Hon. Warren Kaeding: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To you and through you and to all members of the Legislative Assembly, it is my pleasure to welcome to the Legislative Assembly today Ms. Claire Fitzgibbon, the Consul General of Ireland in Toronto.

Ms. Fitzgibbon was appointed to her position in 2025 and brings extensive diplomatic experience, having served in Washington, Cairo, Luxembourg, and at the United Nations in New York and Geneva. Her visit provides an excellent opportunity to strengthen the very long-standing relationship between Saskatchewan and Ireland and explore opportunities for continued co-operation.

Mr. Speaker, I would ask all members to join me in extending a very warm Saskatchewan welcome to Consul General Fitzgibbon.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would also like to introduce, seated in your gallery, a distinguished delegation from the state of Bavaria in Germany, who are visiting Saskatchewan as part of an exploratory mission focused on collaboration opportunities in nuclear medicine and nuclear energy.

Leading the delegation are Daniel Etzel, director of the state of Bavaria’s Montreal office, whose career has spanned international economic development and government relations; Dr. Florence Gauzy Krieger, senior scientific officer with the Bavarian Research Alliance in Munich, a respected research collaboration specialist who has helped build scientific partnerships between Bavaria and jurisdictions around the world, including Canada.

Joining them are Professor Christian Reiter, a leading expert in nuclear science and reactor physics at the Technical University of Munich; Dr. Tobias Chemnitz, head of nuclear science at FMR II, a research facility at Technical University of Munich and one of the world’s foremost neutron science research facilities; Nina Lomp, a project engineer also at FMR II who is supporting advanced nuclear research infrastructure; and Elias Huber, a researcher advancing innovations in nuclear technology and medical isotopes.

The delegation is accompanied by Renata Bereziuk, executive director of international engagement at Innovation Saskatchewan, whose efforts continue to strengthen our province’s global innovation partnerships.

Bavaria is recognized as one of Europe’s leading centres for innovation, advanced manufacturing, life sciences, medical technologies, and research-intensive industries, home to world-class universities, research institutes, and globally competitive companies. Bavaria does share Saskatchewan’s commitment to advancing innovation, strengthening economic competitiveness, and certainly developing technologies that contribute to a more sustainable and prosperous future.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all members in extending a very warm Saskatchewan welcome to our guests from Bavaria, and wishing them a productive and successful visit to our province.

And I am also very excited to introduce 10 grade 11 students seated in your gallery, Mr. Speaker, from Esterhazy High School. And they are led by a fabulous teacher, Shayna Zubko. Shayna has been a teacher in Esterhazy for about 15 years now. And, Mr. Speaker, you’d be pleased to know she is a graduate of the Sask Teachers’ Institute on Parliamentary Democracy.

So, Mr. Speaker, I’d like all my legislative colleagues to welcome Shayna Zubko and her Esterhazy High School class to their Legislative Assembly.

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

Trent Wotherspoon: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What a tremendous honour it is to join with the minister opposite to welcome these delegations that have joined us here in the Saskatchewan legislature today, starting with the Consul General of Ireland, Claire Fitzgibbon. Thank you so very much for being here. Your presence is valued. The relationship between Ireland and Saskatchewan and Canada is one that we value greatly. Thank you for your service through the foreign service and your diplomatic efforts. This is important.

Certainly we have a strong Irish-Canadian population in Saskatchewan as well. My wife’s family came here. Her grandpa came in the early 1960s and came as an Irish doctor at Esterhazy, Mr. Speaker, serving there for decades. So we have a long history of leadership by Irish Canadians here in this province as well. On behalf of a grateful opposition and a grateful province, I ask all members of this Assembly to provide a very warm welcome.

It’s a pleasure as well to join with the minister to welcome the delegation from the state of Bavaria, and it’s really awesome that you’re here. And I think it’s very fitting as well. Of course we have the highest grade uranium in the world, an incredibly important sector to this province, to this country, to the North in our province, and to the world.

What you do by way of innovation and research, and on the energy side as well what you’re looking to do, is very important. And so we really value your time here. We hope you’re finding really meaningful ways to collaborate and work together. We wish you well with all your leadership and your research. And again on behalf of the official opposition of Saskatchewan and a grateful province, we ask all to provide a very warm welcome.

And while I’m on my feet, Mr. Speaker, it’s just a tremendous honour to provide a very warm introduction to a couple of guests that I have here today. That would be Jason and Gus Fandrich from Martensville, Mr. Speaker. They’ve made their way down here today. Gus, he skipped school today, grade 6. Ms. Warren, know that he’s had a wonderful tour of the legislature. He’s taking in the Science Centre and more as well, Mr. Speaker.

But we have an incredible young leader and entrepreneur that’s seated here, Mr. Speaker. You’re going to hear a little bit more about Gus in a member’s statement very shortly. Jason is a business leader as well in Martensville with LJ Construction, Mr. Speaker.

Now we won’t hold this against them, Mr. Speaker, but they’re both big Flames guys. I know there’s a couple of Flames fans in here too. But Gus, the time we’ve spent here today listening to your ideas, listening to what you’ve put together already just embodies the entrepreneurial spirit of this province and bodes so very well for the future of this province.

So I look forward to sharing the member’s statement. But it’s a tremendous honour to have you here, Gus, as well as you, Jason. Thank you very much. I ask all members to provide a very warm welcome to Jason and Gus Fandrich.

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

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

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

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Betty Nippi-Albright: — Mr. Speaker, to you and through you I would like to welcome Jessica Gardippi from the Beardy’s and Okemasis Cree Nation, Summer Brass from The Key First Nation, and Kecia Martell from Waterhen Lake First Nation. Mr. Speaker, these women are health care professionals at the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital. They reached out to me to bring their concerns to the government. Later in question period I will ask a couple of questions on their behalf, Mr. Speaker.

I ask all members to join me in welcoming these health care professionals to their legislature.

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

Hon. Michael Weger: — 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: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To you and through you I’d like to introduce Aron Gidluck, seated up in your gallery, Mr. Speaker, along with a number of very important individuals. Aron is the president of the Saskatchewan Professional Firefighters and Paramedics Association, and he’s joined by 31 other paramedics, firefighters, and dispatchers from Saskatoon, Regina, Prince Albert, Moose Jaw, Yorkton, Swift Current, and Weyburn.

Mr. Speaker, a few special mentions as well. I wish I could name them all, but I just don’t have the time. But, Mr. Speaker, a special mention to Jay Protz. Jay was kind enough to take me under his wing in Saskatoon so I could do a ride-along with station 1. Very appreciative of him doing that and arranging that for me. And also, Mr. Speaker, special mention to Marc Schweitzer, a full-time firefighter in Weyburn who played an important role helping to train me as a firefighter over 10 years ago. So I thank both of them for their attendance here today as well and look forward to meeting with all of them later this afternoon at the reception.

So to you and through you I’d ask all members to welcome them to this, their Legislative Assembly.

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

Hugh Gordon: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s an honour to join with the minister opposite welcoming the fine folks from the Saskatchewan Professional Firefighters and Paramedics Association.

In particular, a hearty welcome to their president, Aron Gidluck; secretary, Mark Moroz; treasurer, Trevor Warren; Regina firefighter Tyler Packham from Local 181; Saskatoon firefighter Jayson Protz from Local 80; Russell Grant, Saskatoon paramedic from IAFF [International Association of Fire Fighters] Local 3270; and the vice-president there, Tom Barbier.

We had a fantastic meeting with them and the delegation talking about their issues of concern, the importance and the value of the work that they provide to the people of this province, the dedication and the sacrifices that all of our first responders make.

Having been one myself for a number of years, I totally understand exactly what issues they are facing and the importance of making sure that we have their backs, Mr. Speaker, at every turn. A lot goes into doing this job. It’s truly a noble calling. The people of this province are lucky to have such fine and dedicated individuals that go to do this work every day and heed the call for service.

So on behalf of the official opposition, a grateful opposition, and a grateful province, I would like to have all members welcome the SPFFPA [Saskatchewan Professional Firefighters and Paramedics Association] and all their delegates here to this, their Legislative Assembly.

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

Hon. Terry Jenson: — Thank you, 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. Terry Jenson: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I am pleased to rise and introduce Josh Rehaluk, Mr. Speaker, who is sitting in your gallery. This past summer, Josh wrote in to my office to share his thoughts on the Saskatchewan assured income for disability, or SAID, changes that were introduced this past spring and took effect in September. Mr. Speaker, being on the SAID program himself, his viewpoint is extremely valuable for me to hear first-hand. In his message, Josh wanted to send a positive note about the SAID changes, which continue to truly make a positive impact on his life.

Mr. Speaker, we appreciate individuals like Josh who are strong advocates for the programs that they rely on. And our ministry takes the feedback from individuals like Josh and others on their experiences into consideration when we’re making improvements going forward. So at this time I’d like to ask everybody in the Assembly to please help me welcome Josh to this, his Legislative Assembly.

While I’m on my feet, Mr. Speaker, to you and through you, I’d like to introduce a couple of guests from next door in Manitoba. First, seated behind us here is Rick Wowchuck, the Progressive Conservative MLA [Member of the Legislative Assembly] for Swan River. He was first elected in 2016 and re-elected in 2019 and again in 2023. He’s currently the critic for Natural Resources and Indigenous Futures, and previously served as the legislative assistant to the Minister of Sustainable Development.

Mr. Speaker, I’d also like to introduce a colleague of Rick’s and somebody that I’ve considered a very good friend for a long time prior to entering political life. Greg Nesbitt is the MLA for Riding Mountain, and is currently the critic for Environment and Climate Change as well as Efficiency Manitoba. He also previously served as the minister of Natural Resources and Northern Development.

Mr. Speaker, it was a pleasure to join with several of my colleagues earlier today to sit down with Greg and Rick and discuss issues of policy. And certainly we didn’t talk about football; I’ll tell you that much. And it’s certainly a pleasure to have both of these hard-working gentlemen joining us here in Regina today.

I’d ask all members to join me in welcoming Greg Nesbitt and Rick Wowchuck to this, the Saskatchewan legislature.

[13:45]

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

Erika Ritchie: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to join with the minister opposite in welcoming Josh and his family here to the Legislative Assembly. And I’m very much interested in hearing how the changes to the recent SAID program have benefited you. Certainly we receive a lot of feedback in our offices about how changes are impacting recipients right across this province.

Nice to see you here in the legislature. I invite all members to join me in welcoming Josh to his Legislative Assembly.

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

Megan Patterson: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I request leave for an extended introduction.

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

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Megan Patterson: — To you and through you, it is my pleasure to introduce Julianne Heagy. Before having a stroke in 2019, Julianne was a busy community volunteer, wife, daughter, mother, and caregiver, easily managing two jobs along with a home business. Reading and learning was a part of her identity.

After experiencing a stroke in 2019, everything changed. Julianne wrote a book, A Stroke of Grace, sharing her experience to provide a road map to resources and helpful strategies for others walking through a new life with limitations. A central message in her book is that life’s challenges can be opportunities for growth, meaning, and service.

I would like to ask all members to now join me in welcoming Julianne Heagy to this, her Legislative Assembly.

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

Noor Burki: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To you and through you, it’s my absolute honour and pleasure to introduce one incredible guest, Dr. Javed Iqbal Nadeem. He’s a journalist. He is a professor. He did a Ph.D. [Doctor of Philosophy] in philosophy.

Mr. Speaker, he came to visit Canada and many cities of Canada in his writing a book. He’s a famous author in our country as well. He served incredibly for 32 years in one of the best institutes of Pakistan; that is the Government College of Lahore.

He’s over here on his tour, so I will request all members to give him a warm welcome to this Legislative Assembly. Thank you.

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

Blaine McLeod: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is an absolute delight for me to be able to introduce 40 grade 12 students from Lumsden High School. Welcome to this, your legislature. I look forward, along with your teachers, Paula Dvernichuk, Kelsey Gottfried, and Shelley Komonosky. And best of all, I think you brought your principal with you as well who substitutes today as a bus driver — that’s an awful good gig, I think — Wade McAmmond. Great to have you all here.

I know my dad oftentimes told me that, “Son, today your schooling is going to interfere with your education.” And I kind of think that’s happening today, so your education is going to be about what happens here. Welcome to this, your Legislative Assembly.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Cumberland.

Jordan McPhail: — Well thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It’s great to join the member opposite in welcoming some of the folks on the floor of the legislature here today — Rick Wowchuck and Greg Nesbitt from the province of Manitoba. I know that in many cases we might differ politically, but one thing I think we can agree on is it’s tough to be in opposition some days. So I’d ask everyone to join me in welcoming these folks to this, the Saskatchewan legislature.

And while I’m on my feet, Mr. Speaker, it’s very rare that we have the opportunity to have two Speakers sitting on the floor of the legislature. So we have one Speaker on the south — that being you, Mr. Speaker — and one Speaker on the north here, the Speaker of the Manitoba legislature, Tom Lindsey.

You know, I got to first meet Tom at a Flin Flon Bombers game. Of course I had to show up in a La Ronge Ice Wolves jersey. He of course had to wear the burgundy — or sorry, maroon — the maroon jerseys up in Flin Flon.

He’s been an MLA for the Flin Flon riding since 2016. My predecessor, the previous member from Cumberland, Doyle Vermette, and him were very good friends. His cousin for the longest time in the Cumberland constituency served as my president. And as anybody knows how family traditions go in the North, that makes Tom my uncle.

And I can tell you, you know, based on anyone on the floor of the legislature here that might be able to see our Speaker of the North here right now, Tom Lindsey, he’s got the best moustache north of Winnipeg. I can guarantee that.

And for folks that know the Flin Flon area, it borders Saskatchewan, and Tom and I share some jurisdiction on the Flin Flon community. There’s three streets that are Flin Flon, Saskatchewan. And if any future member of Cumberland ever forgets that, they will be reminded every single time that they go to Flin Flon that they do serve at least three streets in Flin Flon.

And I can tell you, when the Speaker crosses over into the Saskatchewan side, that I would argue that he has probably the best moustache north of Cypress Hills. That would have to go to the MLA from Cypress Hills on that side.

He was joined at the legislature here today by his wife, Sharon, who’s just a true northerner, a career very straightforward like a northerner would. Started off at Hudbay many years ago as a labourer, worked their way up to the mill operator, and has since retired.

And you know, these folks are just true northerners through and through. Very proud to know Tom as a fellow northerner. And I ask that all members join me in welcoming Tom Lindsey, the Speaker of the Manitoba legislature, here in the province of Saskatchewan’s legislature. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Hon. Jamie Martens: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to join with my colleague across the aisle here, of course, the member from Regina Mount Royal. Of course this guy knows everyone, so it’s not a surprise that he knows some people in Martensville as well.

And being the MLA for Martensville-Blairmore, I am one of the 632 people that do follow Gus. And Gus, you were on my crescent just the other day and I had no idea. But now I know that I can now follow Gus, and he has a link that he now has on his Facebook page that we can follow and see where he is bringing his sweet treats.

This young entrepreneur has absolutely made a big, big splash in Martensville. He was also interviewed for 650 CKOM as well. And the Premier also had him on his page, featured him on his page as well. So I would like to welcome Jason and Gus here today. And I’m hoping that I will be able to follow you on your link so I will be able to grab some ice cream as well.

Thank you. And everyone, please join me in welcoming Gus and Jason to your legislature. Thank you.

Speaker Goudy: — And just quick, I’d like to welcome the Bavarian delegation as well. We had a good opportunity, some of us here from this Chamber, to sit in and view your Legislative Assembly in Bavaria, and we were warmly welcomed. So we trust that you’re being warmly welcomed and looked after in Saskatchewan. It’s a good partnership. We appreciate you.

Claire Fitzgibbon, the Consul General for Ireland — had a good opportunity to visit with her earlier. And also the Speaker of the House from Manitoba, Tom Lindsey, and his wife, Sharon. I guess we started our relationship not by choice, and we got to get to know each other over the last little bit. And you know, I really appreciate our friendship and look forward to the future.

I was really nervous, another Speaker coming in from another jurisdiction, so I’m hoping everybody is on their best behaviour and they make me look good today. But I did ask too; I thought he could maybe sit in one of these chairs and have my back, but that wasn’t allowed. They say as a Speaker you can do what you want in the Chamber, but then you try and do something that not’s allowed and they say you can’t do that. I don’t understand.

So we’ve got three connections here between Bavaria, Ireland, and Manitoba as well. I married a German, I’m Irish, and I met her in Manitoba. So we’re glad to have you all here today. And with that we’ll move to presenting petitions.

PRESENTING PETITIONS

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

Erika Ritchie: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Sounds like you got all your bases covered. I rise today to present a petition to the Government of Saskatchewan to step up for Indigenous students in Saskatchewan.

The undersigned wish to bring to your attention that Jordan’s principle was established to ensure that First Nation children have equitable access to the services they need, including supports in schools. The recent loss of this federal funding will leave a significant gap in Saskatchewan classrooms, especially for Indigenous students who rely on inclusive education supports to thrive. Funding cuts by the federal government have led to a layoff of 80 education assistants from Saskatoon Public Schools with more funding shortfalls expected.

Instead of stepping up to fill this gap, the 2025‑26 provincial budget reduces education funding, budgeting $4.428 billion, which is less than what was actually spent the previous year. This is an alarming move at a time when our schools are already stretched to the breaking point due to chronic underfunding and short-staffing.

