Yesterday, May 13, 2025, the Government House Leader (Hon. Tim McLeod) rose on a point of order stating that the Member for Regina Walsh Acres (Jared Clarke) made inaccurate and untrue statements, misquoted a member, and challenged a ruling of the Chair.

In her response, the Deputy Opposition House Leader (Meara Conway) asked that I review the record before making a decision. I have done so and am now prepared to make my ruling. I will first review the Member for Regina Walsh Acres’ comments during question period before addressing the three issues the Government House Leader brought forward in his point of order.

During question period yesterday, the Member for Regina Walsh Acres said, on p. 993 of Hansard:

Now yesterday the Minister of Government Relations would not answer any of my questions in committee on Bill 21. Now you can look this up in Hansard on page 109, Mr. Speaker, but apparently he is “absolutely unqualified” to answer them.

In his first point, the Government House Leader stated that it is untrue that the Minister of Government Relations (Hon. Eric Schmalz) refused to answer questions because it was the Chair (Blaine McLeod) who called the questions out of order, though it is a matter of debate and not a matter of order.

Secondly, in regard to the allegation that the Member for Regina Walsh Acres misquoted the minister, page 109 of the May 12, 2025 committee Hansard indicates that it was indeed the committee Chair, in response to a question posed by the Member for Regina Walsh Acres, who stated “That’s a question that the minister is absolutely unqualified to answer . . .” However, during question period yesterday, while the Member for Regina Walsh Acres noted the place in Hansard where the comment was made, he did not attribute the comment to any specific person. As he did not misquote the minister, and therefore this point is not well taken.

Finally, the Government House Leader alleged that the Member for Regina Walsh Acres challenged a ruling of the Chair. In the context of a point of order arising from question period in this Assembly, it is unclear as to whether the Government House Leader was referring to a challenge to the Speaker, as Chair of this Assembly, or to a committee Chair in a previous day’s proceedings. It is similarly unclear as to what ruling the member might be challenging, as the Member for Regina Walsh Acres made no reference to any Chair or any ruling. Therefore, I also find this final point to be not well taken.

As a reminder, I would also like to call members’ attention to rule 125 of the Rules and Procedures of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan. It states, in regard to standing committees, “The Chair shall maintain order and decide all questions of order subject to an appeal to the committee. Disorder in a standing committee shall be censured only by the Assembly, upon receiving a report.” It is not the place of the Speaker or this Assembly to address matters that occur during committee proceedings unless expressly requested to do so by the committee in the form of a substantive report.

Presenting Petitions

Petitions of citizens of the province of Saskatchewan were presented and laid upon the Table by the following members: Noor Burki, Tajinder Grewal, and Sally Housser.

Reading and Receiving Petitions

According to order and pursuant to rule 16(7), petitions from residents of the province of Saskatchewan, requesting the following action, were read and received:

To immediately provide the support needed to complete and open the new joint-use school elementary and high schools in east Regina as soon as possible.

(Sessional paper no. 149)

To suspend planning for the Saskatoon freeway and update legislation in order to protect swales.

(Addendum to sessional paper no. 99)

To stand up and advocate for the restoration of federal Jordan’s Principle funding to support Indigenous students in schools.

(Addendum to sessional paper no. 147)

Written Questions

The order of the day being called for question nos. 31 to 36 and 38 to 52, pursuant to rule 21(6), the questions were converted and orders for return were issued. (see appendix)

The order of the day being called for question no. 37, it was answered. (see appendix)

Reappointment of Conflict of Interest Commissioner and Registrar of Lobbyists

On motion of the Hon. Tim McLeod, by leave of the Assembly:

Ordered, That pursuant to subsection 18(5) of The Members’ Conflict of Interest Act, Maurice Herauf be reappointed for one additional term of five years as the Conflict of Interest Commissioner and Registrar of Lobbyists effective July 1, 2025.

Standing Committee Membership

On motion of the Hon. Tim McLeod, by leave of the Assembly:

Ordered, That the name of Brad Crassweller be substituted for the name of Lori Carr on the Standing Committee on Crown and Central Agencies.

