short because there’s so many things going on.

I’d like to thank my constituency executive for all of their support they provide to our constituency. And speaking of our constituency, I want to thank my constituency assistant, Nicole Entner-McCullough, for the incredible job she does running the office, handling all the different questions, emails, and phone calls that come her way.

I also want to take a minute and thank my family — my wife and my kids and my sons-in-law and my daughter-in law — for their support. They sacrifice a lot and I’m definitely not around as much as I used to be. And, Mr. Speaker, as someone who himself just recently became a grandpa not too long ago — congratulations again to you and your wife — I want to acknowledge that my wife and I recently became grandparents as well just a few months ago. We welcomed Isabella Paige, a new little granddaughter to our family which now gives us three grandsons — Brooks, Grayson, and William — and two granddaughters, Veronica and Isabella. And we’ll be adding grandchild number six in March, so pretty excited about that. Going to be definitely a good Christmas this year, Mr. Speaker. Very entertaining, I’m sure.

I also want to take a minute and thank my fellow MLAs. It’s a pleasure to serve with you as together we serve the great people of Saskatchewan. And again I want to thank Don McMorris for all your years of service. And it’s an absolute honour to have you here today, Don, as a good friend and a great champion of this province of Saskatchewan.

Mr. Speaker, I can’t believe that this is my third response to the Throne Speech. I think many of us might have missed the fact that today is the two-year anniversary of all of us being elected by the great people of this province.

Last year in my response to the Throne Speech, Mr. Speaker, I talked about environments. The environment in which you live and work and play can have a monumental impact on your ability to achieve what you set out to do. Your environment will help you, will enable you, will empower you to accomplish great things. Or it can hinder you. It can hold you back and even at times defeat you on a regular basis.

I propose to you, Mr. Speaker, that environments matter. And strong, healthy environments are only built by a fierce determination that as best as you can, every choice, every decision, every direction has one end goal in mind: what environment are we seeking to build?

Mr. Speaker, it’s so important to remember that good, strong, healthy environments aren’t built overnight. But it’s also important to remember that those strong, healthy environments can be destroyed almost overnight with bad choices, bad direction, and bad policies. But, Mr. Speaker, there’s a critical step that takes place in determining what kind of environment you will create. Whether it’s a healthy environment or an unhealthy environment, I believe they both have one thing in common, and that is the vision that lies behind them.

So today I want to talk to you about vision because vision matters. Without vision, great things don’t get built. Personally I think you need a vision of where you want to be mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally. You need a vision of where you want to be relationally, where you want to be with regard to your career. Without vision in business, you won’t grow to what you can be to your full potential. Without vision in government, our province or your country won’t grow. You won’t lead or you won’t influence things for the better. Everything starts with a vision, and where you end up is determined by how good your vision is.

I am proud to say that I serve in a government that’s always had a vision, a vision that would raise the profile and influence of Saskatchewan in our country and around the world. This party started with a vision. In the spring of 1997 a small group of Progressive Conservatives and Liberal MLAs launched an initiative that would change the face of Saskatchewan politics. They began talks with other Conservatives, Liberals, federal Reformers, and like-minded individuals to create a new party, one that could rally the growing sentiment for change in Saskatchewan under a single banner.

They had a vision, and on August 8th, 1997 former Progressive Conservative leader, Bill Boyd, and former Liberal opposition leader, Ken Krawetz, announced the formation of the Saskatchewan Party. The new caucus of the legislature was formed by former Conservative MLAs and former Liberal MLAs. Mr. Speaker, I want to say thank you to those individuals who had a vision of a brighter future, a vision that took a huge risk, but they did so because their vision of what Saskatchewan could be was incredible.

And I want to take a minute and acknowledge the incredible vision and leadership of one of those individuals, Mr. Ken Krawetz, who recently passed away. I did not serve with Ken, but I know I would not be here today without his vision. Saskatchewan would not be in the position we are in today without his vision and the vision of that small group. I’m incredibly thankful for all they did for this party and this province. His vision and his passion has left a lasting legacy. And so I want to say thank you, Ken, and I want to thank his family for allowing him to serve all those years as an MLA and for all the things that he accomplished.

It was because of a strong vision that on November 7th, 2007 this party won 38 seats and formed the government. This government has had a vision for many years, which is why the great people of Saskatchewan have elected us in the past five elections. That vision over all these years has enabled Saskatchewan to become the place that it is today, a place where we find ourselves as a world leader in so many ways. Providing the world with the food, the fuel, and the fertilizer it so desperately needs. Providing the world with a reliable trading partner, now trading with over 160 different countries around the world. Providing incredible investment opportunities for our province.

Our provincial economy continues to see substantial growth. In 2007, the first time the party formed government, the value of Saskatchewan exports was $19.8 billion, which has since climbed to nearly $50 billion on average over the past three years. Mr. Speaker, that kind of growth doesn’t just happen on its own. It’s directly tied to the vision this government had in 2007 when it formed government and the vision we continue to have to this day.

That vision includes so many things. I’ll touch on a few. It includes several business incentives and tax credits with regard to mining and exploration, which has enabled incredible growth in the mining industry within our province. With occurrences of 27 of the 34 critical minerals on Canada’s list, Saskatchewan has an opportunity to contribute to meeting the global critical mineral demand — listen to this list, Mr. Speaker — for potash, uranium, helium, lithium, copper, zinc, cobalt, nickel, and rare earth elements.

We have companies and individuals with the vision to continue to get those resources out of the ground providing good-paying jobs, creating thriving communities within our province. And to all of those companies we say thank you. Thank you for your vision and your commitment to this province and ultimately to the great people of this province.

You see, Mr. Speaker, vision matters. And the vision that started so long ago has created the environment that our province finds itself in today: strong, steady, and ready. Saskatchewan’s 2025 real GDP [gross domestic product] reached an all-time high of $85.4 billion, an increase of 2.2 per cent above the national average of 1.7 per cent. Again, Saskatchewan leading the way.

Private capital investment in Saskatchewan increased last year by 12 per cent to $13.6 billion, ranking first amongst the provinces. It was and continues to be a strong vision that has created a strong environment in this province which is evidenced by a strong GDP.

And so, Mr. Speaker, this year’s Speech from the Throne — “Strong. Steady. Saskatchewan” — is a result of years of vision, years of creating environments for growth. And when you look at the world we find ourselves in today, I for one am very thankful for this vision that’s enabled Saskatchewan to be a leader not just in Canada, but around the world.

Vision matters. As I think about the situation we find ourselves in globally, as I think about our trade offices, our nine trade offices located around the world, I’m so thankful for the vision this government had to create those trade offices to expand our global reach. That vision has enabled Saskatchewan’s economy to become stronger and more diverse as to the many different countries we trade with today.

I recently was at an event with the High Commissioner of India, His Excellency Dinesh Patnaik. And, Mr. Speaker, when we talk about vision, what I heard him say to a large group of people was incredible, and I’d like to share that with you now. He talked about the relationship with Canada and how bad that relationship was under the former prime minister. He then went on to say that it was basically only Saskatchewan and our Premier that were allowed into the country of India. He said, it was your Premier that came and continued to build that relationship with India and with their leadership. That’s vision.

This was monumental in helping the relationship between India and Canada, which was evident not too long ago when our Premier and Prime Minister Carney went to India together and signed an incredible deal. Mr. Speaker, that is vision, and vision matters.

Without a strong vision we don’t have a strong, steady Saskatchewan. As I think about those amazing trade offices around the world, I think back to the last election campaign. I think about in that campaign, the opposition talked about restructuring those trade offices. Restructuring, Mr. Speaker, is not a vision.

As a matter of fact that word alone leaves you questioning, what did they mean when they said that? I’m not sure, but maybe the trade offices would have fallen under the same kind of restructuring they did with our hospitals and our schools when they were last in power. Vision matters, and because of years of vision we have a strong, steady Saskatchewan.

[15:00]

Well let’s just talk. Let’s talk about our vision for growth. I want to specifically talk about economic growth. Provincial investment — 60 projects worth over $100 billion. It’s unlike anything happening in any other province in Canada.

Mr. Speaker, this government has always had a vision for a growing economy. As a matter of fact, the first guiding principle of our party says this: economic growth and job creation — both of which are happening in spades — through the private sector, not government, will be the engine of the economy.

That means working hard to create environments that attract investment into our province, creating the environments where companies of all sizes can thrive, whether that be a Cameco, a BHP, Bell, a K+S, Nutrien, AGT Foods, Brandt, and so many more.

But, Mr. Speaker, it’s also a vision that enables small business to thrive in our province. There are over 156,000 small businesses in Saskatchewan, ranking second nationally per capita. Mr. Speaker, it’s a vision that this government had to keep the small business tax at 1 per cent, one of the lowest in Canada, and it’s a part of the vision to help small businesses thrive in our province. We’ve also increased the small-business income threshold from 500,000 to 600,000, making it one of the highest in Canada.

Vision for growth is critical, and it’s also critical that investors and developers see and understand that vision. And I would say, Mr. Speaker, with 60 projects, over $100 billion, they see that vision. Vision matters, and a great vision is shown by its results: a vision where we’re open for business, a vision that has us ready for large-scale projects in this province. And we’re seeing those results. We’re seeing so many results in this province.

But you know what, Mr. Speaker? Some people find it hard to see that vision, and I’m not sure why because it seems pretty clear to me. With regard to the $52 billion investment — did you catch that, Mr. Speaker: $52 billion investment — that Bell Canada’s making in our province, one of the members opposite said this: “I think the overall question is what is the value, the benefit, for Saskatchewan people? Where is the net benefit of this project?”

The largest project in Saskatchewan and in Canadian history, and we’re asking what is the benefit for the people of this province? A project where, I might add, the province, the city of Regina, the University of Regina, Sask Polytech, George Gordon First Nation, the RM [rural municipality] of Sherwood, and all of the farmers that completely surround it are all in favour.

Mr. Speaker, with this incredible investment in our province, in my constituency, it’s truly amazing and the benefits are incredible: hundreds of jobs over the next number of years, construction and development of this project, hundreds of long-term jobs, many of them high-paying jobs. Bell is moving their AI head office to Regina.

And you know what, Mr. Speaker? One of the best parts about Bell, I believe, is that they have a strong track record in Canada and in our province with their Let’s Talk initiative. They just recently announced an extra million dollars for mental health. Since 2010 Bell has committed $194 million to mental health. Mr. Speaker, that alone is a huge benefit, having Bell Canada commit to this investment in our province. Not just for all the jobs they’ll create, but because of what their vision is: to help with mental health. And I can’t think of a better partner than Bell for our province.

And their commitment to mental health is significant. Specifically in my constituency, Mr. Speaker, I’ve had the privilege to get to know a couple by the name of Rick and Debbie West, an absolutely incredible couple who lost their son Lincoln to mental health issues not very long ago. And they’ve committed themselves and they’re working tirelessly with their foundation started in Lincoln’s memory — the Lincoln’s Life Mattered Foundation. In less than two years, Mr. Speaker, they’ve raised almost $300,000 for mental health. They just recently gave a $10,000 donation to the youth mental health ward.