The prayer that reads as follows:

Respectfully request the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan stand up for Saskatchewan and advocate for restoration of federal Jordan’s principle funding to support Indigenous students; commit to sustainable, predictable, and equitable provincial funding for inclusive education across Saskatchewan; and ensure education support workers have the resources and staffing they need to keep classrooms safe and support every student’s learning journey.

This petition is signed by residents of Prince Albert. I do so present.

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

Jacqueline Roy: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to present for the first time in this House a petition to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan to provide improved access to perimenopause care, menopause care, and hormone replacement therapy.

So, Mr. Speaker, the undersigned residents want to bring to the attention of this Assembly that $3.5 billion in economic productivity are lost in Canada each year due to a lack of treatment, and that 10 per cent of women actually quit the workforce due to that lack of treatment; that untreated symptoms can lead to mental health problems and osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, and urogenital problems, just to mention a few, Mr. Speaker.

Now, Mr. Speaker, other provinces already have similar legislation in place. And investing in menopause care, Mr. Speaker, isn’t just health care; it makes good economic sense for this province.

And with that I’ll read the prayer:

Those below respectfully request the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan to call on the Government of Saskatchewan to immediately introduce perimenopause care, menopause care, and improve access and eligibility for hormone replacement therapy.

The undersigned are residents of Regina, Mr. Speaker. I do so present.

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

Nicole Sarauer: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise in the House today to present a petition calling on the government to reverse the ban on third-party educators from publicly funded schools.

Those who signed this petition wish to bring to our attention the following: that on August 22nd, 2023, the Saskatchewan government banned all third-party educators from publicly funded schools. Those who were banned included organizations like the Regina Sexual Assault Centre, the North East Outreach & Support Services, and various YWCAs throughout the province. The topics that these organizations teach include consent, healthy relationships, and child sexual abuse prevention. The Government of Saskatchewan’s own domestic violence death review reports from 2018 and 2025 have both highlighted the importance of prevention education for youth in reducing the rates of intimate partner violence.

Mr. Speaker, with Saskatchewan’s worst-in-the-nation rates in intimate partner violence and sexual abuse, the government should be doing everything possible to reduce these rates, including prevention education.

I’d like to read the prayer:

We, in the prayer that reads as follows, respectfully request that the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan call on the Government of Saskatchewan to immediately reverse its decision to ban third-party educators in Saskatchewan schools and consult with experts in developing a comprehensive curriculum for all Saskatchewan students.

Those who signed this petition come from Saskatoon. I do so present.

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

Nathaniel Teed: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to present our petition to the Legislative Assembly to address the affordability crisis.

[14:00]

The undersigned residents of the province of Saskatchewan wish to bring to your attention the following: that inflation is the highest it’s been in more than three decades; that according to Angus Reid, 84 per cent of Saskatchewan people are feeling stressed about money, the highest rates of financial insecurity in Canada; that half of Saskatchewan residents were living paycheque to paycheque before transportation and food costs skyrocketed in 2022; and that the Sask Party government’s power, PST [provincial sales tax], and tax hikes make life more expensive.

I will read the prayer:

We, in the prayer that reads as follows, respectfully request that the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan call on the Government of Saskatchewan to meaningfully address the affordability crisis in Saskatchewan.

The undersigned residents reside in Regina. I do so present.

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

Darcy Warrington: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to present our petition calling to implement rent control now.

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

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 adopt fair and effective rent control legislation that limits annual rent increases, ensures housing stability, and protects tenants from being priced out of their homes.

Mr. Speaker, this petition has been signed by residents from Regina. I do so present.

STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Cannington.

Carnduff Resident Drafted by the Atlanta Braves

Daryl Harrison: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have exciting news coming out of Cannington constituency. Carnduff local Carter Beck has been drafted in the 2026 Major League Baseball draft to the Atlanta Braves.

Not only drafted, Mr. Speaker, but the 26th overall draft pick. Carter has made history in our province as he is now the highest chosen player from Saskatchewan in MLB’s [Major League Baseball] draft pick history. In addition to making Saskatchewan history, Carter was the first Canadian drafted in 2026.

Carter is a humble 21‑year-old that has said that the most important time to work is when nobody is watching. He has put in the work and he has found success because of it. His family is a busy, community-minded family of six that are very involved in school, town, and multiple sports and clubs.

Carter has a huge number of supporters throughout the province cheering him on. Carter’s coaches have credited him with having an incredible work ethic, a great attitude, and always ready to play and compete. His baseball résumé is impressive, which includes playing for the Saskatoon Berries.

Saskatchewan is proud to call Carter our own, and we will be cheering him on throughout his baseball career. Please join me in congratulating Carter Beck.

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

Young Entrepreneur Sells Ice Cream in Martensville

Trent Wotherspoon: — Mr. Speaker, I’m sure many of us can remember the sound of the bells coming down the street on a warm summer day. The sound of the Dickie Dee is a throwback of summers gone by. But for those in Martensville, that throwback made a comeback thanks to 10‑year-old Gus Fandrich, a remarkable entrepreneur and hard-working guy. It’s a real honour to have him here today.

It all started at a Warman Wolverines game, where Gus saw a bike-and-freezer unit on the concourse. He asked his dad if he could build one, and the rest is history. Gus’ Sweet Treats was born. He got to work and put a bike-and-freezer unit filled with ice cream treats on the streets of Martensville last summer. And he worked hard all summer long.

He shares the reward was to hear the screams and excitement of kids and families as he’d hit their street, as well as making some really good money. At a time where we can order almost anything from our phones to our doorsteps, Gus’ Sweet Treats takes us back to a bygone era.

Mr. Speaker, Gus is not resting on his success. He’s looking to expand his operation to other cities and equipping other young entrepreneurs. Gus is an incredible young guy that’s worked so hard to bring back some nostalgic summer magic back to the streets of Saskatchewan, something we can all celebrate. And I know we all scream for ice cream.

So I ask all members of this Assembly to join with me to celebrate Gus Fandrich and to offer him and Gus’ Sweet Treats all the best into the summer ahead and the years ahead. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Blind Golfer Inducted into Sports Hall of Fame

Travis Keisig: — Well thank you, Mr. Speaker. The 2026 Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame induction class and their representatives were officially introduced this spring in Saskatoon. Seven individuals and teams were formally inducted on September 26th of this year at a celebratory event at the Conexus Arts Centre in Regina.

One person in particular I’d like to focus on, Mr. Speaker, is Mr. Otto Huber. Otto grew up in Lipton in the constituency of Last Mountain-Touchwood. Otto lost his eyesight in a hunting accident when he was 28 years old. He took up golf after and quickly succeeded in winning the blind golfers’ tournament seven times between 1974 and 2007.

Over the years, Mr. Speaker, Otto served as the president of the Canadian blind golfers’ association in the western division. Otto also competed in Oregon, Pennsylvania, the British Columbia golf open championships, and won the event in Portsmouth, England in 1995, as well as placing second place in the blind golf Japan Open championship. Otto was truly an inspiration and a role model for us all.

Mr. Speaker, Otto passed away in 2022 at age 90, but we know that his family and all those who loved him were able to celebrate his induction into the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame ceremony this fall. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

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

Annual Outdoor Movie Night Brings Community Together

Don McBean: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is my pleasure to rise today with another instance of an outstanding local community association. In Saskatoon Chief Mistawasis the Silverwood Heights Community Association has come up with a brilliant new tradition of holding an outdoor park movie evening on September 29th.

Of course the next day, September 30, is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. And while the Sask Party government has chosen to not recognize this as a statutory holiday, many school divisions are doing the right thing and do not have students attending that day. So the eve of NDTR [National Day for Truth and Reconciliation] families are home, no school the next day, and the turnout the past two years has been extraordinary.

The spirit of families in a low-pressure, high-pleasure event is a fabulous builder of community. Little organization, lots of reward — the sort of thing that fits in the category of “I wish I’d thought of that.” So great congratulations to members of the hard-working volunteer executive of Silverwood Heights community.

And with a few seconds more, a reminder that the Sask NDP [New Democratic Party] honours the efforts of Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the 94 Calls to Action, including no. 80. Sask NDP government will join with the nine other provinces and territories who have at least government and school closures. Time for change.

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

Outlook-Born Contestant Goes on Jeopardy! Winning Streak

Barret Kropf: — I’ll take the town of Outlook brainpower for 1,000, Alex. From October 1st to 7th this hometown hero from Dakota-Arm River spent five days on a world-famous game show. He’s a software developer who took home over $64,000 in winnings, and he’s a son of a renowned artist and political leader. Well, Alex, I’m going to say, who is Rian Robertson? That famous Jeopardy! tune will now be running through your minds all day.

And I want to congratulate Rian on his success last month on the game show Jeopardy! His parents, Ian and Susan Robertson, held viewing parties in Broderick, watching their son dominate the stage in Los Angeles. After 15 years of attempting to get on the game show, Rian proved that Saskatchewan continues to have what the world needs, including brain power.

On day two of the championship run, Rian won day two on the final Jeopardy! question. He correctly knew that Sam Adams was the bankrupt malt house owner who found his calling as a firebrand who kept citizens awakened to their grievances. Rian proved to everyone that he is truly from Saskatchewan with such barley sandwich knowledge.

Congrats once again to Rian, your family, your community. We are all humming that tune all week long here in the legislature.

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

Consultations regarding Data Centre Projects

Kim Breckner: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to thank all of Saskatchewan people who made the time to participate in our public consultations on AI [artificial intelligence] data centres. We held open houses in Regina, Moose Jaw, and most recently Saskatoon. My colleagues and I talked to many people from different walks of life that, despite their different backgrounds, were united in the feeling that these projects are being rushed and their concerns were ignored.

As the cost of living continues to rise, people are worried about the impact of these hyperscale AI data centres on their energy bills. They want more information on the environmental impacts and how their data will be protected from foreign nations.

The Premier says that town halls aren’t needed for data centres because “We don’t hold a town hall when we build a mine site.” Mr. Speaker, I’m troubled that the Premier of Saskatchewan is so misinformed about resource development he believes we build mines in this province without any public consultation. In fact it’s usually required through an environmental impact assessment, which this government hand-waved away for the Sherwood AI data centre.

Saskatchewan has some of the friendliest and hardest working people in the country. Their interests cannot be an afterthought. That’s why we have called for a moratorium to be put into place until Saskatchewan people have the honesty, transparency, and proven benefit they deserve.

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

Expansion of Health Care Workforce and Facilities

Kevin Weedmark: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Saskatchewan’s health human resources action plan is the most ambitious recruitment and retention plan in Canada and it’s working. We’re seeing more health care workers recruited to Saskatchewan health care facilities. Since 2022 more than 7,500 doctors, nurses, and other professionals have joined our health care system.

This government is also proud to build, not close, health care facilities. Progress continues on the Yorkton hospital and the Regina specialized long-term care centre projects. The brand new Weyburn hospital has just opened. The Prince Albert Victoria Hospital and the Grenfell long-term care centre are both now over 50 per cent complete. The Regina breast health centre celebrated its one-year anniversary and has already seen more than 2,200 referrals.

A new mobile mammography unit has launched, bringing an additional capacity of 7,000 screenings across 42 communities. The Regina neonatal intensive care centre has also increased in size. And in Saskatoon construction has started at the new cancer patient lodge.

This government has eliminated 240 outdated and restrictive clinical policies to expand the scope of practice for nurses. And this session we’ll continue to expand the scope of practice for several more health care professions.

Mr. Speaker, our ministers of Health and Rural and Remote Health will be announcing the next steps of the patients-first health care plan to ensure that every resident can receive the right care in the right place at the right time. And these investments are only possible in a strong, steady, Saskatchewan.

QUESTION PERIOD

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

Data Centre Project

Carla Beck: — Mr. Speaker, on August the 27th, this government sent out a news release announcing that they were reviewing applications for 30 AI data centres in this province. That was it. There were no details about locations, no details about size let alone any details about potential community impact. Surprise, surprise, Mr. Speaker: instead we were told, just trust us. Well it’s not good enough, and the people of this province deserve answers.

Will the Premier release the size, the location of each of these data centres, right here and right now?

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

Hon. Jeremy Harrison: — Well thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I think that we have now approved one data centre application, which is obviously the Bell data centre complex, the largest private sector investment in the history of this country. $52 billion creating literally thousands of jobs for people in this province, Mr. Speaker. Going to be a great project going forward.

Mr. Speaker, we will be reviewing applications as they’re submitted going ahead. That will be adjudicated by the officials at Crown Investments Corporation and Trade and Export Development, as laid out in our data centre framework.

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

Carla Beck: — Mr. Speaker, no answers, no transparency, and sadly no surprise.

Yesterday when I asked the Premier about this hyperscale AI data centre with ties to Donald Trump, he stood up, he talked about himself in the third person, but he ducked the question.

[14:15]

But I’m going to ask again for the record. Was the Premier aware of these ties to the Trump family when he approved this Sherwood data centre?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of CIC.

Hon. Jeremy Harrison: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Here we see again why literally nobody in this province takes the Leader of the Opposition seriously, Mr. Speaker. These . . .

[Interjections]

Speaker Goudy: — There will be opportunities at the end of question period to bring up points of order if you want to stand up at that point and be clear. But when I’m trying to listen to the questions and someone is trying to listen to the answers and we have respectable members in the galleries, I would expect that we’ll sit and listen carefully to both sides. Thank you.

Minister of CIC.

Hon. Jeremy Harrison: — Well thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. We see again why nobody in this province takes the leader of . . .

[Interjections]

Speaker Goudy: — Member from Saskatoon Meewasin, I will warn you. Please, I just asked to listen carefully. It’s not back-and-forthing.

Minister of CIC.

Hon. Jeremy Harrison: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We see again why nobody in this province takes the Leader of the Opposition seriously. These are publicly traded companies, Mr. Speaker, that stock can be purchased by any individual or institution. And many have, Mr. Speaker.

And I would point to some of the owners as an example in Cerebras: TD Waterhouse Canada, the RBC Dominion Securities, The Bank of Nova Scotia, BMO asset management, the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, the Caisse de dépôt, the Public Sector Pension Investment Board, CI Financial, AGF Investments. The list goes on and on, Mr. Speaker.

These are publicly traded companies that have a broad opportunity for people to participate. And I look forward to talking about who might be participating over there.

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

Carla Beck: — Still no answer, Mr. Speaker. Maybe it’s the case that the Premier simply doesn’t know. In fact it’s getting hard to tell who is calling the shots over there. I hope it’s not what it looks like, Mr. Speaker. That would be very, very bad indeed.

Anyway we filed a freedom of information request looking for the details of this Sherwood data centre. It was blocked. Eight months, zero public consultation despite the fact that thousands and thousands of people are asking these questions, even more now that we have shown the links to Donald Trump.

If there is indeed, Mr. Speaker, nothing to see here, why will this Premier, why will this government not release the details of that deal to the people of Saskatchewan?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of CIC.

Hon. Jeremy Harrison: — You know what, Mr. Speaker, I’m prepared to table documents that are going to show just how ridiculous the argument being made by the members opposite with regard to Donald Trump and all the rest of it really are, using the exact same logic being put onto the floor by the Leader of the Opposition. The Opposition House Leader is also in partnership with Donald Trump. The exact same logic, Mr. Speaker. That member owns a part of Fidelity U.S. Focused Stock Fund.

You may ask, I mean, the elbows-up crowd over there why they’re investing in US [United States] stocks, Mr. Speaker. That’s one question. But this fund is also an owner in Cerebras, Mr. Speaker. Only to underline how ridiculous the arguments being made by that Leader of the Opposition are.

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

Brittney Senger: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s clear that the Leader of the Opposition and the Opposition House Leader know far more about data sovereignty than the Sask Party government. Mr. Speaker, the Premier has been preaching about data sovereignty, but I don’t think he even understands what it means.

A president is pushing through a data centre here in Saskatchewan. The Sherwood data centre, backed by Donald Trump, who is killing jobs in Saskatchewan, threatening our economy and our very existence as a country. Our data is being handed over to Donald Trump and the US government.

We have heard from people across the province that are concerned about Trump’s ties to this data centre. What does the Premier have to say to the people of Saskatchewan that are concerned about our data and our sovereignty?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of CIC.

Hon. Jeremy Harrison: — Well you know, I’ve got to say, Mr. Speaker, I’ve heard some pretty outrageous questions from the members over the last 20 years in this place. I think that one probably takes the cake for jumping the shark though, Mr. Speaker. My goodness. The president pushing through a data centre? Like give me a break.

Mr. Speaker, this is a project that is owned by Bell Canada Enterprises, a Canadian company. The project was announced by the Prime Minister of Canada with the Premier of Saskatchewan and two former prime ministers because of the fact that this is going to be a backbone of Canada’s sovereign AI data and compute architecture, Mr. Speaker. This is a project of national significance, announced by bipartisan members, prime ministers of both parties because of its significance to this country, Mr. Speaker.

Instead the members opposite have attacked this project every step of the way, a party that is anti-investment, anti-development, and anti-job.

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

Brittney Senger: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Clearly the minister does not know how to answer the question. Mr. Speaker, when the minister was asked by reporters yesterday about Donald Trump’s ties to the Sherwood data centre, he said he had “no idea what the ownership structure is.”