On motion of the Hon. Tim McLeod, by leave of the Assembly:

Ordered, That the name of Kevin Kasun be substituted for the name of Terry Jenson on the Standing Committee on the Economy.

On motion of the Hon. Tim McLeod, by leave of the Assembly:

Ordered, That the name of David Chan be substituted for the name of Colleen Young on the Standing Committee on Human Services.

On motion of the Hon. Tim McLeod, by leave of the Assembly:

Ordered, That the name of Chris Beaudry be substituted for the name of Daryl Harrison on the Standing Committee on Public Accounts.

Condolence Motions

Moved by the Hon. Scott Moe, by leave of the Assembly:

That this Assembly records with sorrow and regret the passing of a former member of this Assembly and expresses its grateful appreciation of the contribution she made to her community, her constituency, and to the province.

Anita Bergman, who passed away on February 8, 2025 at the age of 79, was a member of this Legislative Assembly from 1994 until 1995, representing the constituency of Regina North West for the Saskatchewan Liberal Party.

Born in Grand Rapids, Minnesota on April 16, 1945, Anita Bergman earned her Bachelor of Arts from the State University of Iowa in 1968. She emigrated to Saskatchewan later that year, where she completed a Master of Arts in Psychology at the University of Regina in 1973 and became a Canadian citizen in 1974. That same year, the Bergman family spent two months living at a base camp they had established in the Deep Bay meteor crater on Reindeer Lake in northern Saskatchewan.

As a psychologist, Anita Bergman was instrumental in creating the Socialization, Communication and Education Program (SCEP) Centre, helping to pioneer innovative therapeutic approaches for young children and their families in a career that spanned 40 years. She was also an accomplished potter who owned and operated Sun Pottery in Lumsden.

Anita Bergman’s public service also extended into community leadership and political life. She served as the president of the Regina Pro-Life Association, president of the Saskatchewan Liberal Party, and board chair of the Regina and District Health Board.

In her personal life, Anita Bergman shared a passion for wilderness canoeing with her husband, Joe, and their children. She continued annual paddling adventures with her husband through their late years. Following his passing, she moved to Haida Gwaii, BC.

Anita Bergman is survived and sadly missed by her children, Carey and Noah, and extended family.

In recording its own deep sense of loss and bereavement, this Assembly expresses its most sincere sympathy to members of the bereaved family.

A debate arising and the question being put, it was agreed to.

Moved by the Hon. Scott Moe, by leave of the Assembly:

Gay White Caswell, who passed away on January 2, 2025 at the age of 76, was a member of this Legislative Assembly from 1982 until 1986. She represented the constituency of Saskatoon Westmount for the Progressive Conservative Party.

Born in Girvin, Saskatchewan on May 30, 1948, Gay White Caswell attended Davidson High School before earning her teacher’s certificate from the University of Regina and a Bachelor of Arts in History from St. Thomas More College at the University of Saskatchewan. Following University, she worked as a teacher in northern Saskatchewan for two years before moving back to Saskatoon in 1972 with her husband and raising her family.

After her time in office, she served as a researcher for the Progressive Conservative administration under Premier Grant Devine before working as a speechwriter for various politicians in Regina and Ottawa from 1987 to 1991.

Gay White Caswell co-founded L’École Notre Dame du Nord, an independent Catholic school and mission in Brabant Lake, Saskatchewan. She was also the founder and president of Victorious Women of Canada.

Gay White Caswell is survived and sadly missed by her husband, John, and their children, Daniel, Nathan, Naomi, Esther, Joshua, and David, and their families.

In recording its own deep sense of loss and bereavement, this Assembly expresses its most sincere sympathy to members of the bereaved family.

A debate arising and the question being put, it was agreed to.

Moved by the Hon. Scott Moe, by leave of the Assembly:

Anne deBlois Smart passed away on May 17, 2024 at the age of 88. She was a member of this Legislative Assembly from 1986 to 1991. She represented the constituency of Saskatoon Centre as a member of the New Democratic Party.