They’re turning their pain into purpose, and they’re making a difference in the lives of our young people. And I know they will appreciate Bell’s commitment to mental health. And I want to say thank you to Bell Canada and thank you to Mirko Bibic, the president and CEO. We see your vision and it’s greatly appreciated.

Mr. Speaker, it’s these kind of projects in our province that allow us to invest in so many things that will have a direct benefit to the people of Saskatchewan: hospitals, schools, all kinds of infrastructure — all areas where we know we have work to do. And that’s what we’re doing, but it would be impossible without projects like Bell’s here in our province.

We’re working hard and we have a vision for access to better health care, more new schools, better highways, and so much more — huge benefit to the people of Saskatchewan. Our leader sees it very clearly, and I’m not sure why the Leader of the Opposition doesn’t. But maybe with some of the benefits I’ve just talked about, maybe, just maybe, she’ll think about her statement and see the benefits for the great people of this province.

Mr. Speaker, vision matters and our health care vision is a game changer, as well as an area that we’re leading in all of Canada, I would dare say, and will have an impact around the world.

And one in particular I want to talk about is our virtual health care hub. I recently was able to tour the Virtual Health Hub in Saskatoon and hear first-hand about the progress, as well as be shown some of the cutting-edge technology that is helping in so many ways.

In 2024 this statement was released by our government:

Virtual Health Hub will bring state-of-the-art virtual care technologies to provide healthcare to the most underserved populations in Saskatchewan. This unique and highly innovative facility will bring Saskatchewan to the leadership of virtual health care delivery in Canada and globally.

Dr. Mendez, the director.

Mr. Speaker, this vision is becoming a reality. And that vision will have an impact on our northern communities like La Loche and Fond-du-Lac and Wollaston Lake, just to name a few. And along with that vision, in 2024 we saw the first cohort of virtual health care technologists at the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies.

Vision, Mr. Speaker, and that vision helps create a strong, steady Saskatchewan. And I was totally blown away by what they’re doing. I mentioned earlier that Saskatchewan’s becoming a world leader in so many ways and the virtual hub is just another example of that.

Word is out about how Saskatchewan is leading the way in Canada and requests are coming in from some pretty major heavy hitters. As a matter of fact, the leadership group at the virtual hub shared with us that they had to go down to the USA [United States of America] because they were invited down by the NHL [National Hockey League] and the NHLPA [National Hockey League Players’ Association] to discuss what we’re doing here in Saskatchewan with our virtual hub.

Vision matters and great vision is recognized by others, and that’s exactly what is happening. So I want to say congratulations to the entire team at the virtual care hub and specifically to Chief Darcy Bear of Whitecap Dakota First Nation and Dr. Mendez and all their team for the great work they’re doing for the people of this province, and once again for being world leaders.

Mr. Speaker, this party and our leader has always had vision which has given us the ability to say with confidence that Saskatchewan is a strong and steady province and, in my mind, one of the strongest and steadiest in all of Canada.

Vision matters. And that is what this government and our leader will stay focused on as long as the people of this province continue to allow us the privilege to lead. So in closing, Mr. Speaker, I would say this: environments matter, policies matter, relationships matter, but all of those are tied to a strong vision. Because without vision, you don’t see growth. You don’t see lives change, you don’t see progress, and for sure you don’t see the progress that we are currently seeing in Saskatchewan.

But with a strong vision, Mr. Speaker, what do you get? You get a province that leads the way. A province that our people are proud of. A province that is the best place to live and work and raise a family in all of Canada. You get a strong, steady Saskatchewan.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. God bless you, and God bless the best province in all of a strong and united Canada — Saskatchewan.

So, Mr. Speaker, it’s my pleasure to move the following motion, seconded by the member from Last Mountain-Touchwood:

That an humble address be presented to Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor as follows:

To Her Honour the Honourable Bernadette McIntyre, Lieutenant Governor of the province of Saskatchewan.

May it please Your Honour:

We, His Majesty’s dutiful and loyal subjects, the Legislative Assembly of the province of Saskatchewan in session assembled, humbly thank Your Honour for the gracious speech which Your Honour has been pleased to address to us at the opening of the present session.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker Goudy: — It is been moved by the member for White City-Qu’Appelle, seconded by the member from Last Mountain-Touchwood:

That an humble address be presented to Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor as follows:

To Her Honour the Honourable Bernadette McIntyre, Lieutenant Governor of the province of Saskatchewan.

May it please Your Honour:

Is the Assembly ready for the question? I recognize the member from Last Mountain-Touchwood.

Travis Keisig: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. There’s a lot of comments I want to put on the record, Mr. Speaker, but before I begin any of that, I have to pay my respects to Private Shaun Farrell, Sergeant Morgan Wong, Private Aidan Goulding, and Private Hayden Lykkemark for making the ultimate sacrifice at the Wainwright military base during a training exercise. On behalf of the constituents of Last Mountain-Touchwood, thank you for your service.

We pay respects to their families and pray alongside them. Our hearts go out to all the members of the Canadian Armed Forces who were also wounded in the training exercises and let them know that Canadians support them, and they understand that our way of life would not be possible without our military service members. Freedom is not free, Mr. Speaker.

It was a very busy summer across the constituency, Mr. Speaker. Lots of great things happening. I’m just going to talk about my family a little bit. My oldest daughter and her boyfriend bought an acreage. They’re landowners now, Mr. Speaker. And they’ve got a few head of beef, they’ve got chickens, and they’re very excited to have lots of space for their dog to run. My younger daughter, Sharlize, and her boyfriend are very busy with work and farming. The crops were not near as good as last year, Mr. Speaker, but harvest was an incredible grind, long and arduous. But kind of an average crop, but very, very happy to be done. I’m not going to deny that.

My wife, Sheila, is always busy working at the rural municipality of Tullymet and also very busy as president of the Rural Municipal Administrators’ Association, Mr. Speaker. And with that she serves on the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities board so she’s very busy with meetings and outreach in that role. And I just want to take this opportunity, Mr. Speaker, just to thank all the municipal leaders all across the province for their service to their communities and their service to the entire province as a whole.

Every summer, Mr. Speaker, our family takes a family trip together, and this year we were at Blackstrap Provincial Park, a great location. Had a lot of fun and beautiful weather. Like it was absolutely gorgeous.

As you’re aware, Mr. Speaker, being an elected official, a lot of times you don’t have an opportunity to spend every supper with the family or you make every family function. But none of us could serve in this Assembly without the support of our family, and I just can’t thank them enough, Mr. Speaker. You just, you really can’t.

Our constituency assistants, I mean they are a critical part of our team that allow us to serve all of our constituents. And I just really want to thank Tina Knowles. Does a fantastic job across Last Mountain-Touchwood, navigating constituents with their challenges, being somebody there to not only help but just to listen, Mr. Speaker. She’s an incredibly empathic person and does a great job for all of the constituents. So really want to thank Tina for her hard work and her service, not only to the constituents but to the province as a whole.

This summer, Mr. Speaker, there was a passing. Mr. Alan Hustak passed away. And he was a reporter at Grasslands News, and a very . . . He was an eclectic individual, Mr. Speaker. But I really enjoyed our conversations and the many interviews I did with him. He had a very long career, Mr. Speaker. He worked at CBC [Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]. He worked for the CTV [Canadian Television Network Ltd.]. Twenty years he wrote for the Montreal Gazette and The Globe and Mail. And then he kind of retired in Fort Qu’Appelle but he kept on working at the local newspaper and was a very well-known person about town. I will definitely say that.

He was also very involved in the museum, Mr. Speaker. Very passionate. He helped raise a lot of money for the McDonald house, or it’s known around town as the Castle. So just wanted to have Alan’s family know that the community recognizes him, and definitely condolences to everyone on the passing of Alan Hustak.

[15:15]

You know, on the first page, Mr. Speaker, of the Speech from the Throne, a line jumped out at me right away: “Canada is a nation of builders.” And you know, some of my earliest memories as a very young kid, Mr. Speaker, growing up on a farm is waking up in the morning and always wanting to build something. Whether you were building a tree fort in the forest or you were building a raft in the spring and kind of floating across the slough, you always woke up in the morning with a sense of purpose and wanted to build something.

That railroad that was built 150 years ago across Canada was what started the province of Saskatchewan. You know, fast-forward to today, we’re seeing an incredible surge of things being built. BHP is nearing completion. The Cargill canola crush plant is up and running. The Yorkton plants are fully commissioned and operating. Oil prices are very high right now, Mr. Speaker. We’re seeing tons of investments in our energy sector in drilling and operation.

There’s tons of optimism across mining, agricultural value-added, and energy production. And just as importantly, Mr. Speaker, we’re seeing a ton of interest in building the absolutely critical components of our modern economy as we see additions to pipelines and ports and all of those components to get our products to market. I mean you can grow the wheat, you can produce the fertilizer, you can make the energy, but if you can’t get it to the customer, it’s worth absolutely nothing.

Also I just want to put a few words on the record, Mr. Speaker. This weekend there was an election in British Columbia, and the people of British Columbia soundly rejected the NDP [New Democratic Party] party in their provincial election. They do not support a party that does not want to build pipelines, that did not want to improve port access for all of Canada’s goods, and that supported policies that removed basic property rights of individual Canadians.

There’s truly an air of optimism across the country, Mr. Speaker, as voters reject NDP policies and embrace economic opportunities alongside a federal government that appears much more interested in growing our resource sector. The inability of our world-class energy producers to get their products to Canadians across the nation is one of the driving factors of the cost-of-living challenges that everyone is dealing with currently.

Those ports in British Columbia are Canadian ports and we have to work together to ensure they operate at peak efficiency for everyone’s benefit. The NDP party has always supported the tanker ban off the coast of BC, even though American tankers travel that route constantly without incident, and that ban is a major impediment for Western Canadian energy producers. And as a government we are always working to support Saskatchewan jobs.

Canada is a nation of builders. Just outside the city, Mr. Speaker, is the Bell Fabric data centre: $50 billion investment coming into Saskatchewan. Largest private sector capital investment in Canadian history. You know, we talk about these big numbers, Mr. Speaker, and constituents are excited. They have legitimate questions, but there are very good answers for them. There’s questions about water use. You know, it’s a closed-loop system, Mr. Speaker. It doesn’t use any water, just like your vehicle.

You know, they’re worried about power costs. Well SaskPower’s in the business of selling electricity and we’re going to make money selling them electricity. Across Saskatchewan there are very many good corporate citizens — Cameco, BHP, Mosaic, LDM. The list is very long, Mr. Speaker. But Bell has really come out in being one of the absolute best corporate citizens in Saskatchewan. From purchasing building infrastructure from Prairie Steel, hiring local contractors and employees, they have been truly laser focused on shop local, buy local, and employ local.