Will the minister admit that yesterday was the first time he found out about Donald Trump’s ties to the Sherwood data centre? And if not, how long has he known about this? And how long has he been keeping it from the people of Saskatchewan?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of CIC.

Hon. Jeremy Harrison: — This is absurd, Mr. Speaker. These are publicly traded companies that are available for investment by anybody in the world, including the Opposition House Leader, Mr. Speaker, including some of the icons of the Canadian pension fund, Canadian banks that are investors as well. These are publicly traded companies . . .

[Interjections]

Speaker Goudy: — Order, please.

Hon. Jeremy Harrison: — I mean, Mr. Speaker, these are just absurd. These are publicly traded companies. This is a project owned by Bell Canada Enterprises, Mr. Speaker, a Canadian company. This project is creating thousands of jobs here in Regina.

And let’s be very, very clear, Mr. Speaker, what the objectives of the opposition are. They want to stop this project, just like they have wanted to stop every other major investment into this province, because they are anti-investment, they are anti-development, and they are anti-jobs.

Speaker Goudy: — I’m going to remind . . . putting words in each other’s mouths and perspectives.

I recognize the member from Saskatoon Riversdale.

Kim Breckner: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s troubling. The Premier is misinformed on how natural resource development works. The Minister of CIC doesn’t understand corporate finance. Hint: google “controlling shareholder.” And he doesn’t understand data centres if he thinks just because Bell owns the building that we can put our information into an American company’s compute. Suddenly that makes it sovereign? Honestly.

Try this again, Minister. When did you find out about Donald Trump’s financial stake in the Sherwood data centre?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of CIC.

Hon. Jeremy Harrison: — There we go again, Mr. Speaker. Is there anything more on brand for the NDP to oppose the largest private sector investment in the history of this country, Mr. Speaker? A project that will provide thousands of jobs here in Saskatchewan out into the long term, that will provide billions in revenues for this province as well.

This is a project of generational significance, a project of national significance that is going to encompass the digital backbone for this entire country, Mr. Speaker. And of course the NDP are promulgating that this be shut down immediately, that the hundreds of people that are out working today on that site be put out of work immediately.

This is a project that has brought support, Mr. Speaker. The mayor of Regina, the reeve of the RM [rural municipality] of Sherwood, Building Trades Council, union leaders from the IBEW [International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers] and from the United Association have spoken very positively.

Speaker Goudy: — I’m just going to remind, answers should be connected to the questions then in this case.

I recognize the member from Saskatoon Riversdale.

Kim Breckner: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Trump’s tariffs: they shrug. Trump’s attack on our sovereignty: the Premier says you can’t take him literally. Trump’s ties to the data centre: they admit they didn’t even know about them. Yesterday the Trade minister was asked about the mid-term elections in the US, and he said they don’t matter.

Why does this government sit on its hands while Donald Trump steamrolls our economy and steals our data?

Speaker Goudy: — Okay, I don’t think we can be saying something about a leader of another country that they’re stealing our data. Could you please just reword that question?

Kim Breckner: — Mr. Speaker, the president of the United States has openly talked about annexing our country. Why does the minister think it’s appropriate to give our data to a company he controls?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of CIC.

Hon. Jeremy Harrison: — Wow. More jump-the-shark questions from the NDP, Mr. Speaker. I would just say this by way of observation, and I’ll get to the question. But I think we’ve seen this from . . .

[Interjections]

Speaker Goudy: — Please. Order, please.

Hon. Jeremy Harrison: — You know a New Democrat is desperate and losing when they start saying Donald Trump over and over and over and over and over and over again. And I can tell you because we have a case study of that, Mr. Speaker. Just the last month in British Columbia, David Eby stood up and said “Donald Trump” over and over and over and over again. And what happened, Mr. Speaker? He was defeated by a brand new Conservative government.

Speaker Goudy: — Sorry. For the member from Saskatoon Centre, there will be three minutes at the end. Thank you.

But I recognize the member from Regina Northeast.

Access to Breast Diagnostic Care

Jacqueline Roy: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So the government has all the time in the world to build a data centre in which Donald Trump has stakes, but women in this province are being forgotten.

Now we’re joined today by Cathy Sapergia. In 2025 her doctor referred her for a mammogram. She was on that wait-list for more than a year, Mr. Speaker.

This was not a routine scan, Mr. Speaker. Cathy is considered at higher risk due to family history. Her doctor and family were worried for her.

Why did the minister make Cathy wait a full year for an urgently needed mammogram?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Health.

Hon. Jeremy Cockrill: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the member opposite for the question. Mr. Speaker, obviously I don’t know the details about this individual’s specific case. I can tell you, as part of our patients-first health care plan, Mr. Speaker, and the work of this government over the last several years, we’ve been adding capacity to bring wait times down for mammograms and biopsies in this province, Mr. Speaker.

Obviously there’s more work to do to ensure the women in this province get timely access to care, Mr. Speaker, and that’s work that this government will continue doing.

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

Jacqueline Roy: — Now, Mr. Speaker, there’s nothing ambitious about year-long wait-lists despite adding a few things here and there. At one point Cathy worried she’d have to reschedule and asked the clinic when that next available date was. They told her November, Mr. Speaker — not of this year, of next. Not a single woman on that list cancels her appointment for fear she’ll be stuck waiting years for another slot.

Will the minister apologize to Cathy and the women like her for the stress and the anxiety they’ve faced on these way-too-long wait-lists?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Health.

Hon. Jeremy Cockrill: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And obviously as I mentioned in my last answer, this government is undertaking significant work along with the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency as well as partners like the Cancer Foundation of Saskatchewan to increase access to screening mammograms as well as biopsies, Mr. Speaker.

There’s more work to do in this space. We understand that. And certainly for screening mammograms, I was looking at the wait times the other day, Mr. Speaker. We’re booking within one or two weeks in nearly every site, Mr. Speaker. In Regina we are booking into 2027 currently, Mr. Speaker.

Obviously, as I’ve said, there’s more work to do in this space. That’s what we’re committed to doing under our patients-first health care plan to ensure that patients like Cathy and all other women in this province can get that access to timely care to have peace of mind. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

[14:30]

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

Advertising Expenditures

Meara Conway: — Mr. Speaker, Saskatchewan people deserve answers about how this government spends government money. We have some of the worst health outcomes in the country. High-risk patients waiting more than a year for a mammogram. But this Sask Party government sends money to The World-Spectator to promote their health plan.

We’ve heard the lines about the newspaper association, but we haven’t gotten an answer. How many dollars and how many cents went from the health budget to The World-Spectator newspaper?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Justice.

Hon. Tim McLeod: — Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And as has been said a number of times now, the government doesn’t directly fund The World-Spectator. The government funds ad agencies or associations much like the Saskatchewan Weekly Newspapers Association, or SWNA. The funds go to those organizations, and those organizations disseminate the funds across the province to make sure that every Saskatchewan resident receives the same information, Mr. Speaker.

The residents of Moosomin and area are entitled to the same information that the residents of Saskatoon or North Battleford or Swift Current receive. Mr. Speaker, these processes are used in the same way for the health care plan as they are for crop insurance, as they are for government announcements like Henry’s Law that we saw last week. The government does not directly fund The World-Spectator, and this process is set out under the conflict-of-interest laws and through the Board of Internal Economy, Mr. Speaker.

I would think the members opposite know that because they are members of this Assembly and bound by those same rules. So I would ask, are those members following those same rules when they used over $11,000 of taxpayer funds to go to their caucus Chair’s family photography business? I sure hope so, Mr. Speaker.

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

Meara Conway: — How concerning to see the Attorney General and a member of the bar insinuate that we have broken any rule. He’s on that committee too. He knows the rule, and he knows this member has never broken that rule. It’s pretty low, even for them, Mr. Speaker.

Government spending is government business, and so is the Premier’s judgment. It’s this Premier who chose to appoint the member for Moosomin as a Legislative Secretary. Since then we’ve seen conduct from that member that calls into question the Premier’s judgment. Straight facts, Mr. Speaker. The member travelled to government events by chartered jet, apparently on a prepaid debit card. He’s been asked to pay back a federal grant . . .

Speaker Goudy: — So I had said earlier that any . . . Just pause the clock for a second. I’ve mentioned this. I’m not going to call it an attack on the character of a member, but I know you’re blending this together with the Premier’s judgment. And he is a Secretary. But I have ruled on this, that we would move on from that and I wouldn’t be allowing those questions talking about the jet-setting and this, that, the other thing.

So please either ask a question differently, ask another question. What’s your decision? Don’t be going after the member from Moosomin-Montmartre about his . . . What’s your choice? Same question or different question?

Meara Conway: — Mr. Speaker, I won’t ask the question on my page. I will ask, will the government opposite finally tell us what has been spent on the member from Moosomin’s newspaper? And if they won’t answer that question, will they assure us today that this practice will stop?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Justice.

Hon. Tim McLeod: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we have said, the government does not directly fund The World-Spectator newspaper. The funding goes to an ad agency, and the funds are spread across the province, Mr. Speaker. This is a desperate smear attempt on an honourable member, Mr. Speaker . . .

Speaker Goudy: — Yeah, let’s not be talking . . . Would you apologize for the “smear attempt” comment.

Hon. Tim McLeod: — I’ll withdraw that comment, Mr. Speaker. The question to this side, Mr. Speaker . . . [inaudible interjection] . . . I’m sorry, Mr. Speaker, I thought I had the floor. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, this line of questioning has been attempted and responded many times. I don’t know how many different ways we can offer the same information to the members opposite. If they want to keep asking the same question, we will keep offering the same answer. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Supports for Indigenous Birth Support Workers

Betty Nippi-Albright: — Mr. Speaker, since 2019, Indigenous birth support workers have provided culturally safe care and support to Indigenous mothers and babies. Seven years later this team still does not have a dedicated office space, secure storage for traditional medicines and program supplies, or a permanent space to call its own.

Can the minister explain why, after seven years, these Indigenous birth support workers are still waiting for the basic space and resources they need to do their jobs?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Health.

Hon. Jeremy Cockrill: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And before I answer the question from the member opposite, I want to thank the members from the Indigenous birth support worker team for being here in the legislature here today.

I’ve had the opportunity to meet a couple of those staff in my visits to Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital. And really, you know, the program, the services, the culturally appropriate services that they offer to Indigenous families welcoming new family members to our province is really special work. And I’d say all members would agree that this is unique work that has been recognized right across the country. I know the Governor General has had an opportunity to commend their work, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite stated in her question, this program came to be after the hospital was originally built, so there was not a dedicated space built when the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital was first built in Saskatchewan. I understand that the Saskatchewan Health Authority is working with the team to try and find an opportunity to have space. That work will continue, Mr. Speaker, because we recognize the important work that these staff do for families in our province.

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

Betty Nippi-Albright: — Mr. Speaker, seven years and they’re still waiting. A joint job evaluation completed in 2025 upgraded these positions to pay band 9, yet implementation remains outstanding, Mr. Speaker.

Can the minister explain why the Indigenous birth support workers are still waiting for the compensation and recognition they have already earned?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Health.

Hon. Jeremy Cockrill: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you again to the member opposite for the question. I was aware there was a joint job evaluation for these specific positions, Mr. Speaker. I’m not aware of the final results of that joint job evaluation. Certainly we can ask some questions of the Saskatchewan Health Authority and ensure that the results of that JJE [joint job evaluation] are followed, again to recognize really the important work that the Indigenous birth support worker staff do at Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital.

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

Betty Nippi-Albright: — We hopefully can all agree that seven years is a long time to wait for a dedicated office space, especially when you have traditional medicines, when you have supplies that need to be locked so no one can access them.

So I’m going to ask, again, the minister. Perhaps he’s willing to join me and the Indigenous support workers after to talk about how quickly will their compensation be upgraded. And also when does he expect that this very important group will have a dedicated office space?

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Health.

Hon. Jeremy Cockrill: — Well thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d be happy to take some time after question period to meet with the staff that have joined us here today in Regina. Certainly the member opposite knows that we don’t deal with compensation matters on the floor of the Assembly. But, Mr. Speaker, certainly I’d be happy to follow up with the SHA, Saskatchewan Health Authority, directly on the issues that the member opposite has identified today.

INTRODUCTION OF BILLS

Bill No. 66 — The Pooled Registered Pension Plans (Saskatchewan) Amendment Act, 2026

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Justice.

Hon. Tim McLeod: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move that Bill No. 66, the pooled registered pensions plan amendment Act, 2026 be now introduced and read a first time.

Speaker Goudy: — It has been moved by the Minister of Justice that Bill No. 66, The Pooled Registered Pension Plans (Saskatchewan) Amendment Act, 2026 be now introduced and read a first time. Is it the pleasure of the Assembly to adopt the motion?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Speaker Goudy: — Carried.

Deputy Clerk: — First reading of this bill.

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

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

Speaker Goudy: — Next sitting.

Bill No. 67 — The Coroners Amendment Act, 2026

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of Justice.

Hon. Tim McLeod: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move that Bill No. 67, The Coroners Amendment Act, 2026 be now introduced and read a first time.

Speaker Goudy: — It has been moved by the Minister of Justice that Bill No. 67, The Coroners Amendment Act, 2026 be now introduced and read a first time. Is it the pleasure of the Assembly to adopt the motion?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Speaker Goudy: — Carried.

Deputy Clerk: — First reading of this bill.

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

Hon. Tim McLeod: — Next sitting.

Speaker Goudy: — Next sitting. Why is the member on her feet?

MOTION UNDER RULE 61

Call to Release Text of Data Centre Memorandum of Understanding

Brittney Senger: — Before orders of the day, I seek leave to move a motion under rule 61.

Speaker Goudy: — Will the member briefly state the purpose of the motion and read the text of the motion.

Brittney Senger: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is an important motion that I hope we can all be united on, regarding much needed transparency with the government’s deal with Bell Canada regarding the Sherwood data centre.

If leave is granted, I would move the following motion:

That the Assembly calls upon the government to release the full text of the memorandum of understanding with Bell Canada for the hyperscale data centre being constructed in the rural municipality of Sherwood.

Speaker Goudy: — The member for Saskatoon Southeast has requested leave to move without notice a motion of urgent and pressing necessity under rule 61. Is leave granted?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Some Hon. Members: — No.

Speaker Goudy: — Leave has not been granted. Next item of business.

ORDERS OF THE DAY

SPECIAL ORDER

ADJOURNED DEBATES

ADDRESS IN REPLY

[The Assembly resumed the adjourned debate on the address in reply which was moved by Brad Crassweller, seconded by Travis Keisig, and the proposed amendment to the main motion moved by Vicki Mowat.]

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Cypress Hills.

Doug Steele: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ll continue on. For Twila and her family, the news brought back memories of their own experience. They understand the fear of the waiting for medical updates, the long days and sleepless nights, and the uncertainty of what tomorrow may bring.

Mr. Speaker, no two tragedies are the same, and we must never suggest that everyone recovering will follow the same path. But I hope the families of those injured soldiers can take some comfort in knowing that others have been faced with tragedy, challenges, and found the strength to move forward. I hope they receive the same kindness as Twila and her family experienced, and I hope that in the years ahead that they will have an opportunity to celebrate, celebrate healing, recovering, and precious moments together.

To the families who lost loved ones, we honour their memory, their sacrifice, and their service to our country. They deserve our compassion, our gratitude, and our continued support.

Mr. Speaker, as I reflect on this year’s Throne Speech, I keep coming back to one simple thought. Our greatness, strength, is always in the people of our province. It is the farmer who keeps going through the droughts and difficult seasons, the rancher who rebuilt after the devastating fires, the small-business owner who took a chance on a dream, the health care worker who provides comfort during the family’s darkest hours, the first responder who runs toward danger when the rest of us run toward escape, and the families who, after experiencing unimaginable tragedies, finds its courage to heal, move forward, and help someone else.

[14:45]

Mr. Speaker, I have seen the strength of those through the years representing the folks from Cypress Hills. I’ve seen it in our communities. I’ve seen it in our businesses. And I have seen it in families like Ron, Evan, and Twila.

Nine years ago this family was fighting for survival. Today they are celebrating nine more years of being together. And along the way they have continued supporting others, raising money for the burn units, the fire stations, and helping families facing similar challenges. That is something truly worth recognizing.

I want to once again thank my wife, Phyllis, our children, our grandchildren, and the many people who have supported me through my years of public service. I am grateful for the opportunity to represent the people of Cypress Hills, and I am grateful to have Twila back working alongside of me this past year. Being with her, not only her experience, her dedication, but also her genuine understanding of the challenges Saskatchewan families can face.

Mr. Speaker, the Speech from the Throne has outlined a vision for Saskatchewan’s future, a future built on economic growth, affordability, quality health care, safer communities, and the opportunity for the next generation.

I support that vision, but I also know that government alone does not make a province strong. It’s the people. It’s their determination. It’s their compassion, their courage, and their willingness to stand together when times are difficult. That is the Saskatchewan I know. That is the Saskatchewan I am proud to be a representative of. And that is the Saskatchewan I believe we must continue building for our children and our grandchildren.