Anne deBlois Smart was born in Brooklyn, New York, on December 8, 1935. She studied at Smith College in Massachusetts and earned a degree in English history and philosophy from Queen’s University in Kingston. She later completed a Master of Library Science, with additional studies at Concordia University and the University of Western Ontario.

In 1972, she moved to Saskatoon to work as a librarian at the Saskatoon Public Library, where she also served as a program coordinator and launched Fridays at Two, a long-running program for seniors. She later served as vice-president and then president of the Saskatchewan Library Association.

Anne deBlois Smart was deeply engaged in her community. She helped to establish the Saskatoon Jazz Society and Access Transit, chaired the board of 25th Street Theatre, volunteered with the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra, and supported various women’s and seniors’ groups. Her commitment to public service extended beyond her legislative career. She served on the board of Saskatoon Seniors Continued Learning, an initiative offering non-credit courses in partnership with the University of Saskatchewan. She also supported local agriculture as a partner in a small farming operation and as a member of the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market Co-operative. In 1984, she received a YWCA Women of the Year Award for her contributions to education and public life.

Anne deBlois Smart is survived and sadly missed by her husband, Larry, and her daughter, Margaret, and her family.

In recording its own deep sense of loss and bereavement, this Assembly expresses its most sincere sympathy to members of the bereaved family.

A debate arising and the question being put, it was agreed to.

Moved by the Hon. Scott Moe, by leave of the Assembly:

Evelyn Foster, who passed away on April 7, 2025 at the age of 75, was a member of this Legislative Assembly from 1982 until 1986. She represented the constituency of Saskatoon Nutana for the Progressive Conservative Party.

Born on November 25, 1949, Evelyn Foster grew up in Kerrobert, Saskatchewan. She attended the University of Saskatchewan before eventually settling in Saskatoon with her family. In addition to her political endeavours, Evelyn Foster was both a dedicated homemaker and businessperson. Prior to her time as an MLA, she pursued a career in the insurance industry, managing an insurance agency for two years before starting and operating her own insurance company.

Outside of the legislature, Evelyn Foster played an integral role in the establishment of Child Find Saskatchewan, a non-profit organization dedicated to locating missing children, and she served as the organization’s founding executive director. She was also a dedicated advocate for animal welfare and supported the work of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in various ways throughout her life.

Evelyn Foster is survived and sadly missed by her children, James and Shellan, and their families.

In recording its own deep sense of loss and bereavement, this Assembly expresses its most sincere sympathy to members of the bereaved family.

A debate arising and the question being put, it was agreed to.

Moved by the Hon. Scott Moe, by leave of the Assembly:

That this Assembly records with sorrow and regret the passing of a former member of this Assembly and expresses its grateful appreciation of the contribution he made to his community, his constituency, and to the province.

Lyle Stewart, passed away on July 30, 2024 at the age of 73 following a battle with cancer. He served as a member of this Legislative Assembly from 1999 until 2023, representing the constituencies of Thunder Creek and Lumsden Morse for the Saskatchewan Party. Lyle Stewart also served on the Executive Council as the Minister of Enterprise and Innovation, Minister of Agriculture, Minister Responsible for Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation, and as Provincial Secretary. He was one of the first members of the Saskatchewan Party and served as the party’s interim leader for a period in 2004.

Born on June 4, 1951, Lyle Stewart farmed and ranched on the family farm near Pense for many years and was known as a community leader before he entered provincial politics. Throughout his life, he served as a municipal councillor, a school board trustee, and a minor and senior hockey coach. He was active on both school and rink boards and supported numerous community initiatives through volunteerism and fundraising.

Beyond the legislature, Lyle Stewart was involved with several agricultural and economic organizations. He was a member of the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association and the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association. In 2012, he was elected president of the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region executive committee, becoming the first representative from Saskatchewan to hold that post.

Lyle Stewart is survived and sadly missed by his wife, Juanita, and his children, Stephanie, Alison, and Lee, his former wife, Linda, and their families.