Many of the people I talk to cannot say enough good things about Bell and are very supportive of this critical infrastructure being built by local tradesmen, like Local 203 electricians, Local 179 pipefitters, Local 870 equipment operators, and many other building trade members across Saskatchewan.

These projects, Mr. Speaker, also have many residual effects. The restaurants in the city of Regina are packed. Hotels are full. There’s a lot going on. And these head office jobs are very exciting. Saskatchewan has always been an agricultural powerhouse. We are very, very good at mining, energy production, forestry, and this project will allow people to enter the technology industry right here at home.

The growth in our uranium sector is very exciting, with NexGen, Denison, and Paladin all investing heavily in our province. And the success of Eldorado producing copper and zinc at their mine and the continued gold mining at Seabee truly show how varied the products are produced in Saskatchewan, and how many opportunities are available for all Saskatchewan people.

I just want to tell a quick story, Mr. Speaker. There’s a program put on by Crown Investments Corporation sponsored by Cameco, and it’s called Indigenous careers in nuclear energy and mining. And they took a group of grade 12 students, First Nations students from all across the province, from Cannington to Athabasca and everywhere in between. And they took the students, flew them up to Cigar Lake uranium mine, toured them through the mine, Mr. Speaker. Then they brought them back to Saskatoon, took them to the university and talked about, you know, science, technology, engineering, the STEM [science, technology, engineering, and math] sciences.

Then they took them to SaskPoly and talked about all of the trades opportunities — mechanics; the plumbing; the absolutely critical aspect of building anything, Mr. Speaker; the welding trade — and really gave these students a broad knowledge of opportunities that are available to them and career paths that they could choose to make. So I really want to thank Cameco for being such a huge sponsor, and I want to thank the Crown Investments Corporation team for putting this program together.

Mr. Speaker, Saskatchewan trades with over 160 countries all around the world. And I want to thank our Premier and our minister of export and trade, our Minister of Crown Investments Corporation for all the hard work they do putting Saskatchewan on the map.

But our largest trading partner, Mr. Speaker, is the United States of America — 56 per cent of what we produce. We’re the most protected province anywhere in Canada, but the reality is 56 per cent of what we produce is traded with the United States. There is some challenges currently. But media reports and everything else kind of shows the winds are changing.

As a province, Mr. Speaker, we had the opportunity to host the North American Strategy for Competitiveness organization, their summit this spring. And it was very well attended with people from Mexico, United States, and Canada. And it just really gave every Saskatchewan industry and individual to educate people on where potash is produced and how important it is for crop production. And energy, where it’s produced.

You know, we’re the second-largest oil exporter in Canada, Mr. Speaker, and many people in the United States do not understand that their energy, their gas in their car is coming from Saskatchewan. The nuclear fuel in their reactors that provide their electricity is coming from Saskatchewan. So it was a really great opportunity and very widely well-received from every participant at it.

Also this summer, Mr. Speaker, I had the privilege as the president of the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region to host their annual summit in Edmonton. There was over 600 people attended, Mr. Speaker — great attendance, many speakers, incredibly busy days. But you know, it boils down to the simple fact that trade is about relationships. And at those conferences, Mr. Speaker, we are able to build relationships. And if there is challenges with whatever, you have the contacts and the wherewithal to keep Saskatchewan moving forward.

Also something in the Speech from the Throne, Mr. Speaker, that addition of 20 more medical training seats and 10 more residency seats for doctors, that’s up to 128 training seats and 162 residency seats. They’re filled with almost 90 per cent Saskatchewan kids. Like that is absolutely fantastic. That is the future for health care, is training our local kids, because they’re going to come back to our communities. That’s the vision of this government, and that vision is going to come to fruition, Mr. Speaker.

The opening of the Weyburn hospital, great to see. My mother- and father-in-law have retired in Weyburn. They’re excited about the new hospital. Many of the residents of Weyburn are extremely excited. And a beautiful facility, Mr. Speaker. I’ve driven by it lots. It looks fantastic.

Quite a cadre of us were up in Yorkton at their regional hospital gala. And you know, Mr. Speaker, when this government says it’s going to build a hospital, it builds a hospital. The change of 240 policies to allow licensed practical nurses, psychiatric nurses, and registered nurses to work to their full scope are a very positive change. And I just want to thank all the health care workers across Saskatchewan for their hard work and commitment to their patients.

Serving in this role, Mr. Speaker, you get a very interesting experience about the health care process. Everyone in this Chamber has health care members, have members of their family that work in the health care field. My daughter’s a nurse. My sister’s a nurse. I mean, health care is talked about at the kitchen table all the time. And I have a myriad of constituents that reach out to my office and they just bring forward glowing praise of our health care team. Whether it’s the continuing care aide, the nurse, the doctor, the specialist, everyone along has done such a fantastic job of treating their patients. They are professional and they really care, so just have to thank our health care workers very much.

This was an incredibly challenging harvest, Mr. Speaker. It was a grind. It never seemed to end. And I mean, it was an average crop. It could have been a lot worse, but they can always be better. But agriculture is always the backbone of the provincial economy, Mr. Speaker. And I just want to thank our Minister of Agriculture for his hard work on keeping Indian Head and the Scott Research Farm continuing.

Every public dollar that is spent on research provides between $10 and $60 to the producers. There are a myriad of things in agriculture that we cannot impact. We cannot change the price of fuel. We cannot change the price of fertilizer. But research is going to be vital for the continued growth of Saskatchewan agriculture. And you know, the good work that’s being done at Indian Head, the great work being done at Scott, as a provincial government we’re very happy to support those facilities.

This summer I had the opportunity to attend the 25th anniversary of Grain Millers in Yorkton — a great company, Mr. Speaker. They take oats and process them, remove the hulls. Sometimes they add value to the groat. And the owners of the company were up from Iowa and Minnesota. And the president of the company was speaking, and he gave a really in-depth account of the importance of renewing the United States-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement because he has a vision, as an owner on both sides of the border, to improve his facilities. But he needs the certainty, Mr. Speaker, and that’s one thing industry always wants to see is that certainty. Value-adding in our agri-food sector is just another great example of creating a strong and growing economy all across Saskatchewan.

One of the greatest opportunities, Mr. Speaker, in this role is interacting with students, you know. And I want to thank you for your hard work in the mock parliamentary process that you put on and all the other initiatives that you take a lot of pride in. And it’s noted across the province, Mr. Speaker.

To keep a functioning democracy we need a motivated and informed electorate, and that begins with young people. Our government’s commitment to grade 3 literacy is paramount in having a successful educational experience. Helping our youngest students become proficient in reading skills is absolutely critical to any success they will have later in their school years and in their future careers, Mr. Speaker, wherever their life takes them. This government will be there to support our youngest students as they learn to read so they can read to learn.

Construction season is always a hot topic across the province, Mr. Speaker, and we had lots of great construction projects going on in the constituency. The passing lanes from Fort Qu’Appelle to Melville was going on, $17 million investment, Mr. Speaker, and we have passing lanes from Canora to Balgonie all along Number 10.

[15:30]

And with Don McMorris being in the Chamber, Mr. Speaker, I just want to thank him for his vision. That pilot project that started at Fort Qu’Appelle and went to Balgonie was an absolute game changer for Highway 10 traffic. And it has worked so well we’ve adopted it across the province, and it is a very safe and efficient way to move traffic across our highways, Mr. Speaker.

Final project I want to speak on, Mr. Speaker, is the Highway 22 project. The NDP can chirp, Mr. Speaker, but that’s fine. So we started the project with an initial investment of $2.2 million. And it’s just like renovating your house, Mr. Speaker. There was a chunk of highways that was due to end of life. So you just never know when you take the drywall off your house, has there been leaking behind there? Is there a plumbing problem? Is there black mould? You just never know.

As we went into the construction project, Mr. Speaker, we found out that it needed a lot more work than we thought it needed. So the Minister of Highways — and I want to thank him proficiently — he put another $3 million into that project, Mr. Speaker. And the contractors were working diligently on it. It was a challenging season with incredibly six weeks of rain in June, which threw everybody’s schedule out of whack. But I just want people in Last Mountain-Touchwood to know that Highway 22 will be fixed, and will be fixed very well.

Something that’s very important for every rural community across Saskatchewan, Mr. Speaker, is the community rink affordability grant being doubled to $5,000. Rinks across Saskatchewan are community hubs and there are many in my constituency. So I just want to give a quick shout-out, Mr. Speaker, to the communities of Indian Head, Strasbourg, Cupar, Ituna, and Emerald Park. They started the Prairie Men’s Hockey League, and lots of great senior hockey action, Mr. Speaker. And it’s been a great winter hobby for so many people across the constituency.

I’m just going to start winding down here a little bit, Mr. Speaker, but there’s something that has to be mentioned. All the history and debate that have happened in this Chamber for well over 100 years, absolutely none of it would be happening without our military service members and their sacrifice and their service.

Walking into this Chamber all members walk past the regimental colours flying in the rotunda. And I pause and I just imagine, Mr. Speaker, how different our history would be without the immense sacrifice of our veterans. Thank you to the military liaison, the member from Lumsden-Morse. Yourself, Mr. Speaker, we need to thank you and our Premier for working alongside our current serving members and veterans to have the regimental colours returned to their proper home for all Saskatchewan people to see.

Mr. Speaker, for all the challenges across the world, there is absolutely no other place I would want to live, work, and raise a family than right here in Saskatchewan. Our opportunities are endless, available to all that call this great province home.

Thank you to the Premier for your leadership. God bless Saskatchewan. And I will be seconding the Speech from the Throne. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Vicki Mowat: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s a pleasure to enter into debate on the Throne Speech today and to be able to provide some thoughts, as we do at this time of year. I want to start off by thanking my family, in particular my partner, Grayson. Without him I would not have been able to do any of this work, let alone have served for nine years at this point. And so he’s been along throughout the whole ride. I think my political journey started about 12 or 13 years ago. He’s been an enthusiastic supporter ever since then. And I think he had no idea what he was signing up for when we first got together. At that point I didn’t either.

But it’s always so appropriate I think for us to take a moment to thank our families, as these are the folks who are going to struggle and live without us during this time where we’re sort of seconded here to Regina throughout the sitting here. I also want to thank my constituency assistant, Twyla Harris Naciri, who’s been with me since the beginning, who keeps our office running. We’ve been through a lot together, and I appreciate your continued dedication.

And it was an honour to be nominated again in Saskatoon Fairview and to commit to running again in the next election. Somehow it was my fifth nomination meeting, which I’m still trying to map out how that’s possible. But just giving fair warning to the members opposite that you’re not getting rid of me any time soon if I have anything to do with it.