Strong and steady Saskatchewan is more than a message in the Throne Speech. It’s the story of our people. It is who we are, and it is why I am proud to support the Speech from the Throne. I will be supporting the motion from the member of White City-Qu’Appelle which was seconded by the member from Prince Albert Carlton. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Brent Blakley: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well we’ve passed the halfway point of the thirtieth provincial Saskatchewan legislature — two years since we were all elected or re-elected to represent the people of our constituency and the people of this province, to represent all the people of this province.

I don’t take that responsibility lightly, knowing that the decisions we make or don’t make as a government and opposition have serious and far-reaching implications for the people of Saskatchewan. It’s an honour and a privilege and a little bit humbling to walk up those steps, those beautiful refurbished steps, and take part in the work that we do for the people of Saskatchewan.

This past year I took on a new role in our caucus as the shadow minister for Parks, Culture and Sport doing what I can to support, represent, and advocate for the many different groups in this area, which I’ll talk about a little bit later. But as is the practice in these responses, I’d like to thank the people who support me every day and help me do this job.

We have an outstanding staff in our caucus office just down the hall who go above and beyond every day, who do their jobs not just for the paycheque, but they genuinely care for the people of this province. So to our caucus office team: thank you for going that extra mile every day.

My constituency executive continues to attract new members volunteering to do what’s best for the constituents of Regina Wascana Plains. This system we have doesn’t work unless there are people who step up to volunteer and help make it work. Thank you to the constituency executive of Wascana Plains for their guidance and support.

All of us here in the House have constituency assistants who keep us on track, who keep our schedules, answer the phones, answer emails and letters, and dealing with people who walk into our office with real concerns. Their work is invaluable and I want to thank Stephanie Logan, my constituency assistant, for all she does to keep this train on the tracks.

Those that I sit with on this side, my colleagues in the opposition, are a great source of support, advice, and encouragement. I want to thank them for their service to this province. My heartfelt thanks goes to the Leader of the Opposition, the MLA from Regina Lakeview. I tell people that she is the hardest working politician in Saskatchewan. That’s right. Regularly travelling to all corners of the province to meet with and support the people of Saskatchewan.

And like all of us, I have endless support from my family. My wife and I have four adult children in different parts of the country. This year our son, the lawyer, was working for a firm in Edmonton. He and his partner have moved on to Peterborough, Ontario a few months ago, but they’re now in the process of moving back to Saskatchewan and will be living in my basement. Honestly though, it’ll be nice to hear the pitter-patter of little feet in the house again. They’re bringing their dog Sam with them.

Our eldest daughter and her partner made the move to Edmonton a couple years ago. And she took on a job this past summer working with Big Brothers Big Sisters there in Edmonton.

Our middle daughter and her partner made the leap to become homeowners and bought a place in Sedley, about 30 minutes southeast of Regina on Highway 33. They’ve been a few months there now. But when they were considering the house, they asked who the MLA for that area was, and I told them. I said they are represented by a Sask Party MLA. But they bought the house and moved there anyway. And they love small-town life.

Our oldest daughter also purchased her first house this past year in northwest Regina. In the city here we call that NOD, or north of Dewdney. Back in the day we used to say, to cross over north of Dewdney you needed a muscle car and a deadly mullet, something like our member from Athabasca used to sport — a deadly mullet. Anyway she was also curious as to who the MLA for that area was. I told her it was our illustrious MLA for Regina Mount Royal. And again she bought the house anyway. So anyway she loves being a homeowner.

I saved the best for last, for my wife — that’s me, doing this — continues to serve as the bishop of the Lutheran church in Eastern Canada. She’s a great source of support, encouragement, but most of all sound advice as I carry on with my work here. Thank you, Carla.

My work in my constituency of Regina Wascana Plains and supporting the Parks, Culture and Sport portfolio continued. Lots of door knocking in the constituency the last couple of months, connecting with people on the doorstep with questions, ideas, and again some real concerns. I also took some time to connect with the businesses in my area. Wascana Plains has a vibrant and diverse business community that is ever-expanding as the city continues to grow east.

A lot of the time between sessions, as is true for many of us, was attending so many of the events that came across our calendars. It’s an absolute pleasure and somewhat of an education for me to attend the many arts and cultural events that I have the opportunity to.

I experienced several of the province’s provincial parks and heritage sites on a bit of a camping tour this August. I was able to meet with folks with the Saskatchewan Regional Parks Association, consult with folks in the arts sector, celebrated numerous sporting accomplishments of teams and individuals throughout Saskatchewan.

Which reminds me, in university football this Saturday in Saskatoon, the U of R [University of Regina] Rams will take on the U of S [University of Saskatchewan] Huskies in a playoff semifinal game. Go Rams.

Now on to my response to the Throne Speech from the government that was delivered last week.

Now, Mr. Speaker, I enjoy a good work of fiction as much as the next person. I love to curl up in front of our electric fireplace and get immersed by the fictional works of writers like John Grisham or Dan Brown. But sometimes works of fiction wander into the realm of fantasy like the works of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Or they veer off into the horror genre like Stephen King. Fiction, fantasy, and horror. That takes me back to the substance of the Throne Speech — fiction, fantasy, and horror.

Many of the claims the Sask Party government made on the Throne Speech and that the MLAs on that side have repeated were great works of fiction. These claims in the Throne Speech sounded downright Trumpian in nature with grandiose adjectives used like “biggest this,” “most this,” and “highest that.”

Well here are some of the things at the top of the list in this province the Sask Party government can take credit for. We’re number one in child poverty. Saskatchewan has the highest rate of child poverty in the country. Real day-to-day affordability measures must be introduced for families.

We are number one in surgical wait times. Saskatchewan has the longest average wait time for orthopedic surgeries in the country — 64 weeks. But health care recruitment and retention seems to be something that this government struggles with.

We’re number one in intimate partner violence. Saskatchewan has the highest incidents of intimate partner violence, but the Sask Party’s Bill 137 won’t allow third-party educators into the classrooms, those professionals that impart much-needed information to students about healthy relationships, sexual health, and sexual autonomy.

Saskatchewan is at the top of the list for percentage of rent increases — over the last three years about 26 per cent increase. Our NDP opposition has an easy fix for that — to introduce rent control, which the Sask Party government voted down in the last session.

Saskatchewan continues to be at the top of the list for highest crime rate and crime severity index in the nation; yet the government refuses to deliver measures to address the root causes of crime. More boots on the ground doesn’t address the causes of crime. It’s this government’s reaction to one of the highest crime rates in the nation. Adding officers is not a prevention or a solution; it’s a reaction to a problem.

One thing that we agree on in this side is that investment in this province is important and crucial for growth. But so is investment in the people of this province. Governing has to be more than just building things. Saskatchewan has the resources and investment to support business, support economic growth, and support the people of this province. With a rich province like Saskatchewan, there’s no reason we can’t do both.

But not just support some of the people, but rather support all the people of this province. That includes supporting some of the most vulnerable in the province. These people need support not just at tax time, but ongoing support and relief that they can count on day to day. But that wasn’t in the Throne Speech.

The NDP opposition introduced 24 bills last session only to be voted down and rejected by the Sask Party government. When we were elected as MLAs, we were elected by the people of our constituency, all of us, to represent them in this legislature. The MLAs on this side, the official opposition, represent roughly half the population of this province.

So each time the government voted down one of our bills to improve things in this province, to make life a little better for folks in the province, the Sask Party made the decision to ignore and neglect roughly half the people of Saskatchewan. There was a purposeful and intentioned decision by this government to ignore half the population of Saskatchewan.

On numerous occasions the NDP opposition brought forth the affordability measure of removing the gas tax to give the people of this province some much-needed relief at the pumps. When the government in Alberta decided to remove its gas tax, I thought for sure that our government would follow Alberta’s lead, which seems to be the practice.

No, it didn’t happen. Not sure why. Perhaps it was the fact that it was the opposition that was championing the cause, but for whatever reason, the Sask Party government has so far decided not to extend even a small token of relief to the people of Saskatchewan.

Our NDP opposition keeps pitching ideas that will make day-to-day life more affordable for people across the province. But we can’t do the government’s job for them — at least not for another two years.

The MLA for Weyburn-Bengough in his response to the Throne Speech spoke about the optimism in the province. I wonder if the MLA and the government thinks those who are victims of rising homelessness in the province are feeling optimistic.

[15:00]

Those people in the province with full-time jobs that have to rely on the food bank because they can’t afford to put food on the table, does the government think that they’re optimistic? People who are waiting hours or perhaps days in hospital waiting rooms or hallways for treatment, I doubt that they’re optimistic. The 60 per cent in this province that struggle to find a primary health care provider are not feeling very optimistic.

Now over the past year I spent some time talking and consulting with folks in the arts and heritage sectors of Saskatchewan, my shadow portfolio. Here’s a few observations I made coming out of the Throne Speech. The organizations in arts, culture, and cultural heritage sectors have to scratch and claw and almost beg for every bit of support they get from the government. And there is still a shortfall.

Cultural heritage and the arts support thousands of meaningful jobs, contribute tens of millions of dollars to their provincial economy, and help to create a prosperous Saskatchewan. Heritage and the arts are part of the day-to-day life of our communities. From the Roughriders to industrial heritage, historic main streets, local museums, art galleries, theatre companies — all help to strengthen a sense of identity and place. Heritage sites, galleries, arts and culture organizations across the board continue to face challenges that reflect the broader need for meaningful investment.

Fundamentally we cannot build a truly prosperous province if the government fails to invest in the things that make it worth living in. Yet the Throne Speech had no mention of the government’s vision or plans to enhance and support the arts community, culture, and heritage in this province.

In the last spring session the government introduced and passed Bill No. 38, The Building Schools Faster Act. On the Saskatchewan Party government’s own website it states that, “This legislation is designed to cut through the red tape that slows down school construction, so that new schools get built faster — for Saskatchewan kids and families who are counting on them.” This would be laughable, Mr. Speaker, if it wasn’t so sad.

I can tell you from all the people that I spoke to on the doorsteps over the past several months that the people and families from Wascana Plains, my constituency, are counting on the prospect of a new school. So are the people of Brighton and Saskatoon Willowgrove. Both are areas with quickly expanding residential development, new families moving in every day. But I can only speak for my constituency. You’ll have to get the details from Saskatoon Willowgrove’s MLA.

The government has repeatedly assured the families in east Regina of a joint-use elementary school and a high school. These plans have been indefinitely postponed because of the last bad-news budget from the Sask Party government.

The four elementary schools in Wascana Plains are exceedingly overcrowded. Families that have moved into homes right across the street from a school have to bus their kids to schools outside the community. Same goes for families in new residential areas. The Sask Party government continues to shortchange education and the families of this province. The lack of support for public education across this province has continued in the last ten years. Per-student funding by this government has decreased nearly $1,500. How’s that for strong and steady?

Seeing that I’m talking about the lack of support, let’s move on to health care. In their Throne Speech, the government announced it was the second anniversary of the urgent care centre in Regina. When the centre opened in July of 2024, the government said that initially it would provide care, urgent care, seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. It also indicated that by the fall of 2024, the urgent care centre would be seeing patients 24 hours a day. That didn’t happen.

Now government websites indicate that the urgent care centre in Regina will be open seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. And in brackets it says, “subject to occasional operational or staffing adjustments.” We know now that the urgent care centre in Regina has reduced hours on many weekends and sometimes has been closed entirely for the day. So I guess the message is if you need urgent care, just don’t need it on the weekends or after 4 p.m.

Retention and recruitment of health care professionals is a problem in the province. But don’t worry, says the Sask Party government. They have a new, improved patients-first health care plan. It makes me wonder who they were putting first the past 20 years. It definitely wasn’t the health care workers and as a result, it certainly isn’t the patients.

With the government’s health care plan, there are a few old adages that come to mind, like “what was old is now new,” or “same old, same old.” Or here’s a good one: “if at first you don’t succeed . . .” You guys know the rest. Yes, if at first you don’t succeed, yes. Just slap a shiny new cover on it and trot out the same old plan that hasn’t worked the previous four times.

What this government is doing in health care isn’t working. I’ve heard a description of insanity. It goes something like this: insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. I’m reminded of an infomercial from the ’90s I was telling folks about yesterday — infomercial from the ’90s — and the catchphrase was “stop the insanity.” So to the Sask Party government: what you’re doing in health care isn’t working. Stop the insanity.

So, Mr. Speaker, for the myriad of reasons I just put forth, I’ll be not supporting the government’s Throne Speech and I will be supporting the amendment put forth by the member from Saskatoon Fairview and seconded by the member from Regina Walsh Acres. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Humboldt-Watrous.

Racquel Hilbert: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank all the people in my constituency that worked to the best of their ability to make Saskatchewan the very best place to live. I am honoured to represent them at every table I’m at, and I never take that for granted.

What makes us strong and what makes us steady is finding those joint aspirations, those values, those core values which connect people far more than political divisions. It’s important that we focus on what unites us, not what divides us.

And what actually unites us? Common human needs. And every individual wants to feel valued, be heard, keep their family safe and healthy, and make their time and work matter. This stands true regardless of who they are and where they are from.

Shared social identities. Let me explain. This is the everyday roles like parents making sacrifices for their children, caregivers supporting aging relatives, volunteers improving the local spaces, friends helping neighbours. These shared identities create natural empathy and bonds that go across different backgrounds.

Core principles. It’s a unique concept and many times we look at public research, but it shows that most citizens value compromise, non-violent expression, and even when the public discourse feels sharply divided, people still prefer positivity, optimistic approaches, and that stands true on both sides of the House.

The concepts of community and service — local institutions and organizations, neighbourhood groups, volunteer networks — provide common ground where people can work together and share challenges. This service for others is what ties us together. Through hard work, family values, and volunteering, we are united. We have a collective vision: Saskatchewan is the best place to live in Canada. We have a vision and we have a drive to make Saskatchewan the best version that it can be. Our volunteers are pillars in our community and our constituency.

I’d like to thank all the volunteers that go to care homes, hospitals, faith groups, community groups, schools, and organizations. Humboldt and Watrous constituency is one of the best constituencies in Saskatchewan. I might be biased, but I doubt it.

Volunteers in communities help raise funds for the community projects, like rinks, to purchase additional long-term care equipment, equipment used in hospitals that help improve everyday outcomes. Some volunteer at the SPCA [Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals], and that’s to help our family members with paws. Some volunteer and seek work as first responders. Some join fire departments. These are the threads that hold community together. These contributions build community.

In this Throne Speech we introduced the mandatory testing and disclosures Act. It will help first responders or victims of crime who reasonably believe that they have come into contact or exposure for hepatitis or HIV [human immunodeficiency virus]. It can help have an avenue to apply for a mandatory testing of the source individual. Having this as an option may not change the circumstance, but it can improve the long-term individual outcomes as a result.

In the Throne Speech we heard about many initiatives. We’ve heard about food, fuel, and fertilizer — the three Fs — but there’s a fourth. It’s family. And that’s why we support major industries and mines, where people go to work every day to help keep the belt lines moving and the gas and the power and the water and the communication flowing, and keep the grain on the rail and the road. People of our province use highways as arteries for leisure, work, and sport. These arteries connect all of us.

Farmers and their families, their friends keep their communities together through hard work and dedicated to a lifestyle. Tradeswomen and tradesmen help to keep electricity on and machines running. We have people who fabricate metals, weld, make repairs. We have builders and we have innovators. All these individuals work collectively in one way or another to keep the lights on, our homes warm, and the water running.

What our constituency has in spades, I can say that other constituencies have as well. We have lifelong learners with lived experiences — teachers, nurses, social workers, doctors, dentists, physiotherapists, speech and language pathologists, and various places of faith, all of which help to keep the mind and body healthy. They help to keep Saskatchewan moving forward.

To support these industries that are vital to Saskatchewan prosperity we have a vast service industry, which includes health care, education, faith, entertainment, and even sanitation. Without healthy families, we can’t have a resilient province. Without education, we can’t have skills and trades to complete the necessary work. We wouldn’t be known as one of the most innovative provinces in Canada.

Horizon Fertilizers, Co-op, Masterfeeds located in the Humboldt and surrounding area serves our agriculture sector. Bourgault Tillage Tools, located in St. Brieux, invested in a new office and a shop location. We have a new rural steak house in Liberty called Raymond’s Prairie Inn. Raymond has a vision. He has a dream, and he is building it.

The Riverbend Co-op facility in Simpson has a new card lock that accepts late-night Mastercard and Visa transactions, which is great on Highway 2 for those Highway 2 travellers. It’s one of the longest highways we have in our province. It’s over 800 kilometres.

Central Saskatchewan Co-op, formerly the Humboldt Co-op fertilizer division, has expanded. It has a 6000‑tonne storage facility. Co-op has also expanded into alcohol, spirits, fuel, and grocery at the store location in Humboldt.

Canadian Tire is doubling their store footprint and putting in a permanent garden centre. Vonda has a Co-op selling hardware. It’s a new Co-op, and it’s selling hardware, groceries, petroleum, and liquor. Drake Meats is investing in a new interprovincial processing plant in Saskatoon, and that is set to open in December of 2026.

[15:15]

Owners of the Shilo restaurant in Allan have moved from Alberta, and they opened the restaurant serving the heart of our constituency. In Young, Saskatchewan we have a unique hospitality venue called Le Vignoble de l’École. In Saskatchewan it’s the only active vineyard and winemaking bed and breakfast, and it’s worth checking out. The Manitou spa at Manitou Beach has completed an extensive renovation.