In recording its own deep sense of loss and bereavement, this Assembly expresses its most sincere sympathy to members of the bereaved family.

A debate arising and the question being put, it was agreed to.

Statement of Condolence for Former Officer of the Assembly

The Speaker advised the Assembly of the passing of a former officer of the Assembly: William (Bill) Goodhand, who served as the Sergeant-at-Arms for the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan from 1985 to 1995.

Transmittal Motion

On motion of the Hon. Scott Moe, by leave of the Assembly:

Ordered, That notwithstanding rule 8(2) of the Rules and Procedures of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan, the Speaker on behalf of the Legislative Assembly transmit copies of the official records of the tributes to the bereaved families in memory of the deceased members.

Motion to Adjourn the Assembly

Moved by the Hon. Tim McLeod:

That this Assembly do now adjourn.

The question being put, it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS — 31

Scott Moe

Daryl Harrison

Warren Kaeding

David Marit

Jeremy Cockrill

Jim Reiter

Everett Hindley

Jeremy Harrison

Colleen Young

Ken Cheveldayoff

Travis Keisig

James Thorsteinson

Jamie Martens

Racquel Hilbert

Doug Steele

Eric Schmalz

Alana Ross

Tim McLeod

Lori Carr

Sean Wilson

Chris Beaudry

Blaine McLeod

Brad Crassweller

Barret Kropf

Michael Weger

Megan Patterson

Terri Bromm

Darlene Rowden

David Chan

Kim Gartner

Kevin Kasun

NAYS — 16

Carla Beck

Noor Burki

Trent Wotherspoon

Matt Love

Nathaniel Teed

Aleana Young

Jordan McPhail

Kim Breckner

Brent Blakley

Tajinder Grewal

April ChiefCalf

Bhajan Brar

Darcy Warrington

Joan Pratchler

Sally Housser

Jacqueline Roy

The Assembly adjourned at 4:23 p.m. until Thursday at 10:00 a.m.

Hon. Todd Goudy

Speaker

APPENDIX

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

The following response to a written question was tabled by the government:

Question no. 37 (Erika Ritchie):

To the Government of Saskatchewan, (a) how much money has been allocated for the process of starting the College Avenue Campus renewal in 2025–26; and (b) is this project currently incorporated into debt projections over the next five years?

Answer:

There has been no money allocated for the College Avenue Campus renewal in 2025–2026; as such, it has not been incorporated into the debt projections for the next five years.

QUESTIONS ORDERED FOR RETURN

The following written questions were converted and orders for return were issued:

Return no. 29 (Erika Ritchie):

To the Government of Saskatchewan, (a) the portion of sub-vote SP01 that is associated with EBMP, also known as GEMS; (b) the work that remains outstanding on the EBMP/GEMS system capital project; (c) the individual software systems that are part of the EBMP/GEMS system, and their respective corporate developers/owners; (d) the initial capital cost of this system when it was first approved by the Government of Saskatchewan; (e) the final capital cost of the EBMP/GEMS system when it was completed and amortized, or, if it has not been completed and amortized, the total capital cost to date; (f) whether the EBMP/GEMS system uses the same software as the Ministry of Health’s AIMS system; (g) the companies that were involved in the development of the EBMP system during (i) proposal or concept development, (ii) purchase of the software, (iii) development of the system, and (iv) integration with other government systems and software; (h) the ministry responsible for the operation of the EBMP/GEMS system; and (i) the amount that each company has been paid, to date, for their work on the EBMP/GEMS system.

Return no. 30 (Erika Ritchie):

To the Government of Saskatchewan, (a) the comparative office equipment and information allocations between 2024–25 and 2025–26; (b) the budget that has been allocated to each ministry for new equipment in 2025–26; (c) the procurements in 2025–26 that are through public tenders, sole-source contracts, and special arrangements, broken down on a dollar basis and by percentage; and (d) the sole-source contracts over $20M that are budgeted to be issued in 2025–26.

Return no. 31 (Erika Ritchie):

To the Government of Saskatchewan, the SaskBuilds and Procurement contracts issued in 2024–25 that have specific requirements for northern or Indigenous ownership, and the individual requirements.