And I’ve been proud of this work, proud to be a Saskatchewan MLA, proud to be a Canadian. And we have been strong supporters of keeping Saskatchewan in Canada, and we have called on the Premier to denounce separatism. And I want to talk a little bit about this and some of the themes that are travelling through our country right now, Mr. Speaker. Because the Throne Speech makes reference to the times we’re living in but it sort of seems to imply that Saskatchewan is immune to any of these pressures, which I think is patently false.

We’ve all been watching closely what’s happening in Alberta with their referendum. And it’s really good to see a strong majority of support for staying in Canada. You know, on this side of the House we have been strong supporters of staying in Canada since the beginning, but the same can’t be said for the Premier and his government. And there are some, you know, outstanding questions, Mr. Speaker, around where the priorities of this government lie.

A lot of the referendum questions in Alberta centred on providing services to immigrants. And it’s been concerning for me to see this, see a trend toward anti-immigration and to see these sentiments rising in Canada and in Saskatchewan. And it’s something that I have been hearing on doorsteps and occasionally in community as I sit down for coffee with folks. So I think it’s important to bring this conversation to this space as well.

Saskatoon Fairview is one of the most diverse constituencies in our province. We have people from all walks of life in our community. And that includes Indigenous people and folks who have immigrated to Canada and Saskatchewan, whether it was recently or in the distant past in their family lineage.

Some of the best relationships that I’ve formed since I started doing this work are with community members who have a different background than my own. And attending Eid, Folkfest, Philippines Independence Day, countless festivals — all of these events have made me more empathetic toward other cultures and have helped me to develop a true appreciation for the people around me.

Our province’s motto is “from many peoples, strength.” And some of the most hard-working, most generous people I know — people who would give the shirt off their back, always have a smile on their faces, are the first to volunteer, who are constantly giving to the less fortunate — this is who Saskatchewan immigrants are. They are our friends and they are our neighbours.

So I’m incredibly concerned to see a rise in anti-immigration sentiment. And I’m concerned about the Alberta referendum questions that seem to deliberately stoke some of these ideas, Mr. Speaker. We all have a responsibility as leaders in our communities and in this province, and the Premier and the government should take their responsibility on this front seriously as well.

But now, right now at this moment, we have dangerous political rhetoric that is blaming immigrants for creating pressures on the system when it’s this government that has failed to plan for growth in this province, Mr. Speaker. And we’ll remember the so-called plan for growth, a road map for growing the province. I believe it was first introduced around 2019, about seven years ago. We were in this space. People remember this, yes? It was a plan for growth between 2020 and 2030, and it started even before that actually. There was a news article from 2018: “Premier Scott Moe has called population growth the province’s top priority and said the goal is to reach 1.5 million residents by 2030.”

There was another quote from 2024, Mr. Speaker, from a government news release. They were encouraging us to look at the government news releases. We have.

Premier Scott Moe said a growing province is a sign of a strong economy that creates more jobs and provides the services people need.

“Our government is pleased with the province’s continued growth thanks to our strong economy. We are committed to meeting the increased demand of a growing population.”

So imagine my surprise, Mr. Speaker, to find out over the past decade that there was no plan. And these pressures that exist when it comes to health care, when it comes to education, Mr. Speaker, we saw this coming. We knew this was coming. This government failed to plan for growth in this province.

So it’s been interesting to hear them talk about vision already in some of their remarks. And in reviewing what that vision looked like, Mr. Speaker, they have fallen so short of executing it. And instead of taking accountability for their actions, for their role . . . As members have stated today, you know, the provincial government has a role in homelessness, has a role in providing mental health and addictions services, has a role in providing health care, in education, Mr. Speaker. This is the bread and butter of the provincial government.

Instead of taking accountability for their actions, the Premier and this government duck and cover. They tell people it’s bad everywhere. But, Mr. Speaker, this isn’t everywhere. This is Saskatchewan. And their solutions are ill-equipped for the challenges that our province faces right now. They’re putting band-aids on bullet holes, and we have so much more work to do.

Their solutions are more expensive. They’re done without public consultation. When we’re making decisions . . . And maybe this is a novel concept to the members opposite, Mr. Speaker, but when we’re making big decisions, like whether we’re going to burn coal forever or planning megaprojects like hyperscale data centres, we on this side of the House, Mr. Speaker, we believe that the people of this province deserve to know about these decisions, about these things before an election is called, and that they deserve to have a voice in these decisions. They deserve to be consulted. And I wonder if this government, if it’s simply an oversight or if this was intentional, Mr. Speaker.

Now let’s talk about some of the issues that we heard about throughout the summer, because I spent a lot of time on doorsteps. I spent a lot of time travelling around to different communities across this province. So I spent time in Saskatoon Fairview and across the province, Mr. Speaker, this summer door knocking. One of the biggest concerns we hear, and we continue to hear, is about the cost of living and affordability for everyday people in this province.

And it is cold comfort to these folks to hear the Premier and the ministers opposite going on about how this is the most affordable place to live, Mr. Speaker. It’s cold comfort to folks who are stopping at the food bank after 40 hours of work in a week, Mr. Speaker. It’s cold comfort to folks who are making very difficult decisions about what they have to keep and what they have to sell in order to stay afloat. This is the reality for everyday Saskatchewan people. And this Throne Speech brings no new affordability measures that are going to make a difference for everyday Saskatchewan people.

And we have the highest rate of child poverty in Canada, Mr. Speaker. Now I know a lot of folks can relate to this and I’m not unique, but I was a child living in poverty. And it was very, very difficult. It’s a heartbreaking way to grow up. It shapes you as you become an adult. It shapes your understanding of money. I still have a problem having a car loan as a result of this. You know, the types of advice I got growing up, through no fault of my folks, were things like don’t get a credit card; it’s a bad idea; you’ll get yourself into trouble. It’s a very hard way to grow up, to be a kid living in poverty, Mr. Speaker.

[15:45]

And I applaud the Leader of the Opposition for having the fortitude and the vision, Mr. Speaker, to envision a Saskatchewan where 40 per cent of our kids are not living in poverty, where everyone can make a decent living, where everyone can get ahead. And we need to get back to that in Saskatchewan.

And it’s not like we’re just complaining, Mr. Speaker. We have solutions as well. We’ve offered so many solutions that we’ve brought forward. We’ve demanded immediate end to the Sask Party’s tax on groceries, relief at the pumps, Mr. Speaker. The affordability measures we have called on this government to bring in have not been answered. And as a result, people are struggling.

On health, Mr. Speaker, in the birthplace of medicare, we have the worst access to doctors in the country, with 6 out of 10 people who don’t have a family doctor. It’s another thing you hear about on doorsteps all the time if you spend time talking to people. They don’t have a family doctor. And we’ve gone from first to worst on surgical wait times.

There were hundreds of CUPE 5430 health care workers on the steps of the legislature outside today, and they made history this summer with a 99 per cent strike vote mandate. Ninety-nine per cent of them agreed that the best option at this point is to go on strike because they’re simply not seeing progress while they’re trying their best to bargain with this government. Four and a half years without a raise, Mr. Speaker, without certainty, without a contract — this is not the way we should treat our health care heroes.

You want to say thank you, Mr. Speaker, as we heard from the Health minister today thanking the health care workers, thank them by bargaining in good faith, by getting to the table, by coming up with a fair deal.

We see the patients-first plan that has been photocopied from 20 years ago, Mr. Speaker, as being heralded as the answer to health care across this province. Well if that was working, Mr. Speaker, we would not have hundreds of health care workers lining the steps here today. We would not have 1,000 emergency room closures since this Premier re-announced their patients-first plan for the fifth time last spring.

People are in desperate need of change, Mr. Speaker. And we have launched a massive province-wide consultation in health care that was called Your Care, Your Say. You’ve heard us talking about it in the legislature. And we’ve been working on a plan to improve primary care built through consultation, built through working with people who work in the system — researchers, patients, health care workers — built from the community up.

And it’s built on four pillars. First, your health care home; it guarantees everyone access to a primary care team. Second, your health care hub, to connect you with teams and specialists as needed. Third, the bridge, to connect those in rural, northern, and remote communities. And fourth, the backbone — one patient, one health care record.

And we’ve committed to bringing back local voices in health care by delivering on community advisory networks within the first 100 days of an NDP government. I worked previously for seven years as a shadow minister of Health and I’m so incredibly proud of this team and this plan that has been developed. It is absolutely amazing, and everyone who is a part of it should be so proud of all the work that’s gone into it.

I can’t talk about the Throne Speech without talking about the homelessness and community safety crisis across our province. In Saskatoon, my home community, homelessness has quadrupled in three years. And because of the large encampment that was happening at the time, we weren’t actually able to get a current count so I’m certain that it’s much higher than that, Mr. Speaker.

We have large encampments now. We’ve had large encampments in Saskatoon, Regina, Prince Albert. Mr. Speaker, it was a topic in question period today. This is a crisis. We’ve called on the government to take leadership, to take responsibility, to take the reins and do something to change their destructive policies that are making things so much worse, Mr. Speaker. To restore direct payments to landlords for folks who are on SIS, to fix up the thousands of vacant housing units, to bring in rent control, and to work to get people the supports and supportive housing that they need.

There are so many challenges that exist out there for folks who are not accessing housing, Mr. Speaker, and this government can make a difference in so many of those areas. It’s not enough, as the Minister of Social Services claims, to connect people with resources. The resources aren’t there, Mr. Speaker, when they need them. They’re not there.

And we feel this in our community, as I’m sure a lot of people feel in their own communities as well. In education, we have a government that has managed to take us from first to last on funding for our kids’ classrooms. I’m friends with a lot of teachers. They work so hard. They care so much about the outcomes and the progress for their students, but they’re constantly being asked to do more with less. And yet there’s nothing new in this Throne Speech when it comes to education.

But let’s look forward, Mr. Speaker. You know, one of the things that I get asked a lot when I’m on the doorsteps and having these conversations is, what would the NDP do differently? Now here’s a short list for you. Crack down on predatory price gouging. Free trade within Canada. Tell people when the emergency room is closed. Consult the Fransaskois community. Regulate rent increases — I think people are understanding where I’m going with this.

Create a wildfire strategy. T ell people when there’s a virtual doctor in their emergency room. Respect workers’ collective bargaining rights. Lower power bills and car insurance. Crack down on foreign farm ownership. Ensure health care stays free. Ban parking fees for cancer patients. Legislate Islamic Heritage Month. Tell people which doctors are accepting new patients. Ditch the health care worker snitch line. Eliminate food deserts by cracking down on anti-consumer grocery contracts. Prioritize local jobs.

Freeze executive pay within the SHA [Saskatchewan Health Authority] because workers have went over four years without a raise. Axe the tax on kids’ clothes and groceries. Clean up politics by capping donations, eliminating foreign influence, closing lobbying loopholes, and speeding up freedom-of-information requests. Preserve all residential school records. And be responsible with public money and uncover private health care contracts.