One of the most touching moments I had is when I hosted a community event and I met a boy who was so proud. He was proud to be part of his school crosswalk team. He took his responsibilities to heart, and he was playing a very valuable role to get other students to school safely. His parents are raising a fine young man.

We have a new grocery store in Watrous called the Watrous Main St. Market. It’s a local small-town family-run grocery store known for fresh, high-quality foods at a good value. Young entrepreneurs like Sydney and Corbi, they have started new massage therapy businesses in the Humboldt area.

And with ten active potash mines operating in Saskatchewan, Humboldt and Watrous is home to four. And a fifth is just outside our boundary line. For those looking to purchase affordable, reliable, ethically produced potash, Saskatchewan is really the only choice. Our farming, mining, oil and gas, nuclear, health care, and other sciences have benefitted from a vast array of skills and perspectives from around the world. Saskatchewan has the highest grade, most sustainable and ethically produced uranium in the world. More than 35 countries are looking at nuclear. Saskatchewan has what other countries need.

The Throne Speech highlights resilient provincial initiatives. It also supports an equally great community of compassion. In this fast-paced growing economy, there are individuals that can get outpaced in economy and society, and it’s up to us to listen and learn where those supports are needed. The Throne Speech has committed to 500 new additional spaces, treatment spaces, by March of 2027. By taking people and by talking to people who are receiving care, listening to their struggles as if they are our own, we can help meet them where they’re at.

As a province we’re looking to fill jobs of tomorrow with students of today. An education is one of the key pillars of a resilient province. This province has produced one of the greatest honed workforces across Canada. And in the ’90s and early 2000s our skills and dedication did a great job of helping to build other provinces and industries in other nations, because we didn’t have a place for them here.

The team at Carlton Trail provides career training at regional offices, like in Humboldt, Wynyard, Watrous, and Punnichy. And they work diligently to bring new curriculum to the forefront.

Sagehill in Bruno helps entrepreneurs to start and grow small businesses since 1985. The Sagehill Community Futures Development Corp. helps rural entrepreneurs and business owners in Saskatchewan achieve their dreams by providing loans, advice, training, and supports.

They help individuals at the very start of their journey to develop business plans, financial projections, register a business, apply for business loans, and get the training that they need to hit the ground running. They help small-business owners with managing human resources, bookkeeping, and implementing market strategies, as well as expanding their market reach by the using of the social media platforms effectively.

We have a strong Humboldt & District Chamber of Commerce. They connect businesses and entrepreneurs from around the area, and they host regular events and gatherings. It’s important to keep the people we educate here, so that they’re an important part of our economy. By educating and hiring our children, whether they are newcomers, first-generation Canadians, multi-generation Canadians, we offer our children a future with services and stability so they can remain part of the community.

Saskatchewan has a long history of bringing people and families to this vast province, and through collective values and the belief that we build a brighter future for the families that arrive here as well as the ones yet to be born. The province is dedicated to the environment, which is a dedication to families of the future. Healthy families are important for a healthy province.

Our Throne Speech, we have initiatives to remove illicit drugs from the streets and crack down on the drug supply chain to help every resident of Saskatchewan and free those from the grip, the grip of drug pushers and gangs that affects all of us in some way; safer communities to help clean up neighbourhoods that harbour and propagate illegal behaviour, with more policing and with the marshals to take the high-risk offenders off the streets. The Throne Speech refers to SCAN [safer communities and neighbourhoods] and safety officers to aid, to remove properties where illicit drug businesses occur, reducing the footprint of gangs and criminals. Therefore less drugs, less crime.

Reduce the abuse and work to stop human trafficking. The Marshals Service engages in arrests, which allows policing to do important front-line work to keep our communities safe. These initiatives have already begun bearing fruit, with multi-millions of dollars worth of drug seizures.

The number of communities across Saskatchewan received the small-town and rural policing service grant program . . . did include the Humboldt and Watrous constituency. The rural municipality of Corman Park received 11 of these grants. This grant helps to ensure additional police services in Saskatchewan have financial support by the provincial government.

This summer highway construction began on the twinning of Highway 5 just past the city limits and going about 10 kilometres east on Highway 5. This takes you to about the Sunset Estates within my constituency.

While meeting with people this summer, many would like to remember some of those old days where things were a little bit simpler. We used to play hide-and-go-seek as kids, and we’d play all the way till the street lights came on. And sometimes we’d even leave our bikes out right on the driveway, and they’d still be there in the morning. I can’t guarantee Dad didn’t run them over and they wouldn’t have a bent tire. That can happen.

The community officers do work to keep tools of crime off our streets and provide a watchful eye and presence against criminal enterprise within our neighbourhoods.

We have a recruitment and retention plan to improve access to health care training locally and close to home. The graduate retention program has increased the maximum benefit to $24,000. Since the program began, it has provided more than 925 million in tax credits to 93,500 students. St. Pete’s college offers a four-year nursing program to jump-start a lifelong rewarding career in health care. Learning close to home equals working close to home equals staying close to home.

This is a positive impact for Humboldt, Watrous, Lanigan, and even Nokomis. Our hospitals, long-term care facilities, and clinics have the opportunity for students to gain skills and complete work practicums. We are boosting seats in fields like speech and language pathology, occupational therapy, and introducing a new respiratory therapy program. The province is also increasing the nurse practitioner opportunities as well as increasing primary care contracts.

Humboldt and Watrous is dynamic. There are so many things to talk about that there really isn’t enough time. The investments by the province help constituencies like ours. For these reasons I support the Speech from the Throne put forward by the member of White City-Qu’Appelle and seconded by the member of Last Mountain-Touchwood. I will not be supporting the amendment put forward by the opposition. Thank you.

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

Jacqueline Roy: — Merci, monsieur le Président. [Translation: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.]

I’d like to start of course by thanking the wonderful people who elected me, the reason I’m here today. It’s an honour. It’s the honour of my lifetime to be able to serve, Mr. Speaker, and I certainly hope that all members in this House take the time to visit my riding when they’re out and about in Regina because it is a wonderful place.

It’s a wonderful place with wonderful walking paths. It’s not just out here at the legislature that those paths are, Mr. Deputy Speaker. It’s all around Regina, especially in my riding. We have some epic restaurants. We have some wonderful local Christmas shops. And now I know the member from Regina Wascana Plains thinks that just because he has the only Crumbl cookies in town, that on his side of the highway it’s better over there. But in fact, Mr. Deputy Speaker, we have a lot of great things on this side.

And one of them is of course community collaboration and community spirit. The Dewdney East Community Association has done so many great things. They have a wonderful, wonderful pre-kindergarten space there, and they have very affordable options when it comes to getting kids active, engaged, and involved.

And when it comes to seniors, getting them active as well, or getting them manifesting their cultural identity through various crafts and other things.

We also have wonderful, wonderful school community councils that are doing the very best that they can, Mr. Deputy Speaker. All six of them with limited resources, but boy do they have heart.

And so moving on, of course, a few other people to thank before I get into the actual Throne Speech, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Of course my loving husband at home that when the House is sitting certainly does his fair share of housework and things around the house, Mr. Speaker, if not quite a variety more indeed. Of course I’m always grateful for his presence in my life.

Aussi à mon père, qui est magnifique, et j’espère qu’il écoute à la maison aujourd’hui. Il m’encourage et depuis l’enfance il est mon numéro un cheerleader. Il est le numéro un cheerleader de sa fille.

[Translation: Also to my father, who is wonderful, and I hope he’s watching at home today. He encourages me and has been my number one cheerleader since childhood. He’s his daughter’s number one cheerleader.]

To Alex Lipp, my constituency assistant, who does such a phenomenal job, Mr. Deputy Speaker. And it’s not that easy. You have Regina Northeast as a riding, and then you have three shadow ministry portfolios, which are quite separate one from the other. You know, you have francophone affairs, Status of Women, and then you have health care that you’re dealing with as well, women’s health care. And she does a great job of balancing those things with care and with empathy and with a lot of courage, I might add, as well.

Same thing, a huge shout-out to our casual CAs [constituency assistant], our part-time CAs, to Justin who has just come on board to help a bit — thank you.

Now looking at the Throne Speech itself, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I guess I spend a lot of my time . . . My favourite part of this job is going door to door to door in the riding. And the number one thing, the number one thing that is coming up right now is affordability concerns, Mr. Deputy Speaker, affordability concerns.

And those span the entire spectrum, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Yes, I have people in my riding that don’t have very much. But I also have people that have quite a bit that are extremely concerned that they can’t save for their retirement or that their kids can’t leave their house because they can’t afford groceries. They can’t afford rent. They can’t afford to pay the bills.

Now we’ve put forward so many propositional elements here on the opposition. And you just have to look, Mr. Deputy Speaker, to the speech that the member from Saskatoon Fairview gave. I’m not going to go over that again, but she did this epic job of going through every single private member’s bill in order that we submitted. So I thank her for that because I can cross that off the list.

[15:30]

But on the other side, I think they’re not hearing the reality of what $100, $200 a month of not having those taxes on groceries, those taxes on gas could actually do, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, for some of the people in my riding, that is the difference as to whether or not they can put dinner on the table. Five bucks a day to them is not just extra cash that we just throw away. That’s the difference between buying a rotisserie chicken — I know the Premier hates those — but that is the difference there, Mr. Deputy Speaker, between having quality food and not.

Now, Mr. Speaker, I know there’s been a lot of talk about, you know, doom and gloom versus sunshine, and I know the Minister of Social Services did spend quite a bit of time last night talking about other people’s, other members’ responses to the Throne Speech. And I do want to dignify that with a response on our side here.

So the Minister of Social Services said, and I quote, “The biggest assets one can possess is the ability to remain calm, collected, and set aside the emotional knee-jerk reactions that we’ve seen so many times, especially from this opposition.” He went on to say, “There’s never been a better time to live in this province,” Mr. Speaker.

Now I said those two things with a great deal of calm and composure, Mr. Deputy Speaker, but in fact there was a lot of disdain during that remark yesterday. It seemed quite condescending to me, the way it was phrased.

But to be frank, Mr. Speaker, while the Throne Speech was going on, several people were being displaced because the Minister of Social Services is not putting in place a program that many landlords in my riding would love to see, that many businesses would love to see, I might add, because they are sick and tired of homelessness affecting their bottom line, but they’re also sick and tired of viewing their friends and their neighbours hurt and not part of the economy as well.

So if landlords are telling you to restore SIS [Saskatchewan income support] and SAID payments directly, if the business community is, if community organizations are, and if people themselves are saying it, Mr. Deputy Speaker, I don’t understand.

My struggle, Mr. Deputy Speaker, is why is the Minister of Social Services still doing this? Why did he yesterday say things are sunny here in Saskatchewan? Why did he say there’s never a better time to live? And, Mr. Deputy Speaker, when somebody says that I should remain calm and collected and shouldn’t have an emotional knee-jerk reaction, you know, things that are often levelled at governments that traditionally do have a lot of women on them, that frustrates me.

That frustrates me, Mr. Speaker, because the day that I become silent about things that matter, the day that I start lacking empathy, that I stop getting angry because of what people are experiencing, because of social inequity, the day that I stop caring, the day that I stop having the courage to speak up because the emotions matter to me just as much as the economy — and those two things are not mutually exclusive, Mr. Deputy Speaker — well that’s the day that I hope that the electorate makes me resign.

So moving on. Sorry, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I guess that wasn’t very calm and collected. I hope nobody’s offended.

But when it comes to schools, Mr. Deputy Speaker, a lot of the schools in my riding, a lot of those classrooms are in 6-by-8-metre-square spaces. A lot of those schools are at 160 per cent, 170 per cent capacity. You know, Regina east has been waiting, as the member from Regina Wascana Plains so eloquently pointed out, for years and years and years for those promised high schools and extra elementary space for that capacity.

If the government can all of a sudden, within two weeks, magically sanction 500 football fields’ worth of space for an AI data centre, Mr. Speaker . . . And that enrages a number of people when I talk to them on the doorstep because just a kilometre away is the area where they said that they would build the schools, Mr. Deputy Speaker.

I do have a question for the government. It is one that is, you know, math related. I know they think we’re not great at math, so maybe they could answer for me. How many 6-by-8-metre-square portables can you fit into 500 football fields? And then can you take that and please add those classrooms on because we desperately, desperately need them.

The member from Saskatoon Meewasin eloquently pointed out yesterday, Mr. Deputy Speaker, that these are policy choices. These are policy choices that the government is making. These are not just things where they have no control.

When it comes to health care, Mr. Deputy Speaker, a lot has been said in various Throne Speech remarks, but nothing can say the situation more clearly than 99 per cent of people voting for a strike, Mr. Deputy Speaker.

Now I’ve had the privilege of working 12 or 13 years with a professional association of helping people come together collaboratively and sometimes being in an atmosphere where we need to think about things like a strike. Do you know how hard it is to get 99 out of 100 people to agree, taking into account rural and urban, to agree to strike? That is practically, practically unheard of. If 99 out of 100 people are telling you that things are wrong, that scares me. Another emotion, Mr. Speaker. I’m sorry about that. It scares me because I know that something is in fact wrong. And what’s wrong, Mr. Deputy Speaker, is that the government keeps picking statistics and keeps on talking about how ambitious their health care plan is. The most ambitious indeed.

But picking specific statistics which don’t tell the whole story, Mr. Deputy Speaker, is not what the people of this province want. They want ethics; they want transparency, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Just here today in the House, we had the Minister of Health, in response to somebody who had the bravery and courage to show up and talk about mammograms, say that it’s a one- to two-week wait. He had just checked for mammograms.

Well, Mr. Deputy Speaker, unless every single woman who has contacted my office — which is quite a few, day after day after day — is either not telling me the truth or I’m not sure what’s going on here. Something’s not adding up. And once again I’m sorry. On this side of the House apparently we don’t know how to do math. Well it just occurred to me, Mr. Speaker, apparently the one- to two-weeks wait is the wait for the initial phone call.

Now, Mr. Deputy Speaker, when I am asking the Minister of Health how long does it take to get a mammogram and he is citing how long it takes to get a phone call, that is not being transparent to the women of this province about their health care needs. That is not the transparency that we are asking for, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Unfortunately I could give a whole hour’s speech around women’s health, but I will just cite two more examples.

When it comes to Pap tests, other provinces have had in place at-home Pap tests for very long time, for years in fact. And we know that they’re more accurate. We know that they are good for people who have also been in situations where they are uncomfortable, who have faced abuse. And we know that they’re actually cheap and effective solutions. That government made a promise, a promise during their campaign that they would have these things in place.

But somehow the tender went out for these Pap tests and it was ultra specific — very, very specific as to, you know, what a company would need to have these contracts for these Pap tests, Mr. Deputy Speaker. And unfortunately, during that time our cervical cancer rates still continue to be the worst in all the country.

So what did the government do less than 1.5 kilometres from here, Mr. Deputy Speaker? The government cut essential services where women were getting their Pap tests done. In essence, Mr. Speaker, not only did the government promise a solution to cervical cancer — they promised that when they took office; they said that they’d get that in place right away — they actually have done the opposite. They have reduced access, and they knowingly — they knowingly— shut down programs that provided those services. We have the worst cervical cancer rates in the country. None of this makes sense to me, Mr. Speaker.

None of it makes sense to me that I don’t even hear back in letter form anymore from the Ministry of Health, from the Health minister, which I thought was sort of a duty and obligation of the government. When I asked and inquired about problems, and I asked and inquired about women that were having problems when it came to giving birth, that were afraid, that were facing situations that might put their lives at risk, or that of their baby’s, I provided possible solutions to this. I didn’t hear back.

I asked them about whether or not they had considered, you know, getting rid of this concept of identifying deaths from pregnancy as natural deaths on the coroner’s certificate, which is an outdated practice. Other provinces have not been doing it for a long time. I have not heard back. That is not what grieving families want to hear.

I’m going to have to stop, Mr. Speaker, talking about women’s health because I don’t want the Deputy Whip here to yank my time. But I will point out that the government should really cease saying how many new health care workers they have and how many new tests they have without giving the net number that we are waiting for without saying the net loss of health care workers, because it’s not working with the public.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, somebody told me that women’s health will be this generation’s great women’s equality battle. And I had so many other things that I would love to talk to when it comes to women’s rights and the status of women. Unfortunately I won’t get to all of them. But I guess it’s starting to make sense, isn’t it, when they say that health care will be the main battle of this generation. It was voting rights previously. It was being identified as a person previous to that.

Now today at the end of the speech though, I will be handing over to the Health minister and to the previous Health minister and to the Premier letters — 21 of them to be specific — on behalf of SEIU-West [Service Employees International Union-West] outlining specific concerns that people have with the state of the health care system. Because if my word isn’t good enough, Mr. Deputy Speaker, perhaps hearing directly from people; if 1,000 people on the steps wasn’t good enough, Mr. Deputy Speaker, now they have it in writing.

Francophone affairs — les affaires francophones. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Bill 607 is now gone. That bill was meant to be tame. In fact Zoé from our caucus office sort of reined me in. I didn’t even think some things were very contentious, but she had me take out five or six elements that she thought the government might misperceive as somehow being a getcha. This wasn’t meant — this absolutely wasn’t meant — to create division. Believe me, Mr. Deputy Speaker, it is in my own best interest, that of my family and that of my friends, that this legislation actually passes.