Return no. 32 (Erika Ritchie):

To the Government of Saskatchewan, (a) the number of cybersecurity incidents the executive government experienced during 2024–25; (b) the number of privacy breaches that occurred in executive government in 2024–25 where personal information of either clients or staff was obtained by an external party; (c) the number of computers in executive government that were infected with computer viruses and had to be disinfected/rebuilt in 2024–25; and (d) the number of instances of blackmail that resulted in computers being virtually seized by external parties in 2023–24 concerning executive government computers or software systems.

Return no. 33 (Erika Ritchie):

To the Government of Saskatchewan, the percentage, by value, of the work/services/capital goods paid for by the Government of Saskatchewan that are purchased from Saskatchewan companies, and the percentage, by value, that is from out-of-Saskatchewan organizations in 2024–25.

Return no. 34 (Erika Ritchie):

To the Government of Saskatchewan, (a) the number of contracts that were awarded last year concerning the use of aircraft; (b) the type of airline of aircraft service that each of those contracts were for; and (c) the number of existing contracts for airline or aircraft services there are.

Return no. 35 (Erika Ritchie):

To the Government of Saskatchewan, the most recent projection for the cost of the Prince Albert Victoria Hospital expansion.

Return no. 36 (Erika Ritchie):

To the Government of Saskatchewan, the amount of money that was allocated in the 2024–25 budget for the design of the first phase of the Lake Diefenbaker Irrigation Project.

Return no. 37 (Erika Ritchie):

To the Minister Responsible for the Water Security Agency, (a) broken down by wetland class 1–5, the number of acres of Crown land that are on inventory along the bed and bank of the existing inventory of the purported 86 per cent retained wetlands in Saskatchewan; (b) the estimated monetary value of these Crown lands; and (c) the provisions that are in place to protect the Crown’s interests (monetary, ecological, etc.) in these lands.

Return no. 38 (Darcy Warrington):

To the Minister of Parks, Culture and Sport, for the capital budget allocation for Saskatchewan provincial parks, the projects exceeding $250,000 in estimated value that are included in the capital budget allocation for 2025–26.

Return no. 39 (Darcy Warrington):

To the Minister of Parks, Culture and Sport, (a) the private business operations that were either approved or contracted for work with the provincial parks in 2024; and (b) the new private business operations that are planned for the provincial parks in 2025–26, and the park that each new business operation is planned to operate in.

Return no. 40 (Darcy Warrington):

To the Minister of Parks, Culture and Sport, (a) whether the veteran service club support program has been cancelled; (b) if the veteran service club support program is still in operation, the amount that was budgeted in 2024–25 and now in 2025–26, and the amount of the budget in 2024–25 that was actually spent; and (c) which groups in which communities received money under the veteran service club support program in 2024–25, and which groups will receive money in 2025–26.

Return no. 41 (Darcy Warrington):

To the Minister of Parks, Culture and Sport, (a) the amount of money that is budgeted for the community rink affordability grant program in 2025–26; and (b) who received money from the program in 2024–25.

Return no. 42 (Darcy Warrington):

To the Minister of Parks, Culture and Sport, the number of heritage reviews or evaluations that were conducted in 2024–25.

Return no. 43 (Darcy Warrington):

To the Minister of Parks, Culture and Sport, the amount in subsidies that will be provided to the Royal Saskatchewan Museum in 2025–26.

Return no. 44 (Darcy Warrington):

To the Minister of Parks, Culture and Sport, (a) the amount in subsidies that will be provided to the T-Rex Discovery Centre in 2025–26; (b) who owns and operates the T-Rex Discovery Centre; and (c) the amount of the T-Rex Discovery Centre’s overall operating budget that is covered by government subsidies.

Return no. 45 (Darcy Warrington):

To the Minister of Parks, Culture and Sport, (a) the number of buildings the Royal Saskatchewan Museum (RSM) uses to house its collections that are not on display, and where those buildings are located; (b) what would best quantify how frequently the collections and materials routinely stored in these buildings are used/presented (at least annually), as opposed to simply stored (less than 10 per cent of the time, less than 5 per cent of the time, etc.); and (c) whether there are any major excavation projects presently underway at the RSM concerning dinosaurs.