Mr. Speaker, this is just a list of our private members’ bills from the last year. They all died on the order paper without action from this government with yesterday’s prorogation. And what did the Throne Speech have to offer? The speech reads like a government that has been in power for far too long and has clearly run out of ideas. So what will we do differently, Mr. Speaker? We’ll focus on the cost of living, on big, bold changes in health care, and we will end 20 years of scandal, corruption, and waste and mismanagement.

It’s also about what we’re not going to do. We’re not going to spend 26 to $46 billion to keep burning coal into perpetuity, and instead we’re going to diversify and enhance our power grid using the Grid and Growth Plan. We’re not going to hand over big contracts to our best buds without following due process. We’re not going to skirt conflict-of-interest rules and duck accountability. We’re not going to have members kicked out of caucus for lying or facing criminal charges.

Saskatchewan people do not have to settle for an entitled and out-of-touch government. For the first time in a long time, Mr. Speaker, they have a choice. And we’re going to show the people of Saskatchewan what a government focused on their priorities can accomplish.

So, Mr. Speaker, I will not be supporting the Throne Speech. And with that I would move an amendment:

That the motion be amended by adding:

And that the Assembly does not support the agenda outlined in the Speech from the Throne because it does not include any new measures to address the urgent challenges Saskatchewan people face regarding health care, the cost of living, and public safety, and further,

That the Assembly has lost confidence in the government.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker Goudy: — It has been moved by the member for Saskatoon Fairview:

That the motion be amended by adding:

That the Assembly has lost confidence in the government.

Is the Assembly ready for the question? I recognize the member from Regina Walsh Acres.

Jared Clarke: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. All right. It’s an honour to be up on my feet today to enter into debate on the fourth Throne Speech that I’ve had the honour of sitting in the Assembly for.

I’ve been thinking about how I want to enter debate here, and honestly I can’t, you know, get the words out of my head around the slogan of this Throne Speech. I keep hearing strong, steady, ready. Yeah, it’s given me like this like ’90s power, superpower cartoon vibe like “stop, ready, steady, go go Power Rangers.” I don’t know. Maybe that’s just me, Mr. Speaker. Also giving me like an SNL [Saturday Night Live] skit with like Pete Hegseth or something. I don’t know. It just keeps going over and over in my mind. I do like how it rhymes — ready, steady, steady, ready, ready, strong, ready, steady — something like that.

You know, but I think about strong, ready, steady, unless you’re an unhoused person in Pepsi Park that just got evicted yesterday because this government slow-walked any supports for this encampment that the city of Regina has been asking for for months.

And I think this Throne Speech, this government’s strong, ready, steady, unless you’re one of the hundreds of health care workers outside the Legislative Building today protesting the state of affairs in health care, who have gone four years without a raise. Like I can’t imagine if you are a government saying, hey, health care workers, I respect you but hold on; I’m just going to not give you a raise for four years. I don’t know what message that sends to health care workers.

Strong, ready, steady, unless of course you’re one of four children in this province who live in poverty — the worst rate in all of Canada. I don’t understand where the vision for that . . . We keep hearing, oh well, if we grow the economy we’re going to have better services; we’re going to have better supports for people. And yet right now with all of the investment that’s happening in this province, we still have the worst child poverty rates in the country. Where is the disconnect?

Strong, steady, ready, ready, steady, unless of course — sorry, Mr. Speaker — you’re a hunter who was hoping to feed their family with wild game meat this year and were hoping to get their deer tested for chronic wasting disease. I don’t think that one was steady.

Strong, steady, ready, ready, I think unless of course you’re someone who’s in rural Saskatchewan driving to an emergency room wondering whether it’s going to be open. Because we didn’t pass Bill 606 last year and it died on the order paper yesterday. And so when Saskatchewan people are driving to their local hospital, they don’t know if that hospital is going to be open.

[16:00]

And as my colleague from Saskatoon Riversdale talked about today in the media, since the patients-first plan has been re-announced back in March, we’ve seen 1,000 hospital ER [emergency room] closures in this province — in just this last seven months. So again I don’t know if steady, ready, Freddy, strong is the right . . . Sorry, I’m getting distracted. Steady, ready, strong, steady, strong. Okay, sorry, I can’t.

Maybe it’s because students in Saskatchewan have been shortchanged for the last decade when it comes to school supports even though this government pounds its chest about record funding for students. But then they don’t account for inflation and they don’t account for population growth, and per-student funding goes down every single year.

I was talking to a school board trustee recently, and he talked about . . . He’s been a trustee for 10 years. He said, “In the 10 years that I have been a trustee, I have never once as a board been able to dream about what we could do and how we could build and what we can do innovatively for students in this province.” Every year they just have to look to find what they’re going to cut. Ten years.

That’s why I got in — I’ve talked about this at length on the floor of the Assembly here — why I got into politics. I was a teacher with Regina Public for eight years. And so a kindergarten student who started the year I started teaching would have been in grade 7 when I left teaching and got elected here. And every year of that student’s education, they had cuts to programs and supports in their school every single year. I saw it with my own eyes, and that’s why I got involved in politics.

Steady, strong, ready, unless of course you’re a single mom or a family who’s struggling to make ends meet. I don’t see anything substantive here, anything new for people when it comes to affordability. And we’ve spent a lot of time in community, on the doorstep this summer hearing about how people are struggling — struggling to make ends meet. And there’s nothing here.

So I don’t know if I buy the slogan, you know, that’s being sold here because I don’t know. People that we’re talking to that are struggling in our communities and constituencies, they’re not feeling it. So I don’t know, Mr. Speaker. I think the word I’d use to describe this Throne Speech is out of touch. It’s out of touch with what people are needing.

I want to take a moment just to speak to a few fun things that were going on, and then I’ll get back to my Debbie Downer take on the Throne Speech here. But I do want to recognize some of the folks in my community, in Regina Walsh Acres, who continue to amaze me with their volunteerism, their commitment to improving their communities, to bringing people together.

I think of Regent Park Community Association. I had the privilege of attending most of their events this summer, from cleanups to their movie nights with the screen. They had a trade show, they had a number of community barbecues, and they’re trying to raise funds for new playground equipment at turtle park or McNaughton Park. And they really started just around the time when I got elected, so it’s been really an honour to watch how they have worked. This small group of volunteers have worked so hard to raise money, and they’re working towards that goal of fixing up the park again so that the community can use it and be a place where people gather.

The other one that I want to mention is Normanview Residents Group, another community association that has done really incredible work. This summer they unveiled their Grandfather Teachings monument close to École du Parc school in Normanview. It’s a beautiful monument, has the medicine wheel on the ground and benches around it and a lot of interpretive signage to connect to native plants and things and how Indigenous people in Saskatchewan use those plants. And really a place for people to sit and think about Reconciliation on a personal level and really think about how we move forward in Saskatchewan in a better way.

And so I think Normanview Residents Group, another volunteer group, did incredible work bringing the project together, working with elders, working with community members and the city of Regina. I attended the grand opening for it, and it was a really exciting contribution to the community. So I want to just recognize them for that.

Gosh, time flies when you’re up here talking about the Throne Speech and the way this government is failing Saskatchewan people. So I’ve only got a little bit of time left, so I’ve better get cracking here. Mr. Speaker, we know that health care has never been worse in Saskatchewan than it is today. We see 6 out of 10 people without access to primary care.

As my colleague from Saskatoon Fairview just spoke to, we’ve been doing our Your Care, Your Say health care consultation. Really proud of the work our team has been doing. The MLA from Regina Elphinstone-Centre has really been taking the lead on that, but also from Regina Northeast and Saskatoon Churchill-Wildwood. This is like a test; I’m trying to remember everyone’s on the first day back to school. We’re really proud of it.

And we’ve covered the province, Mr. Speaker; we’ve talked to over 1,000 people, had meetings with all sorts of stakeholders. We’ve had survey results come back in, and we have a really robust understanding of what are the needs, where are the gaps, what could be improved, and really what are the ideas for the solutions. And what we’ve learned is that when you have 6 out of 10 Saskatchewan people without primary care, it means little problems health-wise become big problems eventually. And then they show up into emergency rooms, and emergency rooms are the most expensive form of health care that we have. And yet we have 6 out of 10 people in the province who don’t have access to primary care.

So if you have diabetes, if you have a chronic disease, if you have a cold, you can’t get in to see your family doctor or nurse practitioner. And then it gets bigger and bigger, and then you show up and present in an emergency room. And all of sudden it’s a huge stay; it’s costly.

So that is why we have announced, as my colleague outlined here, our four pillars to primary care. And I’m really excited about them. This has been an idea that was designed and created with Saskatchewan front-line health care workers, with patients, with researchers, and we’ve pulled it all together. And I’m really excited about the health care home, the health care hub, the bridge, and the backbone.

I think about, you know, the health care facilities that we’ve visited over the last couple years in my role as Rural and Remote Health shadow minister. And I think of like Kamsack, where they’re still just using paper files. Like everything is written on paper, and so anything that happens at the Kamsack hospital is just living there in file folders. And so if you go somewhere else to get health care, nobody can see what happened in Kamsack.

It boggles my mind that in 2026 we don’t have an electronic medical records system that follows patients across the province so that if you present in an emergency room in Saskatoon they can see what your medical history is and know what the issues are and how they could best treat you. This is crazy. That’s why we’ve included that in the first thing that we’re going to do.

Looking at a few things I just want to touch on. I’ll do this rapid fire because I’m almost at the end of my time here. In the Throne Speech under health care we see that “Since 2022 more than 7,500 doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals have joined our provincial health care system.” That’s great, Mr. Speaker. I would like to know what the net number of doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals is because we know that lots of health care professionals are leaving. And so how many more doctors or less doctors net-wise have we had since 2022? That would be a big question for me.

They talk about nurse practitioners, 54 nurse practitioners improving access to primary care. That’s great. We love the idea of nurse practitioners. They are an important part of team-based care in Saskatchewan. We fully support nurse practitioners. Nice to see 43,000 patients having access to primary care.

I’m again curious to know. In the next line it says, we are on track to meet our 450,000 surgeries over four years. Going back to the nurse practitioners and access to primary care, are you on track, government, to hit your promise guaranteeing everyone access to primary care by 2028? I would love to know where we’re at in terms of that.

I’ve got to give my friends in Yorkton a shout-out. I know people in Yorkton will be very disappointed that there was not more here in terms of details as to when the Yorkton hospital is going to be built, when shovels will hit the ground, when it will be operational. So really we’ll continue to hold the government’s feet to the fire for the folks in Yorkton because “continued progress on the Yorkton hospital” is the vaguest kind of sentence there is, Mr. Speaker. But at least Yorkton got mentioned here this year in the Throne Speech, so happy to see that.

Because I know I’m at the end of my time, I do want to take a moment to just speak to chronic wasting disease, and what we saw in terms of that strong, steady, ready Freddy tag line here. I was shocked two weeks ago when an announcement came out that the provincial government, the Ministry of Environment, was cutting the chronic wasting disease testing program — the monitoring program, the voluntary program where hunters can submit heads and make sure that the animal that they’ve harvested is not positive for chronic wasting disease.