These people are 20 per cent of everyone’s riding, Mr. Deputy Speaker. But because we have the highest — the highest — assimilation rate out of anywhere in Canada, out of anywhere in Canada, those people are often hidden. Urban and rural, it affects everybody — some very strong community leaders, I might add.

Now the Minister for SaskBuilds had a lot to say yesterday about francophone schools. And he said that perhaps on this side of the House, we just don’t understand the math; we just don’t understand the logic behind how things are built; we perhaps don’t understand, you know, our portfolios. Well, Mr. Deputy Speaker, perhaps he doesn’t understand how many times in a row the Sask Party government has been dragged to court over francophone schools.

So perhaps, Mr. Deputy Speaker, if the Minister for SaskBuilds wants to preach about those things, he should actually look up the previous track record of his government. He should actually look up that those schools are six years late. He should actually look up that that, out of all the school divisions in Saskatchewan, is the worst funded.

Mais monsieur le Vice-président, je ne peux pas continuer à faire ceci toute seule et avec les membres de mon côté. J’essaie de faire ce que je peux pour la communauté fransaskoise. Et la seule raison que je me suis exprimée en français aujourd’hui c’est que je veux de la bonne volonté avec l’autre côté — que je me suis exprimée en anglais, pardon — pour qu’ils comprennent.

[Translation: But Mr. Deputy Speaker, I cannot continue to do this all alone and with the members from my side. I try to do what I can for the Fransaskois community. And the only reason that I have expressed myself in French today is that I want goodwill from the other side — excuse me, that I have expressed myself in English — so that they will understand.]

[15:45]

Thank you. I see the minister laughing and saying it’s hard to understand on the other side. Sorry, that’s quite offensive. He’s lifting up his hands. Okay. Je vais continuer d’abord. [Translation: I’m going to continue then.] I am still going to continue speaking in French despite that.

Alors j’ai avec moi ce que je veux donner à chaque membre du gouvernement à ce moment-ci. Et ça c’est le projet de loi C‑13 du gouvernement, sanctionné le 20 juin 2023.]

[Translation: So I have with me something I want to give to each government member right now. And that is the government’s Bill C‑13, passed on June 20th, 2023.]

So don’t worry, Mr. Speaker. This is not, you know, the rest of my speech that I have to go through today. I promise if we’re here all night, it won’t be because of me.

But what this is is a copy. This is a copy for every member on the government side, of Bill C‑13. Because like I said in French, I can’t continue to do this fight alone. And there are at least eight ministries, at least eight ministries that are responsible for making sure that Bill C‑13 works in Saskatchewan: SaskBuilds, Post-Secondary Education, Education, health care, Immigration, francophone affairs of course. And the list goes on, Mr. Deputy Speaker.

I can’t continue to do this alone, and in all good conscience, I need to make sure that the members opposite, that they have this material and so that they do understand. And so I will be tabling these at the end of my speech.

When it comes to the economy, Mr. Deputy Speaker, we’ve heard that people never had it so good. Child poverty. We’ve heard that people never had it so good, but yet the government is picking and choosing stats about the economy, about job growth to make sure that that rosy picture remains. Well, Mr. Speaker, when that Premier took office it was $500 million that we were paying on our debt. Now that’s ballooned to 1.2 billion. I wonder how many children we could feed with that money.

So with that, Mr. Speaker, I’ll say that the government’s Throne Speech doesn’t have courage. It doesn’t have conviction. It’s not strong; it’s not steady. Workers are like, it’s like two ships passing in the night when we speak to that government. Business owners are starting to feel the same way. If anything, that government is lost.

And I think that sometimes when they talk about us and us feeling emotional, maybe it’s because they don’t have the courage themselves to actually feel. Because if they did feel, maybe it would be too painful to see what is going on in the province.

Now, Mr. Speaker, I was just informed that for the AI data centre 29,323 portables could occupy that space. Thank you. Thank you for that from my colleagues.

So, Mr. Speaker, I am begging those on the government side that have the courage to speak up about francophone rights — that have the courage to speak up and ask the government to work collaboratively when it comes to domestic violence; and when it comes to those supports, that have the courage to speak up and to say, it’s okay to feel something; it’s okay to have empathy; it’s okay to have courage — I ask them to please talk to their colleagues. Talk to your colleagues and make sure that some of this gets done in the best interests of everybody.

So, Mr. Speaker, I think it’s pretty clear, but I will not be supporting the Throne Speech. I will indeed be supporting what was put forward by the member from Saskatoon Fairview and seconded by the member of Regina Walsh Acres. Merci. [Translation: Thank you.]

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

Megan Patterson: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is an honour to rise today in response to the Speech from the Throne, and to continue to represent the people of Moose Jaw Wakamow.

The theme of this year’s Throne Speech is “Strong. Steady. Saskatchewan.” This means that we will work hard to continue to ensure that Saskatchewan continues to be one of the best places to live, work, and raise a family.

Saskatchewan is a province of builders. We build businesses, communities, families, and futures. And I believe the government’s role is to be the architect of opportunities, to establish a vision, develop its blueprint and lay a strong foundation, and to create that framework that allows people to succeed.

But government does not build Saskatchewan alone. It is the people of the province who bring that blueprint to life. Ultimately the measure of our success is not simply what government accomplishes, but what Saskatchewan people are empowered to accomplish.

Mr. Speaker, I want to share a part of a story that has shaped my understanding of the importance of attitude, support, and opportunity and ultimately influenced my decision to choose public service.

Many years ago, a young woman was attending university, pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce. She loved university. She was thriving there, meeting new people, involved in student government, and learning about all aspects of business. Her plans were to follow in her father’s footsteps as a lawyer. But one morning she unexpectedly enrolled in another course — one with no textbooks, no syllabus, and no exam she could prepare for. It was called life 500.

When she stopped at a highway turnoff between Weyburn and Moose Jaw, she was rear-ended at an angle by a truck. Her head went through the driver’s side window, and she spent the next two weeks unconscious. When she woke up, she couldn’t move the right side of her body. She couldn’t speak or see properly. Everything was double, and one image crossed over the other one. She had suffered a traumatic brain injury. There was bleeding in her brain and cranial nerve damage that affected her vision. Her life would never be the same.

The things that she used to take for granted — walking, talking, seeing — all now required therapy, specialist rehabilitation, and surgery. There were hard days and lots of tears, but she stayed positive and focused on gratitude. She was grateful to be alive. She was grateful that her situation wasn’t worse because things can always be worse. She was determined to return to university because that’s where her life was. She returned to more classes with Scotch tape covering one eye to manage her double vision, and audited classes.

A little over a year later, she had life-changing eye surgery. They restored single vision in a manageable field of her vision. Despite her challenges and a year gone by, she completed the final two years of her commerce degree in three. She graduated in 2000 as the valedictorian and received an award from the university president for overcoming adversity to graduate. Mr. Speaker, she learned lessons that no university textbook could teach her: lessons about the power of gratitude, positive thinking, resilience, and the extraordinary capacity of the human body and spirit to overcome challenges.

But life 500 was far from over. When she graduated, Saskatchewan was a different place. The opposition were in power. Opportunities for business graduates in the province were limited. Almost everyone she knew and graduated with left the province, many heading to Alberta or Ontario, not because they didn’t love Saskatchewan but because they wanted opportunities to build their careers and futures.

She accepted a position at Procter & Gamble in Toronto. Moving away from her family and support systems was challenging, as was beginning a demanding and competitive full-time job following a traumatic brain injury. And she was really struggling with her breathing. Four and a half years after her accident, she discovered that scar tissue had left her with less than 10 per cent of her airway. She required an emergency tracheostomy.

Once again her life changed dramatically. She will never forget the day she woke up with a finger over her tracheostomy and said something. Her voice was so much stronger and so much more clear. It was literally a miracle. But it did require years of adapting to a new way of breathing and speaking.

Returning to work wasn’t easy. Procter & Gamble had hired her as an account executive. While she adapted to her tracheostomy, the company accommodated her recovery by moving her into internal roles. She spent time as a category analyst but realized that working with thousands of lines of data wasn’t ideal for someone who still struggled with double vision when they looked down.

She had difficult conversations with her employer about her injury, her limitations, and the accommodations she needed. It wasn’t easy, but once her employer understood her challenges, they focused on her strengths. She then worked as the Canadian planning and operations manager, and eventually with more time and stability with her equipment and breathing, she moved back into an account executive role. She went on to manage Procter & Gamble’s business with Home Depot and Canadian Tire. She led a reinvention with Home Depot, expanding into new categories including Tide, Gain, Bounce, and Charmin. And the work earned her a top performer award.

Mr. Speaker, that is what supportive employment for persons with disabilities looks like. It’s about recognizing strengths and abilities, identifying barriers, and providing opportunities for people to succeed. She will always be grateful to Procter & Gamble for this experience. And, Mr. Speaker, I still buy Tide.

Despite her successful career in Toronto, it just didn’t feel right. When Brad Wall became premier, he travelled to Toronto hosting events encouraging Saskatchewan alumni who had left the province to consider coming back. He spoke about the beauty of our province, the quality of life it offers. He talked about investments starting to flow back into the province and career opportunities.

Mr. Speaker, that young woman was me, and I did move back to Saskatchewan. And I share these experiences for a reason. I’ve been incredibly blessed. I’ve quite literally been given a second life, and that has given me unique perspective. I know that things can change in an instant. I don’t take seeing for granted. I don’t take walking for granted. I don’t take speaking for granted. And I certainly don’t take breathing for granted.

Every day I’m thankful for my life. I’m thankful for the EMTs [emergency medical technician], the doctors, and the nurses who saved my life, and therapists who helped me to recover, and the teachers and professionals and professors who helped me continue my education. For my family and my friends and an employer who recognized my potential.

I believe the greatest value in the challenges that I have faced is being able to use what I’ve learned to help others. If sharing my story helps even one person believe in themselves or find the courage to ask for help or believe that more is possible, then my experience can serve as a greater purpose.

I want to motivate, enable, and inspire people to achieve their goals and reach their potential. Because I know what is possible when determination meets support and opportunity. And that is what public service means to me.

Mr. Speaker, that brings me back to the Speech from the Throne. Our government has established a blueprint for attracting investment and creating economic opportunities. The Throne Speech identifies more than 60 major projects valued at over $100 billion. These investments in mining, energy, agriculture, technology, and infrastructure, they represent opportunities to create good jobs, strengthen communities, and build a prosperous province.

And these investments matter because they allow people to support their families, purchase homes, and build futures. They create opportunities for local businesses, contractors, suppliers, and entrepreneurs. And economic activity generates taxes, royalties, and other revenues that help us invest in the services that the people of Saskatchewan rely on.

Economic growth is not the end goal. It is the means by which we fund the services to provide the people of the province so that we can all take advantage of the opportunities. It allows us to invest in health care so people can receive treatment and rehabilitation, in education so students can develop knowledge and skills, in disability supports so people can overcome barriers, and in mental health and addictions treatment and community services to help people through life’s greatest challenges.

[16:00]

Mr. Speaker, I know the value of these services because I’ve relied on many of them myself. And I understand the importance of creating economic conditions that allow us to sustain and improve them for future generations.

My experience taught me that health care is simply not another government service. It is a foundation which people build their lives upon. When I woke up from my accident unable to speak, see, move the right side of my body, my future depended on a health care professional. Years later when I required a tracheostomy, health care once again changed the course of my life.

The Throne Speech continues to call out continued investments in health care, in recruitment, in training, and the patients-first health care plan. I am proud of the patients-first health care plan and the 50 innovative actions that we are taking to help ensure patients get the right care at the right time in the right place. These initiatives are important because they give timely access to quality health care. And health care can literally determine whether someone returns to work, remains independent, or participates fully in their family and community.

Mr. Speaker, the same principles apply to mental health and addictions. The Throne Speech outlines additional addictions treatment capacity and measures to strengthen community safety. We are building safer communities and pathways towards stability, recovery, and hope.

Mr. Speaker, while government creates the framework for widespread opportunity, it is the communities that give Saskatchewan its strength. And I see that every day in Moose Jaw Wakamow. I’ve attended the Made Here, Growing Here event celebrating the local producers and entrepreneurs. I’ve toured GATX and Donald’s Fine Foods facilities, and I am grateful for their continued investment in Moose Jaw.

I attended the Sukanen pioneer ship village thrashing bee and Wakamow Valley’s 45th anniversary. I’ve attended the Fall Fest at Inclusion Moose Jaw; All Amped Up, supporting Moose Jaw family services; and events supporting the Moose Jaw Health Foundation, Hope Ministries, and Saskatchewan’s spinal cord injury association. And I was honoured to witness the Snowbirds celebrate their 55th anniversary with the final performance of the iconic Tutor.

These events represent people who give their time, share their talent, and care about others. They are Saskatchewan’s builders. They remind us that our province is not measured only by economic indicators, but by the strength of our communities.

Mr. Speaker, I want to speak directly to Saskatchewan people who may be facing challenges today. Your current circumstances do not define your future. I learned that progress begins with accepting your circumstances, being realistic, accepting the challenges you face, and identifying what you need to succeed. Sometimes that means asking for help. Sometimes it means accepting that what you do needs to be different than you expected. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness. There are people who care about you and want to help you succeed.

It is our responsibility as legislators to ensure that the services people need and the opportunities that they desire are available here in Saskatchewan. Mr. Speaker, when I reflect on my journey, I think about life 500. I’ve been given a second life, and I believe that comes with a responsibility to make it count. And that’s why I serve.

The Throne Speech speaks of a strong and steady Saskatchewan. To me that means a Saskatchewan with a strong economy, strong services, and strong communities; a province where young people can build careers and raise families close to home, where those facing challenges can access the supports they need, and where everyone has the opportunity to contribute.

Our government’s responsibility is to establish the vision, lay the foundation, create the blueprint for opportunity. But Saskatchewan people are the builders. And when we create the conditions for people to succeed, we build more than an economy. We build independence, confidence, resilience, and hope. Because the greatest measure of success isn’t simply what we build as a government; it is what the people of the province are empowered to build for themselves.

And that is my vision of a strong and steady Saskatchewan. And that is why I am proud to support the Speech from the Throne moved by the member from White City-Qu’Appelle, seconded by the member from Last Mountain-Touchwood.

Today is a great day to be alive. Today is a great day to live in strong, steady Saskatchewan. Thank you.

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

Matt Love: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s an honour to rise here and respond to the Speech from the Throne. And before I get to some comments that will largely focus on education in Saskatchewan, I’ll take time, as many of us do, to say some thank yous and share some gratitude with the people of Saskatchewan and primarily the good people of Eastview, Mr. Speaker, who have given me this honour of representing them here in their Assembly and just continue to amaze me.

You know, I think, like a lot of my colleagues here on this side and likely some on the other side, I spent a lot of time, during the warm weather months that we’re slowly leaving behind, to get out on the doorstep and meet with constituents. And you know, I’m always amazed at what people will share with me — and with any of us, I think — when we approach those conversations in a good way and in a way where we really want to hear from the people about what’s going well and also what isn’t.

That doesn’t make us negative, Mr. Speaker. It means that we care. It means that we want to listen to the people of this province. And they have concerns. They have challenges. They have things that they want us to know as their representatives. And then it’s on us to talk about those and to represent those concerns too.

And you know, people in Eastview, one of the things that I had a really good response I want to share with this Assembly, was a petition that we have to support health care workers. I want to thank every one of my constituents who signed that petition. And, Mr. Speaker, I think every person I shared that with took that petition and signed it with pride because our health care workers deserve our support. I’m very proud to work on a team that has brought forward that petition to support those front-line health care workers day in and day out.

Mr. Speaker, I also enjoyed meeting with constituents and residents, citizens in Saskatoon, at a number of events, things like the Eastview community barbecue, the Adelaide-Churchill family fun day. We had an ice cream social that was wildly popular. Hundreds of people showed up in a long line; people waiting to meet with us, in particular talk to our leader. And our MLA barbecue in Brighton this September, back-to-school barbecue that we had about a thousand people to. It was fantastic. And I really want to thank everyone who came out to meet with us at those events.

I also want to take a minute to thank our caucus staff, who work here out of this building, and some caucus staff in Saskatoon, as well as my CAs that work with me out of the Eastview office on Taylor Street in Saskatoon. Very happy to welcome back Katie Edwards who came back after an 18‑month mat leave. And she is just such a talented individual. I’m so fortunate to get to work with her day in and day out, having her back in the office serving the people of Saskatoon Eastview. You know, I’m always really proud of the work that we do in my office. Couldn’t do it without Katie. She is really a unique individual.

As well I had Sebastian who worked in my office covering most of Katie’s mat leave throughout the last year. And he’s now filling another mat leave within our operation here in caucus. And just a talented young man, a very proud Ukrainian, a dancer and a coach, and a real community leader in Saskatoon. And very thankful for our time working together.

I’ve also recently welcomed to the Eastview team Margaret and Owen, who are doing some casual work in my office, a little bit of outreach, little bit of casework. And I want to thank them for their service to the people of Eastview.

And of course there’s family, Mr. Speaker. You know, sometimes — I think I’ve shared this in here — sometimes I almost feel like I’m the guy who loves to talk about his family. And that’s not an apology. It’s maybe just who I am. And so to Emma, Etta, Tom, and Myles back home, you know, we had a great summer together. We didn’t really leave the province too much. A little bit.