Return no. 46 (Darcy Warrington):

To the Minister of Parks, Culture and Sport, the amount of the funding for the Saskatchewan Science Centre that comes from their provincial grant (provide in percentage format if possible).

Return no. 47 (Darcy Warrington):

To the Minister of Parks, Culture and Sport, (a) the heritage organizations in the 2024–25 budget allocation that also received funding in 2025–26; and (b) the heritage organizations in the 2024–25 budget allocation that received funding in 2023–24, and the funding they received in 2024–25.

Return no. 48 (Darcy Warrington):

To the Minister of Parks, Culture and Sport, the general budget lines and/or major expenditures of the Saskatchewan Heritage Foundation.

Return no. 49 (Darcy Warrington):

To the Minister of Parks, Culture and Sport, (a) who paid for the screen system that was installed at the John Hopkins Regina Soundstage, and whether any government funds were used to do so; and (b) the number of days the soundstage was in use in (i) 2023–24 and (ii) 2024–25.

NOTICE OF WRITTEN QUESTIONS

The following questions were given notice on day no. 35 and are to be answered by day no. 40:

Question no. 53 (Nicole Sarauer):

To the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, what is the total cost of the e-justice project to date?

Question no. 54 (Nicole Sarauer):

To the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, what are the number of Aboriginal court workers currently employed through the ten carrier agencies funded through the Ministry of Justice?

Question no. 55 (Nicole Sarauer):

To the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, what is the percentage increase of staff at Legal Aid?

Question no. 56 (Nicole Sarauer):

To the Minister of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety, (a) what are the number of inspections done by highway patrol officers in the last calendar year; and (b) what is the number of inspections done by highway patrol officers since the Highway Patrol came under the umbrella of the Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety?

Question no. 57 (Nicole Sarauer):

To the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, what is the status of the North Battleford drug treatment court, announced in last year’s budget?

Question no. 58 (Nicole Sarauer):

To the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, how many criminal prosecution files in Saskatchewan were stayed due to the R. v. Jordan decision on delay in the past calendar year?

Question no. 59 (Nicole Sarauer):

To the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, what is the status of the J-STAR system upgrade?

Question no. 60 (Nicole Sarauer):

To the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, how many students participated in the College of Law’s experiential learning program that is funded by the Ministry of Justice so far?

Question no. 61 (Nicole Sarauer):

To the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, will the ministry be facilitating another domestic violence death review panel in this fiscal year?

Question no. 62 (Nicole Sarauer):

To the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, how many times have mediation fees been waived for the mandatory mediation requirement for family law files?

Question no. 63 (Nicole Sarauer):

To the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, how many Gladue reports were ordered in the past calendar year?

Question no. 64 (Nicole Sarauer):

To the Minister of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety, (a) how much overtime was used by correctional services staff in the past fiscal year; (b) how much sick time was used by correctional services staff in the past fiscal year; and (c) how much overtime was used by staff of the Legislative District Security Unit in the past fiscal year?

Question no. 65 (Nicole Sarauer):

To the Minister of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety, (a) in what city is the Chief Marshal’s office located; (b) is there a residency clause within the collective bargaining agreement for the marshals (if so, what does it say); (c) where are all of the current marshals deemed residencies; (d) are the marshals allowed to take their designated commercial vehicles home; and (e) what are the overtime obligations as required in the collective bargaining agreement for the marshals?

Question no. 66 (Nicole Sarauer):

To the Minister of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety, how much money was spent on fire suppression and mitigation by the SPSA this year, and how much is budgeted for this fiscal year?

Question no. 67 (Nicole Sarauer):

To the Minister of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety, how many women have been housed at the Saskatoon Tribal Council transitional housing facility located in Saskatoon in the past fiscal year, how many total beds are available, and how many women have completed the program?

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