Mr. Speaker, we in Saskatchewan have the sad designation to have the highest concentration of chronic wasting disease in the world in our wildlife populations. And by cutting the program, the testing program, we became the only jurisdiction in North America who has positive cases who we’re not testing, which is, I mean, shocking.

And I don’t understand why this announcement would be made in the middle of the hunting season. Sure, if you want to adjust things, do it in January, February before hunters are putting in for their draw so they can plan around and make choices. But to do it in the middle of the hunting season was crazy. And then, you know, five, six days later it’s back on. We’re good. We’re steady. We’re ready. We’re testing again for chronic wasting disease.

And I don’t understand because this is the second hunting season now where the government has thrown a grenade into the hunting season. So last year you’ll remember we had the surprise special elk hunt, after many hunters had put in the draw and done all of these things, planned their hunts. And then all of a sudden chaos ensues with the special hunting season.

So I’m curious to see what surprise is thrown at hunters next year in the middle of the hunting season. I hope it’s not too much. I hope this Health minister has learned her lesson. And I’m hopeful that she’ll be there next year, but if tradition is kept up it’ll be a new Environment minister next year. So hopefully they’ll hear what I’m saying this year.

So with that, Mr. Speaker, I’m going to wrap up my thoughts here. Again, it’s good to have a strong economy. I think we’re all onside with that. Good jobs, good-paying jobs are important. But we’ve got to make sure that the other side of the equation is also taken care of — health care, social services, homelessness, child poverty.

And government . . . We’ve already heard in some of those throne speeches around vision. So what is the vision for child poverty? What is the vision to help and make sure those kids can have a full belly before they go to school? Because in grade 1, 2, and 3, when we’re talking about literacy rates, kids can’t learn if they’re starving in a classroom.

[16:15]

So it doesn’t matter if we’re focusing and testing for grade 3 literacy rates if a quarter of those kids are sitting there with empty stomachs, hungry. They’re not learning. So it goes hand in hand here. You can’t worry about literacy rates without making sure those kids have what they need to learn.

So with that, Mr. Speaker, I will not be supporting the Throne Speech — shocker. I will be supporting the motion that was put forward by my colleague from Saskatoon Fairview. Thank you.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Prince Albert Carlton.

Kevin Kasun: — And now for something completely different, or the rest of the story. But the hope in the vision for the greatest province in this country — Saskatchewan.

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to start off with some thank yous. First and most importantly: to my wife, Shevawn, I say thank you. She was able to join us yesterday for the Speech from the Throne and, being that they got to sit up front, was closer to the action than I was. It was a very special day. Mr. Speaker, we all know that none of us can do what we do on our own. Our partners are there for us. Since we’re not home as much, a lot of the daily chores that are usually split between a husband and wife are put on to one partner when we’re not home. To my wife, I say thank you.

We also know that we all need our constituency assistants. I have Genesis. Whenever I get to the office I get an rundown about what’s been going on, what needs to be dealt with. But mostly I get, I got it; it’s been looked after. Our CAs [constituency assistant] are the heartbeat of our office, and for that I say thank you. Genesis, you are appreciated more than you know.

After my mother passed this summer, I want to thank all the constituents that reached out to me with their condolences. And I also want to thank them for calling me to tell me to report to caucus and say, keep up the good work. Thank you for what this government has done, not only for the city of Prince Albert but for Saskatchewan. To them I also say thank you.

And of course I must send out a huge thank you to the people of British Columbia. They elected its first Conservative government since 1933. We thank you for taking this big step in improving the lives of not only British Columbians, but a huge step for helping out the rest of Canada. We thank you.

Mr. Speaker, something I received from a friend of mine a long time ago — well actually not that long ago, about two years ago once I entered political life — but there’s a 10 commandments for political life, not to be confused with the Biblical ones, so don’t correct me. These are a little different. But the guidelines are just the same, and they’re for all members of the Assembly.

Number one, your health and your family come first. They are your first priority. A few minutes ago I thanked my wife, Shevawn, but we can’t forget about our kids, our parents, and to those who have grandkids and all those who need us in their lives.

Number two, stay close to the people you serve. That is our job. We represent those people. They have chosen us to represent them here. It’s not a photo op. It’s not that amazing post. It’s what are the needs of our constituents. Make the time. Take in as many events as you can and listen more than you talk.

Number three, firmly plant yourself in the political centre. Just give me a second on that one. That means to avoid ideological extremes. Think things through. Don’t flip-flop with the emotion of the day.

Number four, don’t panic. Stick to your principles. Don’t make rash decisions without thinking them through. Strong, steady — that’s the course to take.

Number five, surround yourself with honesty. Stay grounded in the truth and reality. Number six, be a team. Listen to each other and respect the value of our differences. Number seven, stay humble. Remember we are here to serve. Don’t let the pomp and circumstance inflame your ego.

Number eight, remember the most vulnerable. They are the reason that we seek growth. Number nine, growth and profit are not bad words. Work hard. And entrepreneurship should be respected, not envied.

And number 10, remember to dream. Dream all the big dreams and all the little dreams that you can. It’s those dreams that will grow our province into the future.

Mr. Speaker, these are the guidelines to keep ourselves and our province moving forward with a strong and steady pace. And, Mr. Speaker, that’s what the 2026 Speech from the Throne is all about. It’s about Saskatchewan staying strong and steady while some of the world is in uncertain times.

Mr. Speaker, it starts with a strong economy, an economy that has more than 60 major projects valued at over $100 billion. This is unlike any time in our province’s history and not what is happening in the rest of the provinces in Canada. Companies are investing in our province at a pace unlike anything we have witnessed since we have been a province. The world may be uncertain; Saskatchewan isn’t.

We have what the world needs, and that’s why we trade with over 160 countries around the globe. In 2007 Saskatchewan’s exports were $19 billion. Today that number is nearing 50 billion, and Saskatchewan’s GDP reached a record high of over $85 billion in 2025. I have to say, there are those who would close Saskatchewan’s trade offices and reduce our international engagement at the very moment we need to be expanding and diversifying our export markets. But this government will continue to work closely with Saskatchewan exporters to increase new jobs here at home.

Mr. Speaker, while the current trade disputes are increasing the cost of living for everyone, Saskatchewan continues to be the most affordable place to live in Canada. We have the lowest average residential rental costs in the country. We have the second-lowest overall utility costs and have significantly reduced personal income tax so that a family of four now pays no provincial income tax on the first 65,000 of income — the highest tax-free threshold in Canada.

Together our combined utilities, taxes, and housing costs make Saskatchewan the most affordable place for families anywhere in Canada. During this session we will further reduce personal income taxes in the 2027 budget, delivering on the third of our four-year plan to make life more affordable for everyone in Saskatchewan.

We will continue to help post-secondary graduates build their futures in Saskatchewan by enhancing the graduate retention program, increasing the maximum benefit to $24,000. Since its inception the program has provided more than 925 million in tuition tax credits to over 93,500 graduates, encouraging more young people to live, work, and raise a family in Saskatchewan. By improving affordability and supporting career opportunities, we’re helping employers attract and retain the skilled workers they need.

We will protect families by introducing legislation that will make it easier to enforce against delinquent maintenance orders. Parents and individuals who receive child or spousal support payments rely on these payments to pay their bills. Changes to The Enforcement of Maintenance Orders Act will make it easier to collect unpaid support.

A strong and steady Saskatchewan means standing with workers and employers when global uncertainty threatens Saskatchewan jobs and communities. Since October of 2025 this government has engaged with more than 90 employers and industry associations to identify impacts of the trade uncertainty caused by the US [United States] tariffs. This engagement has helped target supports where they are needed.

Saskatchewan will receive 15.6 million over three years through the federal-provincial workforce tariff response. This funding will help thousands of Saskatchewan workers with targeted support for the steel and softwood lumber sectors. Support will be available for other sectors such as manufacturing, construction, agricultural, mining, transportation, wholesale trade, and affected supply chains.

Through SaskJobs and training partners this government will help workers gain new skills and transition to new opportunities while working with employers to protect jobs and maintain workforce stability. This government believes in training Saskatchewan people for Saskatchewan jobs and is investing nearly 125 million in workforce development and career training. This support will prepare the workforce of tomorrow while helping people gain skills and experience and provide help to those who need it to get back to work and build lasting careers. That’s how we make life more affordable for Saskatchewan people.

In health care we are making it easier to have a lasting career in the health care field. Saskatchewan’s health human resource action plan is the most ambitious recruitment and retention plan in Canada, and it is working. Since 2022 more than 7,500 doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals have joined our provincial health care system. More than a thousand medical, specialist, nursing, and allied health training seats have been added to the post-secondary institutions.

The 2026‑27 budget added 20 more medical training seats and 10 more residency seats. All 162 medical residency seats and all 128 medical training seats are now filled. And, Mr. Speaker, that is with 88 per cent of the students in the training seats coming right here from Saskatchewan. There are also 15 more occupational therapist training seats, for a total of 40; 15 more speech language pathology training seats, also for a total of 40.

Our government released the patients-first health care plan earlier this year. Fifty action items to improve access and outcomes for Saskatchewan patients so that everyone can receive the right care in the right place at the right time. Since the launch of the plan, our government has improved access to primary care for thousands of residents through 54 nurse practitioner primary care contracts, and more are coming this fall. Those 54 nurse practitioners will improve access to health care by serving as primary care providers for more than 43,000 patients.

We are on track to meet a target of 450,000 surgeries over four years. With more than 100,000 surgeries and procedures performed in ’25‑26, a record high number of surgeries were performed in the first quarter of ’26‑27, building on this steady progress.

The Regina urgent care centre celebrated its second anniversary this summer and now has seen over 80,000 patients since its opening day. Construction of the Saskatoon urgent care centre is nearly completion and early plans for the Prince Albert urgent care centre are under way. We are seeing continued progress in the Yorkton hospital and Regina specialized long-term care centre projects.

Construction of the Weyburn hospital is now complete and — close to my heart — construction of the Prince Albert Victoria Hospital is now over 50 per cent complete. Capacity at the Regina neonatal intensive care centre has increased from 25 to 28 beds. In Saskatoon our government is fulfilling our commitment to open 186 additional acute care beds across four hospitals, and construction has started at the Saskatoon Cancer Patient Lodge.

Our government has eliminated more than 240 outdated and restrictive clinical policies. Licensed practical nurses, registered psychiatric nurses, and registered nurses will now be able to work at their full legislated scope of practice.

We will introduce legislation to expand the scope of practice for several more health care professionals so they can safely work to the top of their trained skills. This is providing greater access to care for patients. We will announce next steps in the implementation of the patients-first health care plan to further improve access to diagnostics, surgeries, and primary care, and ensure everyone in Saskatchewan can receive the right care, in the right place, and at the right time.