Myles, nine years old, he learned how to ride a bike this summer. Maybe a little bit old to learn how to ride a bike. He didn’t have interest. We got on our bikes together this summer and built some great memories.

Tom, just you know, he’s a young man. He’s 13. Yeah, he’s taller than me. We enjoy a lot of things together. I’ll take a moment to thank him for a great football season. I had the honour of coaching him on most days I could be there. We did lose in the playoffs on Sunday afternoon by one point. It was a heartbreak. But I’ll take this opportunity to give a big shout-out to the Steelers, our opponents, who are going on to the final. And I wish them well. Great opponents, great team. And I wish them luck next week against the Titans.

And then my daughter Etta, who’s in China right now, she’s at world championships representing our country in the sport of Olympic weightlifting. And I want to, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the minister opposite, the Minister for Sport, who sent a very kind letter congratulating my daughter on her performance at the Commonwealth Games this summer. So I want to thank her for that, as well as the letter from the Leader of the Opposition that I imagine went to all athletes who represented our country at the Commonwealth Games. So thank that minister and our leader for their kind words and support of our athletes. So thank you very much.

You know, Mr. Speaker, something that I say to my family a lot that I want to share here in the Assembly, is I often feel like I’m the luckiest man on the face of the earth. And when I say that, you know, I think of those famous words from Lou Gehrig who, when presented with incredible hardship — and I don’t have anything like ALS [amyotrophic lateral sclerosis] happening in my life— but you know, he played 2,130 straight games. And when he was faced with that harsh reality of having to stop playing, he said he’s the luckiest man on the face of the earth. And I think about that often, for wanting to have that kind of gratitude not at the end of the journey, but throughout the journey.

And so you know, the honour of representing the people of Eastview; the honour of being a dad to Etta, Tom, and Myles; the honour of being a colleague here. This fantastic team truly makes me feel like I am the luckiest man on the face of the earth. And it makes me think about why I got into politics. And I think back to my first speech in this Assembly. And I talked about some of the reasons I got into this work, and I talked about my understanding of justice and social justice. But really what do I want to do to build a just world? And it comes down to thinking about the kind of world that I want to build for my kids.

We all want what’s best for our loved ones, but I think justice is then working for those things to be a reality for everyone. And in that regard, Mr. Speaker, the opportunities that I want for my children, I want for your children, for your grandchild — congratulations by the way — for the families of the members opposite that their children can have the opportunity and the joy and the good things of life that I want for my children. Because that’s what inspired me to get into this work.

But, Mr. Speaker, I didn’t hear those things represented in the Speech from the Throne. I heard strong, steady, ready; strong, strong, steady, ready. And I’m not going to repeat the fantastic Power Rangers song and dance that I heard from my colleague from Walsh Acres. I will not go there, Mr. Speaker . . . [inaudible interjection] . . . We are having fun here today. But I did hear a very clear message to the people of Saskatchewan to expect more of the same. And so it made me think, you know, wanting to get into politics, make a better life. And the things that I want for my kids, I want those for all people.

But what does more of the same mean, in particular for the young residents of this province? What does more of the same look like? You know, for all the talk of the best economy in the country, got to let this government know that if we had the best economy and it was really working for the quality of life of people in Saskatchewan, we wouldn’t have to work so darn hard to tell them that they’ve got it so great. They would see it. They would know.

And when people stop at the food bank on their way home of caring for our loved ones in long-term care, but those wages don’t support putting food on the table for their loved ones, that isn’t an economy that’s working for everyone. And they see it with their own eyes.

You know, Mr. Speaker, I’ll say that the economic vision of this side is one where our quality of life improves and that our economy is working well when we see the results in our everyday lives.

[16:15]

And I think for the people of Saskatchewan, I do think that they’re struggling to see that, in the province that has the highest rate of financial insecurity in the entire country, it’s hard to see that this economy is working for them.

Mr. Speaker, it’s been stated many times during these responses, at least by the folks on this side — I haven’t heard it yet from the other side; I could be wrong — that we have the province with the highest rate of childhood poverty in the entire country, the highest rate of poverty.

And so it made me think about, you know, how do we make this message real for members in this Assembly? And so for most of the rest of my speech I’m going to talk about this Assembly as if it’s a classroom of 61 students. It’s a pretty big class size. I know class sizes are going up; 61 is pretty big, not normal.

But, Mr. Speaker, if this were a classroom, we would have 27 per cent of us living in poverty. That would mean that we would have 16 sitting MLAs living below the poverty line. And not just that, Mr. Speaker, but we don’t just have the highest incidence, the highest rate of childhood poverty. It’s the depth of poverty that is greater here than anywhere else in the country. So those 16 MLAs are not just below the poverty line, they are further below the poverty line than anywhere else in the country. That doesn’t sound strong or steady. And I don’t think that they would agree and be supporting this Throne Speech if they were living that far below the poverty line. But that is the reality for 27 per cent of our children.

Now if they were under six years of age, it’s actually 30.4 per cent. So I would increase that to 18 — 18 MLAs who would likely be going to bed hungry tonight. And, Mr. Deputy Speaker, I’m not sure who the 18 want to be today. Maybe they should all imagine that they’re one of those 18 MLAs representing the children under six living in poverty in this province. That’s a reality. That’s not strong, that’s not steady, and we can’t continue with more of the same.

Mr. Speaker, 40 per cent of food bank users across the province are children. That would mean that 24 MLAs — I don’t really care what side of the Assembly we’re on — 24 of us are going to have to use the food bank today. Children using the food bank. In some communities like the Battlefords, it’s higher than 50 per cent. That’s not strong, that’s not steady, and we cannot have more of the same.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, there’s other ministries that impact the health of our children at school. I want to talk about health care for a minute. If we were a classroom of 61, 37 of our students wouldn’t have regular access to primary care. Thirty-seven MLAs, 37 children in this classroom wouldn’t have access to primary care. Thirty-seven wouldn’t have a family doctor, a nurse practitioner, somebody that can help prevent an illness from getting worse, help to diagnose, prescribe. That front door to our health care system wouldn’t be accessed by 37 of our MLAs here today. And we know this impacts the success of our kids at school, is having a functioning health care system.

I’ll take a moment, Mr. Speaker, to just say how darn proud I am of this team and the ideas that we’ve brought forward. You know, members opposite, I guess they can say whatever they want and make their own claims about where our plan came from. But the thousands of people that we talked to and the thousands of hours that went into this plan, we know what we’ve done. We’re very proud of it. And the people of Saskatchewan deserve a government that will work as hard as my colleagues have to put together that plan to ensure that everyone in this province has access to primary care in Saskatchewan.

Now, Mr. Deputy Speaker, if we were a classroom of 61, I can tell you that six years ago, one-quarter of us would not be reading at grade level by grade 3. Six years ago, it’d be one-quarter. This year it’s one in three. Things are getting worse. By this government’s own education plan that extends to 2030, we are failing. By their own metrics, we are failing.

Now it is good to hear this government talk about the importance of literacy. I haven’t heard that in my first year. Now they’re talking about it as if it’s a new thing that’s come up. You’ve got to learn to read so you can read to learn. They should have known that in 2007. I don’t know why it took them so long to figure out that literacy for our youngest learners is important.

Things are going in the wrong direction. That would mean that 20 of us in this Assembly, 20 MLAs are not reading at grade level by grade 3. That is a crying shame, Mr. Deputy Speaker. And if they’re saying we’re going to have more of the same — more of that steady, ready, strong — that’s not good enough for the people of Saskatchewan.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, if we were students in a classroom of 61 . . . One of the important roles in the education system is an educational psychologist. One of the main things that they do is they carry out ed psych assessments to determine which students need individualized support plans and different types of individual support. They have to diagnose learning disabilities and challenges that students need support with.

Do you know, Mr. Deputy Speaker, that in Saskatchewan — by this government’s own numbers — we have one ed psychologist for every 3,089 students. That means that we would need 51 assemblies of this size for us to have one ed psychologist to help us diagnose the challenges that our children are experiencing. Fifty-one assemblies full.

So many families are left to fend for themselves and to seek a private ed psych assessment that can cost between 3,000 to $4,500. That’s not affordable for many Saskatchewan families — I’d say most Saskatchewan families. It’s not steady. It’s not strong. And if we get more of the same, we will be letting our families down.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, we have in this province one school counsellor for every 613 students. That would mean 10 assemblies of this size, full, would get one counsellor. We know the challenges our young people face with mental health, the pressures that there are for young people in this province that need a counsellor to go and talk to. It would take 10 assemblies this size. We would get one school counsellor.

Our young people have one social worker for every 2,196 students. That would be 36 legislatures full. Thirty-six to get just one social worker who can provide counselling, support, sometimes restorative action, sometimes restorative justice programs in schools. There’s such important work that social workers do in our schools. Thirty-six of these assemblies full just to get one.

Speech language pathologist. Such an important role in our education system, Mr. Speaker. We have one in this province for every 1,442 students. If we had 24 assemblies full, those of us who need help here would get one. That’s not steady. That’s not strong. We can’t have more of the same, Mr. Deputy Speaker.

When we look at our students who need one-on-one supports, there’s lots of ways that we could provide that in our schools. Some of that still exists in diminishing ways. Teacher librarians in this province help teachers prepare lessons, help deliver a space for students to learn in our libraries. We have lost 84 per cent of our teacher librarians in the last 10 years — 84 per cent. So if those of us were teacher librarians in this Assembly, 50 of us would be off the job.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, the number of EAL [English as an additional language] students in the last 10 years has increased by 70 per cent — 9,000 students — while the number of EAL teachers has decreased by 3.4 per cent.

None of this is steady. None of this is strong. We’re letting our children down, and more of the same will only make things worse. But that’s exactly what this government so proudly delivered in the Speech from the Throne just a week ago today.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, we’ve seen reports that there’s nearly 1,300 students in this province potentially being denied full-time education because they need extra supports that they can’t get in school. That would take roughly 22 legislatures full of MLAs to represent those students that are being denied a full-time education in this province.

So, Mr. Deputy Speaker, while our students are lacking so many supports that they need, we need to ask the question, why? Why are the supports that they need disappearing from Saskatchewan schools? Well according to government documents compiled by the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation, under the Sask Party government, in the last 10 years this government has cut from each and every student in the province, in every corner of this beautiful place, $1,483. Well for our Assembly of 61 students in their desks, that would mean that we’ve lost out this school year in an additional $90,463 in support.

So my question here, why didn’t we see anything in the Throne Speech to talk about what could be done? Was there any vision? No. More of the same, Mr. Speaker. Was there any promise of new supports that will be added in? No. More of the same. Strong, steady, letting our kids down.

But let’s imagine for a minute, Mr. Speaker. What could we do with an additional $90,463 in support this school year for this many students in a class? Imagine what we could do to support those students who need individual supports — helping them get a diagnosis from an ed psych specialist so we can identify what their needs are and get ahead of the game. Families in this province, Mr. Speaker, they’re not waiting days. They’re not waiting months. It’s measured in years. How many years does it take to get an ed psych assessment in school?

Just imagine the success that we could facilitate for those students who are new to English language if we had an additional $90,463 in supports this school year.

Just imagine the impact of a truly universally accessible school food program. In the province with the highest rate of childhood poverty, we have the lowest rate of provincial support for school food — 3 cents per child per day. That means in an entire school year, our province supplies about enough funding to buy one sandwich at the Co-op lunch counter for an entire year. Just imagine what we could do to make sure that kids aren’t hungry at school to support their learning and growth, Mr. Speaker.

Imagine the impact of smaller class sizes, that teachers can have more time to help every child who needs it with an additional $90,000 in the school year.

So, Mr. Speaker, getting to the end of my time here, I did not see a vision from this government to make life better for our children. That’s what got me into this. I want what’s best for my kids, and I’m going to work for that same future for every child in this province — their grandkids, their kids and grandkids. But that wasn’t represented in the Speech from the Throne.

I do want to let members opposite know that we will work with you. We will work with you to make life more affordable for the people of Saskatchewan.

We have six pieces of legislation before this Assembly. To make groceries more affordable. To make sure people aren’t getting priced out of their homes, and they need the support of rent control. To make sure that we can take PST off of necessities like children’s clothing.

We will work together to make life more affordable, to deliver for the people of this province. But to do that we are going to need members opposite to agree that we can do better. That doesn’t make you negative. We can do better for the people of Saskatchewan, and we are bringing forward a pathway to get that done.

Mr. Speaker, I won’t be supporting the Speech from the Throne. I will be supporting the amendments brought forward by my colleague from Fairview and Regina Walsh Acres. Thank you for your attention today, Mr. Speaker. It’s an honour to speak in here, and I look forward to hearing more from my colleagues in the coming days.

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

Kevin Weedmark: — Mr. Speaker, I want to start by thanking the people whose help makes it possible for me to be here. First of all, my wife, Kara, who makes such a sacrifice and has taken on so much at home to allow me to be here. Kara is the love of my life and I love her more every single day, and I thank her for everything she does for me.

I want to thank my constituency assistant Charlene who works so hard for my constituents. I thank my family, my friends, and most of all the people of Moosomin-Montmartre who put me here. It’s the honour of my life to stand in this Assembly on their behalf each and every day. I know and love every community in the constituency. And over the last few months I’ve come to know more corners of the riding as I travelled to events over the summer across the riding. And every day I’m honoured to represent the great people of Moosomin-Montmartre.

It was wonderful to get around to so much of the riding over the summer. On one day in the summer I travelled from the very southwest corner of the riding at Vibank to a Métis event at Fort Espérance in the very, very northeast corner. Fort Espérance is a site of a former fort that’s been there since the 1700s, right at the east end of the province in the Qu’Appelle Valley.

[16:30]

I travelled 1,000 metres underground at the Rocanville potash mine and spent a lot of time on local First Nations and local communities right across the riding. And, Mr. Speaker, let me tell you a little bit about Moosomin-Montmartre. In our area of the province, people don’t talk a lot about stability, they simply live it. They show up, they look after their neighbours, and they get the work done. And that steadiness that I see in the people of Moosomin-Montmartre, I see reflected in the phrase at the heart of the Speech from the Throne: strong, steady Saskatchewan.

Mr. Speaker, the world is not a steady place right now. There are trade disputes and tariffs that disrupt markets and add to the cost of a lot of things, and many of our neighbours across the country are feeling the impacts of that.

And in that kind of world, Mr. Speaker, steady leadership is not a small thing. It’s what allows a farmer near Whitewood to plan for the next growing season. It lets a young couple in Indian Head buy a home and sign a mortgage. It allows a business owner on Main Street in Moosomin or Grenfell to hire another employee. Steady doesn’t mean standing still. It means knowing where you’re heading and getting there at a steady pace — one decision, one project, one building, one new initiative at a time.

Mr. Speaker, I’ve lived in Moosomin my entire adult life and I can tell what you what built that community. It was people deciding that if something needed doing they would do it. Whether fundraising for the health care facility or rec facilities or the new daycare, or working together to build for the future, the entire community gets behind it. That’s the Saskatchewan spirit. And the best thing the government can do is stand beside communities as they invest and grow, and not stand in the way.

Now I just want to point out some of the incredible projects and fundraisers going on around my constituency that are a testament to that Saskatchewan spirit and the great people who make up our province. I’ll mention a few of the projects because they’re examples of people digging in and getting things done for their communities.

Dion Campbell of Rocanville decided this summer to rollerblade across Saskatchewan to raise money for improvements at the Rocanville Rink. Dion raised an amazing $75,000 in his effort, rollerblading right across the province on the Trans-Canada Highway, and there was a large crowd of his friends at the Manitoba border to greet him when he got there.

Community Acres raised $40,000 for Moosomin recreation projects, and I was happy to be there out in the field on harvest day with the farmers and volunteers. This is a new initiative in its second year involving a few local farmers and leaders raising money for the community.

The Grand Theatre in Indian Head held a Grand Romance fundraiser that raised an amazing $25,000 for their 1905 renovation project.

The Whitewood Farmers and Friends Bonspiel is always an amazing fundraiser and this year it raised an amazing $182,000 to be distributed to deserving projects right across the region.

Just south of McLean at the very far western end of my constituency, Ian Moats of Ian’s Christmas Lights raised funds for ward 1D at the Regina General Hospital. And last Christmas, Mr. Speaker, he raised $50,000 by doing a lot of hard work to turn his acreage into a winter wonderland. And it’s amazing to talk to him and hear his passion for this project and see him selflessly give to others.

The Harvest of Hope between Moosomin and Rocanville is the largest growing project for the Canadian Foodgrains Bank in Saskatchewan, and this year raised $80,000 for the Foodgrains Bank and for the Moosomin and Rocanville food banks. I was happy to be out there enjoying the volunteers on their harvest day recently as well.

The Walk for Alzheimer’s in Moosomin this year raised $68,000 for the Alzheimer Society. PlayFair Daycare has raised 800,000 for their second building. I’m sure there’ll be more donations coming in for that. DQ [Dairy Queen] Miracle Treat Day in Moosomin brought in even more this year for the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital, raising an amazing $52,000 by selling more than 11,000 Blizzards. The Grenfell Lions harvested a crop for their community and raised an amazing $50,000.