Mr. Speaker, this government remains committed to improving the quality of life for seniors, including those living in personal care homes. That is why we significantly increased the personal care home benefit. We’ll also be introducing the safer homes for seniors Act to provide greater oversight, transparency, and accountability in personal care homes.

Mr. Speaker, this government has already taken significant action to move illicit and poisonous drugs from our communities. We will introduce the opioid damages Act to pursue the recovery of health care costs for manufacturers, wholesalers, and consultants for opioid-related wrongdoing. We take the health of our province seriously and we are taking the necessary steps to make improvements.

Mr. Speaker, Saskatchewan residents should feel safe on the streets, in their communities, and in their neighbourhoods. To get drugs off our streets and drug dealers out of our communities, this government has made substantial investments in policing across the province.

[16:30]

This year’s budget included significant support for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and First Nations policing in Saskatchewan to strengthen front-line policing capacity and enhance community safety throughout the province. Through the establishment of municipal police grants, this government is funding 160 positions within the policing programs across the province. These include support for the internet child exploitation unit, police and crisis teams, Combined Traffic Services Saskatchewan, and the Saskatchewan trafficking response team.

This government has also provided funding under the safer community and neighbourhoods initiative. One hundred officers across the province will be working to make communities stronger and safer.

To further strengthen rural community safety, our government has introduced the small town and rural — or STAR — police services grant program. This program will ensure additional policing services in Saskatchewan are now financially supported by this provincial government. Small town and rural police services that are supported by these grants this year include Dalmeny, Luseland, and the rural municipalities of Corman Park, Vanscoy, and Wilton.

The Saskatchewan Marshals Service has been operating for over a year and has seen success. From June 2025 to June 2026, 187 warrant apprehensions were made, with over 100 fugitives arrested in Prince Albert and area just this year. Having the Saskatchewan Marshals Service engage in these arrests allows other police services to do their important front-line work to keep our communities safe.

We will be introducing the protection of economic infrastructure Act to ensure that our critical infrastructure and transportation routes cannot be disrupted by occupations or other illegal activities.

Mr. Speaker, to make sure our first responders are safe while doing their jobs, we will introduce the mandatory testing and disclosures Act. If a first responder or a victim of crime reasonably believes they have come in contact with an individual at a risk of exposure, they can apply to the court to have mandatory testing of the source individual.

Saskatchewan is not immune from those who seek to prey on vulnerable people. Human trafficking exists here too. Hotels, motels, and vacation rental properties are common locations for this activity. To help combat human trafficking, we will amend The Protection From Human Trafficking Act to require the hospitality industry and ride-sharing platforms to report to the police when there is reasonable suspicion to believe that another person is subject to human trafficking.

Mr. Speaker, the use of artificial intelligence is growing, and while there are many positive uses, there are also those who are using it for deceptive and fraudulent purposes. The prevention of deceptive AI Act will prohibit the misuse of AI-generated voices and images involving elections, consumer transactions, and protection of privacy.

Mr. Speaker, impaired driving remains a problem in Saskatchewan and is a leading cause of road collisions and fatalities. Working with organizations like MADD Canada [Mothers Against Drunk Driving] and the Saskatchewan Association of Chiefs of Police, we have already taken numerous steps to reduce impaired driving through enhanced enforcement and stronger penalties. Further amendments to The Traffic Safety Act will enhance existing administrative penalties for impaired driving infractions and suspend, cancel, or refuse to issue a driver’s licence to persons convicted of certain drug-related offences.

Mr. Speaker, following the tragic death of 11‑year-old Henry Losco from carbon monoxide poisoning in his family’s Regina apartment in December 2025, Henry’s parents advocated for stronger protections so no other family would suffer as they did. On November 1st, 2026, Henry’s Law comes into effect, requiring carbon monoxide detectors in every suite of every multi-unit building in Saskatchewan. Mr. Speaker, we are working hard to make Saskatchewan an even safer place to live, work, and play.

This government has announced or completed over 100 new schools or major renovations since 2007. These include 17 new schools completed in Regina and six more under way, and 12 schools completed in Saskatoon with another 10 in progress. There are currently a total of 24 new schools and four major renovations happening right across this province.

We are also investing in existing schools through the minor capital and preventative maintenance and renewal programs. These programs help our schools have safe, fun places for children to play. We continue to provide support through the new school playground equipment grant. Last year, the first year of the program, 94 projects received funding.

We want all our students to get the very best start right here in Saskatchewan schools. Last year’s budget saw a historic 3.6 billion invested into education, including 2.5 billion in operating funding for the current school year. Over the past three years, this government has steadily increased school operating funding by approximately 20 per cent.

We continue to invest in improving students’ outcomes in kindergarten to grade 3 literacy, ensuring our children learn to read in the early grades so they can read to learn later on.

While schools are important community hubs, so are local community rinks. Our government doubled the community rink affordability grant from $2,500 to $5,000 per ice surface last year. This program will once again be open to applicants this winter to help local rinks with operating costs and equipment.

Also, Mr. Speaker, to make sure more children can take part in sports and artistic activities, the active families benefit was doubled from $150 to $300 per child. For children with disabilities, the amount doubled from 200 to 400 per child. We also made more families eligible for the active families benefit by doubling the household income threshold for eligibility from 60,000 to 120,000. Over 69,000 families are expected to qualify.

Mr. Speaker, every one of us in Saskatchewan are indebted to the military service men and women who have fought for our freedom, starting in 1917 during the First World War. This year marks the 100th anniversary of The Royal Canadian Legion. For a century the Legion has been supporting our veterans and ensuring that we remember their service and sacrifice.

We were tragically reminded of this service and sacrifice when fire swept through CFB Wainwright, injuring many Canadian Forces members and taking the lives of four, including Private Shaun Farrell from Prince Albert. Their service and sacrifice will never be forgotten.

This government is proud to support local Saskatchewan veterans with the veteran service club support program. This year 64 veterans’ clubs received a total of 1.45 million in funding to help with facility upgrades and events.

Mr. Speaker, our province does face many challenges that are beyond our control. To keep Saskatchewan strong and steady we must focus on what we can control — expanding our export markets, protecting our sovereignty, and building our economy. Providing high-quality services and keeping life affordable, we will keep Saskatchewan strong and steady no matter what is happening beyond our borders.

With everything that is happening around the world, there is no place I would rather be than in our great province. Saskatchewan is letting the world know that we are strong, steady, and ready for the future.

Mr. Speaker, I would be remiss if I didn’t thank our Premier and the ministers that are directly involved with this ever-changing world. I want to thank their families as well as all the MLAs’ families for the sacrifices that they make. I am thankful to have the opportunity to speak here today. God bless Prince Albert and this House. God bless Saskatchewan. God bless Canada.

Mr. Speaker, in closing I’ll be supporting the motion put forward by the member of White City-Qu’Appelle and seconded by the member of Last Mountain-Touchwood. Thank you.

Acting Speaker D. Harrison: — I recognize the member from Saskatoon Westview.

April ChiefCalf: — Thank you, Mr. Chair of Committees. I would like to begin my response to the Speech from the Throne today with a land acknowledgment. As we gather today in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan, we acknowledge that we are on Treaty 4 territory and the homeland of the Métis. May we uphold the spirit and intent of the treaties and the Calls to Action for Truth and Reconciliation in this legislature.

Mr. Speaker, it is truly an honour to be here today and to have the opportunity to commit some comments to the legislative record in response to the Throne Speech of 2026. I’d like to take a few minutes though to recognize the people that make it possible for me to be here and do the work that I do. Family, friends, colleagues, co-workers, and volunteers all contribute to assisting MLAs in so many ways. My husband, Calvert ChiefCalf, is a very patient and hard-working man. And I can always count on him to help me get ready for events, keep me fed, and keep me calm when I get anxious.

I’d like to take moment to congratulate my husband, who successfully defended his Ph.D. [Doctor of Philosophy] last spring and will be convocating this fall at the University of Saskatchewan. His dissertation, entitled Reclaiming the Good Heart, examines how the circle of courage and traditional Indigenous world views on belonging and caring can be implemented into today’s classrooms to nurture success and confidence in Indigenous students.

In his research, Dr. ChiefCalf explored how Maslow’s hierarchy of needs was actually derived from the Blackfoot people. And if you are familiar with Maslow’s theories, you know that people need to have their basic needs met before they can thrive.

In education, we often say that children need to Maslow before they can bloom. Dr. ChiefCalf’s research situates this theory in the context of Indigenous students and classrooms. And I know his research will be an invaluable contribution to education. Please join me in congratulating Dr. ChiefCalf on his achievement.

And what makes this even more remarkable actually is that he defended his dissertation two days after his mom’s funeral. So my mother-in-law, Lena ChiefCalf, sadly passed away in June, just two weeks shy of her 92nd birthday. So I’d just like to pay a little tribute to her because she really was the matriarch of the family and so inspiring.

I’d also like to thank my children Matthias, Kathleena, and Mitchell, who can always be relied upon to help me with door knocking, photos, technology, and fundraising. And my daughter and son-in-law are expecting their first baby, and so my husband and I are looking forward to being grandparents in the new year.

I’d also like to express thanks to my sister Leslie; her husband, Jim; my cousin Patti; and of course my dad, who take care of me when I’m here in Regina. I would be remiss if I did not thank my trusted constituency assistant Robyn for keeping me organized and ensuring that the constituents who contact our office are always assisted with care and compassion.

In addition to Robyn, I would like to thank Aiden, Curtis, James, Wambui, Tammy, and Ivan for their help in the office and assistance in taking the office to the doorsteps of the constituency. I also want to mention the members of my constituency association, including Aiden, Marianne, Ken, Jae, Linda, Rob, Riel, and Cal.

And I’d like to thank the residents of the constituency of Saskatoon Westview for their support and friendly conversations on the doorstep. It really is such an honour to serve as the MLA for Saskatoon Westview and spend time in the communities of Massey Place, Westview Heights, Dundonald, and Hampton Village.

And I’ll note, Mr. Speaker, that there is ongoing construction of new houses in the area, and it’s great to see more people moving into the constituency. And while there aren’t a large number of businesses in the area, I’ve certainly dined at all the local restaurants, enjoying Al’s Kitchen, TacoTime, McDonald’s, Dairy Queen, Tim Hortons, Canadian Brewhouse, and Da India Curry House.

Now on the housing front, Mr. Speaker, I’d like to thank the many stakeholders who have taken time to meet with me and share their triumphs but also their tribulations. I very much appreciated the opportunity to learn from those engaged in assisting people with housing in various capacities.

And last but not least, Mr. Speaker, I’d like to thank my colleagues and the many people on our team who are so committed to the work of the official opposition — planning events, media, communications, research, and so on. On our end, the goal is to make things better for the many people in our province who are struggling and falling between the cracks. We want to see everyone in Saskatchewan have a safe and affordable place to live, have access to the health care that they need, have the supports they need in education, mental health, addictions, or employment.