I went through and made a list from right across the riding. I won’t read them all, Mr. Speaker, but in total, the major fundraisers in my riding raised more than $1.5 million to help their neighbours and improve their communities. These are individuals working together to build their communities. And our government takes the same approach, building our province for the future so we can provide the services that people need.

Building a strong, steady Saskatchewan means we can improve the service that people rely on. One of those services addressed in the Speech from the Throne is health care. And in communities across Moosomin-Montmartre, we see health care moving forward. And I’ll give you a few examples. I was very proud to be in Grenfell just last week, Mr. Speaker, as construction on the Grenfell long-term care centre reached 50 per cent completion. Last year our government announced that construction would proceed on that new 33‑bed facility. And projects like this are now much more affordable for communities, Mr. Speaker, because our government reduced the local share of capital cost for projects like this from 20 per cent down to 10 per cent. And that was a game-changer for Grenfell and many other communities.

Our government is investing nearly $40 million in the Grenfell long-term care home, while the town of Grenfell, the Grenfell and district healthcare foundation, and surrounding rural municipalities, will contribute $4.9 million. Work began in July 2025 and substantial completion is expected next year.

And what those 33 new long-term care beds mean is that more people will be able to access care close to the people and to the communities that they love. Anyone who has watched a parent or grandparent leave the community they helped build because there was no bed for them nearby understands how important this new facility is, how important these new 33 beds are.

Long-term care close to home means a senior in Grenfell can stay near the church he attended for 60 years, near the friends who live close enough to visit, and near family who are close enough to drop by on the way home from work. It keeps people in their community at a time of life when community matters most. I want to thank the local leaders who pushed for this project and the many people who contributed to it over the years.

I love that every time that I’m in Grenfell and take a look at that project, there’s always people driving by and checking out the construction progress. And I know that once the new facility opens, there will be a lot of people who will be able to point to it and say, “I helped build that.”

Provision of health care in Moosomin and area has been supported by our government as 6.2 new full-time positions at the Family Practice Centre are being funded through the patient medical home model. This program has added several medical professionals to the local staff. The program has been fully staffed and operational for six months now. The team includes one physician lead, one medical office assistant, two registered nurses, one dietitian, one behavioural health therapist, and one part-time position — a pharmacist one day a week.

And, Mr. Speaker, those new medical staff have made a big impact on health care provision in Moosomin and the surrounding area. Moosomin’s also home to the University of Saskatchewan’s southeast family medicine residence program, which also places residents in Weyburn and Yorkton. And the community welcomed another new medical resident this year. The University of Saskatchewan has filled all 162 first-year residency spots this year, a number that has increased by 10 spots this year.

And in the community of Indian Head we have recently seen an expansion in the number of primary care providers. There were two physicians there in the spring, and thanks to successful recruitment initiatives, the community recently welcomed two new physicians and one new nurse practitioner at the Indian Head Primary Health Care Clinic. So in a few months Indian Head has gone from two primary providers to five, and we are working on a second nurse practitioner for Indian Head to bring the total to six.

And when we add new primary care providers in communities, we’re not just adding names to a roster. It expands the capacity for appointments and shortens wait times. And, Mr. Speaker, anyone who’s ever lived in a small community knows what it means. When a community recruits a doctor or a nurse practitioner, the whole town celebrates because of the difference it makes.

In addition, Mr. Speaker, rural and remote recruitment incentive has been expanded to include Montmartre and Whitewood. These are communities that have worked hard to attract and keep health care professionals, and this incentive recognizes that health care professionals have many options on where to build a career and provides an incentive for them to choose rural and remote communities.

And in addition, Mr. Speaker, through the virtual physician program we have avoided more than 140 ER [emergency room] disruptions at the Wolseley integrated health facility. And, Mr. Speaker, those are just a few examples of steps forward in health care. And they are no accident; they’re part of a larger plan.

The patients-first health plan released this spring outlines 50 actions to ensure that patients are receiving the right care in the right place at the right time. The plan sets targets. It aims to reduce surgical wait times to three months and diagnostic wait times to two months by 2028; it expands virtual care, including virtual primary care for unattached patients; it removes limits on nurse practitioner contracts and adds 26 additional nurse practitioner training seats; and broadens the rural and remote recruitment incentive which is now making a difference in Montmartre and Whitewood.

The Premier has said that there’s more work to be done. But with the $40 million investment in the Grenfell long-term care centre, with the additional physicians and nurse practitioner in Indian Head, with the addition of 6.2 positions at the Moosomin Family Practice Centre, and the expansion of the rural and remote recruitment incentive to new communities, these are all steps in the right direction.

And across the province, we see many steps in the right direction in health care. Saskatchewan is on track to meet the goal of 450,000 surgeries performed over four years. The Regina urgent care centre has seen over 80,000 patients. Construction of the Weyburn hospital is now complete and I’ve had the opportunity to tour it and can tell you it is an amazing facility.

The Regina breast health centre has already had more than 2,200 referrals. And capacity at the Regina neonatal intensive care centre has increased from 25 to 28 beds. And I was happy to be there for that announcement, Mr. Speaker, and hear about the difference that’s going to make.

In Saskatoon, our government is adding 186 additional acute care beds across four hospitals and construction has started on the Saskatoon cancer patient lodge. And this year, our government supported the launch of another mobile mammography unit. The unit will provide more breast cancer screening closer to home, with 7,000 additional screenings annually. And I know that women of my region appreciate having this service close to home through the mobile mammography unit.

And as pointed out in the Throne Speech, Mr. Speaker, our government will introduce legislation to expand the scope of practice for several more health care professions, and we’ll announce the next steps in the implementation of the patients-first health plan to further improve access to diagnostics, to surgeries, and to primary care to ensure that everyone in Saskatchewan can receive the care they need.

We’ve seen other steps forward in our area. On Thursday, I was honoured to be at the opening of the PlayFair Daycare, their second location in Moosomin. And, Mr. Speaker, like everything in that area, the opening was on a bigger scale than you would imagine. The board members estimate there were somewhere around 300 or 350 people there Thursday to celebrate the opening of that second daycare building. And that adds 90 new spots.

And I’m proud that our government provided $1.3 million in capital costs for that project, and I’m proud of the way the community has stepped up to support — the board members, the staff, the volunteers, the parents, the donors. And I thank all of them and everyone who had any part in making that vision a reality.

Mr. Speaker, I spent a lot of time in Indian Head over the last few months. Our government stepped up when the federal government announced it was closing the Indian Head research farm. And I was pleased to see our government sign a memorandum of understanding with the federal government on the research farm, ensuring that agricultural research will continue in Indian Head.

So as I look across Moosomin-Montmartre, Mr. Speaker, I see many steps forward. And to pay for improvements in health care, child care, education, and highways, we need to build our province. And that’s exactly what’s happening. We are at a point in our history like never before.

Among those people at the daycare opening in Moosomin last week was a young tradesperson who came up to me and told me that he doesn’t believe his story would be possible anywhere else but Saskatchewan. He came here with his family from another country as a child. He has put down roots in our community. He’s become a community leader. He’s the youngest person ever elected to our town council.

He’s apprenticing in a trade, and he says as he travels around Western Canada, he doesn’t see anything like the energy and the enthusiasm he sees in our province. He told me how busy the building trades are in Moosomin with multiple commercial and residential projects on the go, and he wants to complete his apprenticeship and sees a future for himself in the local area.

And of course we see the same thing across the province. There are currently 60 major projects under way or planned, worth a combined $100 billion. And what does that mean for the province? It means more mines, energy, manufacturing, processing, and new power generation. It means construction jobs today and permanent jobs tomorrow. It means tradespeople and professionals who build careers here rather than travelling somewhere else. It means adding more value to what we grow and what we dig out of the ground before it leaves the province. And it means a growing tax base to pay for some of the things we’ve been talking about: the long-term care home, daycare, new positions in health care.

Health care, education, child care, and highways don’t pay for themselves. They are funded by a growing economy. When investors look around the world and choose to invest Saskatchewan — with our vast resources; our well-trained workforce; and our stable, predictable policy — that shows up in ways my constituents care about most. The $100 billion in investment coming to the province and the work on the Grenfell long-term care home are connected, Mr. Speaker. The investment and the impact on our economy and our finances makes it possible for government to invest in projects that make a difference for people.

[16:45]

And that’s why Saskatchewan’s strong, steady approach matters. Billions of dollars don’t flow to places that are unpredictable. A strong, steady government sends a message. It says come here, build here, hire here, stay here, grow here.

Mr. Speaker, when I think about the phrase “Strong. Steady. Saskatchewan,” I don’t picture a slogan or a banner. I picture the framing of the care home going up at Grenfell. I picture a child in a new daycare hanging their coat on a hook. I picture a nurse practitioner in Indian Head greeting a patient who is able to get the care they need closer to home. I picture a truck rolling down a freshly paved highway toward a growing town.

And that’s the Saskatchewan I know, Mr. Speaker. It isn’t loud and it isn’t easily shaken. It gets up, rolls up its sleeves, and gets the job done. Mr. Speaker, I’m proud of the people of Moosomin-Montmartre and the people of Saskatchewan. And I’m proud to say that I’ll be supporting the motion made by the member for White City-Qu’Appelle and seconded by the member from Last Mountain-Touchwood. And I will not be supporting the amendment. Thank you.

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

Erika Ritchie: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s a privilege to rise today on behalf of the people of Saskatoon Nutana to respond to the Speech from the Throne. I want to begin by acknowledging the people who make Saskatchewan such a remarkable place to call home.

And I want to start by thanking my family, friends, and staff that support my work here in this building, and I’m especially grateful for my constituency assistant Kerry Schaefer, who does an incredible job looking after my office. Since we’ve assumed the social services shadow ministry file, the caseloads have been unrelenting and morally exhausting with often discouraging outcomes. But through it all Kerry has worked tirelessly and with great compassion to connect constituents with the vital social services they need and deserve.

I also want to thank the families who are working hard to build a future here, the workers who keep our economy moving, the volunteers who strengthen our communities, the municipal leaders who are doing their very best to provide services with the resources they have. The front-line workers who show up every day to support people who are struggling, I thank them too. And also the First Nation and Métis communities whose histories, cultures, rights, and contributions are fundamental to the province we are today.

I was honoured to attend many important First Nation and Métis events across Saskatchewan this past summer, including the 250th anniversary in the community of Île-à-la-Crosse, the 150th Treaty 6 commemoration at Fort Carlton, the Tony Cote track and field days in North Battleford, the annual Back to Batoche Days, and the Saskatoon Tribal Council Truth and Reconciliation powwow in Saskatoon on September 30th. Mr. Speaker, these are the people who make Saskatchewan strong, and they deserve a government that is just as committed to their success as they are.

The government has chosen the words “Strong. Steady. Saskatchewan” to describe its vision for our province. And let me be clear: I believe that Saskatchewan can be strong. We have extraordinary resources, talented people, resilient communities, and enormous potential.

But strength is not measured only in the value of projects announced or the number of dollars invested. It is measured in whether a senior can find a place to live, whether a family can afford to put food on the table, whether someone experiencing homelessness can access the support they need, whether a young person can see a future for themselves in this province, whether our municipalities have the resources to provide the services their residents depend on, and whether the people of Saskatchewan can trust that their government is working for them. That is the measure I believe we should be applying to this Throne Speech. And on that measure, Mr. Speaker, this government has some strong and steady work to do.

The government points to more than 60 major projects worth over $100 billion as evidence of Saskatchewan’s economic strength. Now those investments matter because they create opportunities, support workers, and contribute to our provincial economy. But economic growth is not an end in itself. The question is who benefits from that growth.

Are the benefits reaching the families who are struggling with the cost of living? Are we building the housing, infrastructure, and public services that growing communities need? And are we keeping our Crown utilities strong and steady? Are we investing in the people who make these projects successful? And are we ensuring that economic development delivers lasting benefits for Saskatchewan people?

Mr. Speaker, a strong economy should be the foundation for strong public services and strong communities. It should give us the capacity to address poverty, build affordable housing, improve health care, and ensure that people have the support they need to participate fully in our province. That is what strong and steady economic development looks like. And that is the kind of economic vision Saskatchewan people deserve and is lacking in this Throne Speech.

The Throne Speech once again promises personal income tax reductions. Tax relief can make a difference for families and people are looking for ways to make ends meet, but affordability is about more than what appears on a tax return. It is about whether people can afford rent, whether they can afford groceries, whether they can access child care, whether they can get to work, see a doctor, and keep a roof over their heads. That’s what strong and steady looks like.

For too many Saskatchewan residents, those basic necessities are becoming increasingly difficult to manage. We hear from people who are working full-time and still relying on food banks at the highest rates in the country. We hear from seniors who are worried about losing their housing. We hear from families who are trying to navigate a system that is supposed to support them but instead leaves them exhausted and uncertain. And we have heard from people who have reached a point where they simply do not know where to turn. And when it comes to the Ministry of Social Services’ SIS and SAID programs, those challenges are especially acute.

Mr. Speaker, tax reductions alone will not solve these problems. We need a broader affordability strategy that includes affordable housing, a living wage, accessible child care, reliable public services, and income supports that allow people to live with dignity. That is why I have advocated for stronger income supports, including improvements to the Saskatchewan assured income for disability program. People living with disabilities deserve more than a program of last resort. They deserve the opportunity to live with dignity, pursue education, participate in their communities, and build meaningful lives.

We should be asking ourselves how our programs can help people achieve those goals, not creating new barriers that make it harder for them to do so. A strong and steady Saskatchewan is one where everyone has the opportunity to contribute and thrive.

Mr. Speaker, one of the most pressing challenges facing Saskatchewan communities is housing. We cannot talk seriously about affordability, health care, public safety, or economic development without talking about housing. Housing is not simply a roof over someone’s head; it is foundational infrastructure. It’s what allows people to maintain their health, keep a job, support their families, and participate in their communities. And when people don’t have access to safe, affordable housing, the consequences extend far beyond the individual. They affect emergency departments, schools, social services, police and fire and paramedic services, and municipal budgets. They affect entire communities.

I have spoken with people working on the front lines of homelessness and supportive housing who are doing extraordinary work under incredibly difficult circumstances. I have also heard from municipal leaders, who are increasingly being asked to manage the consequences of provincial decisions without the resources or authority to address the underlying problems. That is not a sustainable approach.

We need a coordinated housing strategy that includes investment in affordable and supportive housing, adequate mental health and addictions services, and a commitment to housing-first principles. We need to bring our provincial and municipal partners together with First Nation and Métis governments, community-based organizations, and the people with lived experience who understand these challenges best. And we need to make better use of the housing infrastructure we already have.

We have raised concerns about the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation units sitting vacant and unavailable for families who need them. At a time when people are struggling to find housing, every available unit matters. We need a clear plan to repair and return those units to service. And we also need to take affordability seriously for renters.

And that is why we introduced legislation to address rent control and continue to advocate for stronger protections for Saskatchewan renters. That is why we introduced legislation to address rent control, and people should not have to live with the constant fear that an unaffordable rent increase will force them out of their homes and communities. Housing insecurity does not reflect a community or a province that is steady and strong.

Mr. Speaker, housing is not a luxury. It is a foundation for dignity, health, and opportunity, and it deserves to be treated as a provincial priority.

As shadow minister for Government Relations, I have particular interest in the relationship between provincial government and the municipalities that deliver so many of the services people rely on. Municipalities are responsible for roads, water and wastewater infrastructure, recreation facilities, emergency services, and so much more. They are increasingly being asked to respond to homelessness, mental health challenges, addictions, and public safety concerns.

These are complex issues that do not respect jurisdictional boundaries. But too often our municipal partners are left trying to manage the consequences of provincial decisions without adequate support, like we saw just last week when the mayor and council of Regina called in desperation for the province to create a transition plan for those living in the housing encampment at Pepsi Park. But it fell on the deaf ears of this government. Mr. Speaker, that is not good government. That is not strong and steady.

Good government recognizes the challenges facing our communities requires co-operation, not finger pointing. It requires clear responsibilities, predictable funding, and meaningful engagement. It requires the province to listen to municipal leaders and recognize that they understand the needs of their communities. And it requires us to work in partnership with First Nation and Métis governments, respecting their rights, priorities, and knowledge.

Our communities are stronger when governments work together. They are weaker when responsibilities are downloaded, partnerships neglected, and people are left to navigate gaps between systems. And that is why I believe government relations must be about more than managing relationships. It must be about building the partnerships that allow us to deliver better outcomes for people.

And I want to take a moment here to talk about Henry’s Law, which took effect on November 1st this past weekend, a law that will require carbon monoxide detectors in every residential suite in multi-unit buildings across Saskatchewan.

As shadow minister for Government Relations, I was greatly humbled to meet with the parents of the late Henry Losco — Sergio Losco and Marina Hills — last winter after their son’s tragic death due to carbon monoxide poisoning. As a parent it was heartbreaking to learn about Henry’s untimely death. No parent should have to go through such a devastating loss.

As the official opposition, we got to work right away investigating what went wrong. Advocating for the family and with great pride, I introduced a bill, the building code regulations Henry’s Law amendment Act last May. In response the government offered to bring forward regulations to fast track these amendments, and I was very happy to engage in this bipartisan co-operation.

Speaker Goudy: — So it being 5 o’clock, this Assembly stands recessed until 7 p.m.

[The Assembly recessed from 17:00 until 19:00.]

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

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