And with that, Mr. Speaker, I’d like to move on to offering some remarks regarding the Speech from the Throne. Now I want to juxtapose the picture of the province painted by the Sask Party government with my own observations and experiences, as well as the experiences that have been shared with me by others. Now I’ve lived in Saskatchewan most of my life. It’s a beautiful province and the people are wonderful. But there are people in our province who are really struggling and really suffering, and we can’t just gloss over that.

[16:45]

So let’s start with the opening statement of the Throne Speech. And I quote, “While global unrest, tariffs and market turmoil affect trade relationships, economies, nations and people all over the world, Saskatchewan remains strong and steady.” Now, Mr. Speaker, at the same time that those words were being spoken yesterday, an encampment was being dismantled a few kilometres away from this very legislature. And the people in that encampment were given hours to pack up their belongings and shelter and move.

Now many of the people living in that encampment here in Regina have been there for months, and the municipal council has been calling on the province for months to provide adequate supports to the individuals living there. The city has provided space, porta-potties, outreach workers, water, and fire and police services to assist the folks there. And volunteers have been ensuring that people have tents and food, first aid, and other necessities.

But where has the province been? With the exception of a few meetings and some social workers, the province has not provided a tangible plan to get the residents of this encampment into proper housing for winter. And for the people on the front lines of the demolition of the encampment yesterday, there was no bridge over troubled waters. And there was no strong and steady Saskatchewan. Mr. Speaker, when people have no place to live, there is absolutely uncertainty in our province.

Now, Mr. Speaker, returning to the Speech from the Throne, I’d like to draw your attention to some other words and messages. So for example, the word “build.” Canada is a nation of builders, it states. But why is it in Saskatchewan our government cannot build adequate housing and shelters for people in need?

We can aspire to build pipelines and data centres, but thousands of people in our province are homeless. You know, Mr. Speaker, several municipal leaders have told me that housing and homelessness are their biggest issues. Homelessness is the biggest crisis affecting many communities in our province, yet there’s no acknowledgement of this in the Speech from the Throne.

Let’s also look at the word “affordability.” Now the government claims that we are the most affordable place to live in the country and that we have the lowest average residential rental costs in the country. But, Mr. Speaker, I hear otherwise on a regular basis. Every week my office works with constituents who are struggling to find a place to live, who are struggling to pay their rent, that are facing an eviction not due to an addiction but rather due to an inadequate income in relation to their rent.

Mr. Speaker, I recently spoke with an individual on SIS who receives $1,060 per month in total income and pays $900 of that per month for rent. They told me that they have to buy food and pay utilities with the remaining $160. And every month they fall a little further behind on their bills. And now they’re worried that they’re going to be evicted. They told me they can’t remember the last time they went to a grocery store because they can’t afford to buy groceries. Mr. Speaker, how is it that we have the food that the world needs but people, including children, in our own province are going hungry?

Over the course of the summer and fall, Mr. Speaker, I’ve met numerous individuals facing similar challenges. I met people in encampments who aren’t struggling with addictions; rather they are struggling with poverty. Refusing to give people enough money to live on SIS and SAID will not ensure that they successfully transition from income assistance to employment. It means they are more likely to go to the food bank, experience housing insecurity, fall into arrears on rent and bills, and become so focused on day-to-day survival that they cannot find their way out of poverty.

But I also want to note, Mr. Speaker, that there were individuals living in an encampment in Saskatoon this summer who had full-time jobs — full-time jobs, Mr. Speaker — but they were living in a tent because they could not find an apartment that they could afford.

We’ve repeatedly heard from the government that supports were offered to people in encampments, but they refused. But, Mr. Speaker, a voucher for a night in a hotel, a hotel that refuses you a room, is not a support. A temporary cot in a crowded shelter that does not accept your pet is not an adequate support. A warming centre or shelter that does not accept individuals in active substance use is not an adequate support.

If we are actually going to meet people where they are at, and we hear that expression all the time in the legislature, that means offering them the supports that meet their actual needs.

And, Mr. Speaker, most of these supports do fall under provincial jurisdiction. So housing, income supports, mental health and addictions all fall under the provincial government, and it is not the responsibility of municipalities to ensure that our communities have adequate, affordable, supportive housing, treatment beds, or basic income.

Mr. Speaker, when visiting encampments and feeding people in various communities, I continuously meet seniors and individuals with disabilities. Why do we not have adequate food or shelter for seniors and people with disabilities in this province? And again, seniors and disabilities fall within the provincial jurisdiction.

Mr. Speaker, this past summer when volunteering in community and visiting encampments, I witnessed a level of human suffering that I haven’t seen in our province before. We need to do better. Mr. Speaker, using alliteration to create a slogan and repeating that message does not build houses, eliminate poverty, or create safe communities in our province.

Forcing people into treatment will not ensure that they have the genuine supports they need to overcome trauma, find housing, and achieve belonging in our communities. We could learn a number of lessons from the Blackfoot people and Maslow and Dr. ChiefCalf’s research. People cannot thrive if their basic needs of food, safety, shelter, and belonging are not met.

Mr. Speaker, I find the Throne Speech to be very superficial when addressing issues that people are experiencing in our province today. It reinforces a message of forcing people to overcome issues while failing to provide adequate supports for them to do so, and simultaneously permitting the government to be absent and evade their responsibility in solutions. We cannot continue to blame people when our systems and governments fail them.

And that is why I cannot support the Speech from the Throne, but instead will be supporting the amendment put forward by my colleague from Saskatoon Fairview and seconded by the member from Regina Walsh Acres. Thank you.

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

Hon. Michael Weger: — Good afternoon, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it has been exactly two years since I was elected and given the great honour of serving and representing the constituents of Weyburn-Bengough. Two years ago at about this time, I was on the phone in my campaign office calling out to remind people to vote. I was anxious and wishing that I could have maybe one more day to campaign but also excited to know that the election day had come.

That is sort of how I feel right now, Mr. Speaker, a bit anxious, as I wish that I could have maybe had one more day to put this speech together but also very happy that the third session is starting and we’re all back in the legislature to represent our constituents and pass some important legislation. Being back in session will bring some well-needed structure to my family life where everyone will actually know where I can be expected to be each day. Well Monday to Thursday, that is.

Mr. Speaker, I’m happy to report that I am coaching the Weyburn female U15 [under 15] A Creekside Car Wash Gold Wings this year. As a coach, I have a few things that I like to do on a consistent basis. One of those things is to set the tone before every game and practice. When I walk in the dressing room for the first time before a game and on the ice before we begin our practice, I ask two questions. First question: how are we all doing today? My players always answer with, good, but if the answer is quiet, I often ask a second time, and I remind the girls that they should be doing good. After all, they’re able to play hockey, the sport that they love. The girls get the drift and always come back with a much stronger response the second time.

Second question: is there anywhere else you would rather be? Now of course I’m looking for a strong no on this one, and I usually get it because if there’s a yes, you can bet I’m going to ask that person where they would rather be. The odd time I get the answer, at home sleeping. But hey, we’re talking about 13‑ and 14‑year-old girls here.

Now, Mr. Speaker, if I were to pose those two questions to this Chamber, I would hope that the first question would receive a resounding, good. And I hope the second question would receive a resounding no. I would like to set the tone for this third session by asking these two questions, but since audience participation is kind of frowned upon, Mr. Speaker, today I will answer these questions myself.

How am I doing today? Mr. Speaker, I’m doing good, very good. I have a great family, friends, colleagues, and support staff. Mr. Speaker, I have a purpose and I’m able to do something I love. How can I not be doing good? Is there anywhere else I’d rather be? The answer, Mr. Speaker, is an unequivocal no. There is no building I would rather work in. There is no constituency that I would rather represent. And, Mr. Speaker, there’s absolutely no province I would rather live in. There is nowhere else I’d rather be.

Now for the rest of this speech, Mr. Speaker, I hope to provide some insight into why I answer those two questions the way I do. I’m doing good because I have a great family. They continue to support me and sacrifice in many ways so I can serve as an MLA and a cabinet minister. My wife, Cara, my wife of almost 24 years, attends events with me every chance she gets and is usually my biggest supporter, but also sometimes my strongest critic, which is good; it keeps me grounded.

Our children continue to impress me. Our oldest daughter, Teresa, is now in her fourth year of business at the U of R [University of Regina]. And our second-oldest daughter, Meaghan, is in her second year at the U of R working towards a social work degree. Our son Bennett is 16, and this year he made the choice to attend the Athol Murray College of Notre Dame where he is able to focus on God, school, and hockey, but not necessarily in that order, Mr. Speaker. Lastly, our 13‑year old daughter, Abigail, is now the only child at home and her busy schedule of dance practice and hockey practice four nights a week plus hockey games keeps her very busy.

This job has allowed me to meet great friends, support staff, and colleagues. And I have to admit, with me the line between friends, staff, and colleagues gets pretty blurry. I have an excellent constituency assistant and I want to thank Krystal for her continued dedication and service to the Weyburn-Bengough constituents. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my caseworker, Shailja; communications assistant, Deep; administrative assistant, Ariann; and chief of staff, Cole. I also want to thank my previous chief of staff, Ryan; and my previous comms assistant, Isho.

In the Ministry of Community Safety, I want to thank my deputy minister, Kimberly, and my previous deputy minister, Denise, for their strong guidance and experience and a lot of support. I also want to thank my ADMs [assistant deputy minister] and additional ministry staff for the hard work they put in together creating briefing materials to provide me with the best information possible.

And Mr. Speaker, we have some really excellent people working in this building, keeping things running as efficient as possible, and I want to thank them for all they do.

I also want to make a special mention to the staff of the legislative district security unit, including director Dani Herman, and also all of the commissionaires that work under her leadership. Mr. Speaker, on Monday, Director Herman gave me a walk-through of the LDSU [legislative district security unit], their organizational structure, and their operations. Everyone that visits or works in this building deserves to be safe, and thanks to Director Herman and her team, we have absolutely nothing to worry about.

Mr. Speaker, I have great MLA colleagues, and the relationships we have all built have evolved into strong friendships that make a person feel good. This year’s spring flooding was met with an impromptu road trip with the Minister Responsible for the Saskatchewan Water Security Agency. We visited the areas of Canora, Quill Lake, and Tisdale. It was just the two of us heading down the highway in my truck together after question period — an inexperienced rookie with a seasoned vet. What an opportunity for myself. I learned a lot from the minister’s stories and experience. I also greatly respect his ability to relate with RM councillors and ratepayers going through some very difficult times. I hope this minister knows how much I appreciated the time we were able to spend together.

I also returned to Canora-Kamsack-Togo area for a follow-up tour with the Minister of SaskBuilds and MLA for Canora-Pelly. But to hear all about that you’ll have to wait till tomorrow.

Speaker Goudy: — Hardly wait. It now being 5 o’clock, this Assembly stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10 a.m.

[The Assembly adjourned at 17:00.]

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

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