STANDING
COMMITTEE ON
INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS AND
JUSTICE
Monday, April 13, 2026
MINUTE NO. 13
3:36 p.m. — Legislative
Chamber
1. Present: Blaine McLeod in the chair and members Bhajan Brar,* Brad Crassweller, Hugh Gordon,* Hon. Jamie Martens, Megan Patterson, and Nicole Sarauer.*
Substituting Members
Bhajan Brar for Leroy Laliberte
Hugh Gordon for Jacqueline Roy
Nicole Sarauer for Betty Nippi-Albright
2. The committee considered Bill No. 31, The Defamation Act.
The Minister of Justice and Attorney General and the following officials appeared before the committee and answered questions:
Witnesses
Hon.
Tim McLeod, Minister
Darcy
McGovern, Legal Executive Director
Maria Markatos, Director, Legislative Services
3. The questions being put on clauses 1 to 21, they were agreed to.
4. It was moved by the Hon. Jamie Martens:
Add the following Clause after Clause 3 of the printed Bill:
“Presumption of damage
4 An action lies for defamation and in a defamation action, if defamation is proved, damage shall be presumed”.
The question being put on new clause 4, it was agreed to.
5. It was moved by the Hon. Jamie Martens:
That the committee report Bill No. 31, The Defamation Act with amendment.
The question being put, it was agreed to.
6. The committee considered Bill No. 32, The Defamation Consequential Amendments Act, 2025 / Loi de 2025 corrélative de la loi intitulée The Defamation Act.
The Minister of Justice and Attorney General and the following officials appeared before the committee and answered questions:
Witnesses
Hon.
Tim McLeod, Minister
Darcy
McGovern, Legal Executive Director
Maria Markatos, Director, Legislative Services
7. The questions being put on clauses 1 to 5, they were agreed to.
8. It was moved by Brad Crassweller:
That the committee report Bill No. 32, The Defamation Consequential Amendments Act, 2025 / Loi de 2025 corrélative de la loi intitulée The Defamation Act without amendment.
The question being put, it was agreed to.
9. The committee recessed from 4:04 p.m. until 4:09 p.m.
10. The committee considered the 2026–27 estimates and 2025–26 supplementary estimates no. 2 for the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General and the 2026–27 estimates for the Firearms Secretariat.
The following ministers and officials appeared before the committee and answered questions:
Witnesses
Ministry of Government Relations
Hon. Eric Schmalz, Minister
Ministry of Justice and Attorney General
Hon. Tim McLeod, Minister
Kimberly Kratzig, Deputy Minister
Max Bilson, Deputy
Attorney General
Brad Gurash, Assistant
Deputy Minister, Corporate Services
Rory Jensen, Assistant
Deputy Minister, Courts and Community Justice
Kylie Head, Assistant
Deputy Attorney General, Justice Services and Tribunals
Elizabeth Hilts,
Assistant Deputy Attorney General, Public Prosecutions
Darcy McGovern, Legal
Executive Director
Gina Alexander,
Executive Director, Community Safety and Well-Being
Cindy Hingley,
Executive Director, Financial Services
Maria Markatos,
Director, Legislative Services
Jeffrey Wagner, Chief
Coroner
Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority
Roger Sobotkiewicz, Chair and Chief
Executive Officer
Legal
Aid Saskatchewan
Jayne Mallin, Chief
Executive Officer
Saskatchewan
Firearms Office
Blaine Beaven,
Commissioner
Murray Cowan, Deputy
Commissioner and Chief Firearms Officer
Dan Dierker, Executive
Director, Corporate Services
Stephen Coote, Executive Advisor
12. The committee recessed from 6:34 p.m. until 7:01 p.m.
13. The committee considered the 2026–27 estimates and 2025–26 supplementary estimates no. 2 for the Ministry of Community Safety.
The Minister of Community Safety and the following officials appeared before the committee and answered questions:
Witnesses
Ministry
of Community Safety
Hon. Michael Weger,
Minister
Denise Macza, Deputy
Minister
Josh Freistadt, Assistant Deputy Minister, Supervision and
Rehabilitation Services
Scott Harron,
Assistant Deputy Minister, Custody Services
Wanda Lamberti,
Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services
Corey Zaharuk, Assistant Deputy Minister, Policing and Community
Safety Services
Dean Carey, Executive
Director, Offender Services
Chris Clemett, Executive Director, Engagement and Enterprise
Projects
Curtis Kosolofski, Executive Director, Contracts
Matt Mirasty,
Executive Director, First Nations and Indigenous Policing
Jeff Rowden, Executive
Director, Provincial Protective Services
Jill Rowden, Executive
Director, Central Services
Allison Stene,
Executive Director, Health Services
Ryan Clark, Director,
Infrastructure and Finance
James Githegi, Director, Financial and Resource Management
Nathanial Day,
Executive Advisor to the Deputy Minister
Saskatchewan
Marshals Service
Rob Cameron, Chief
Marshal
Thomas Sierzycki, Executive Director and Civilian Deputy Chief
Saskatchewan
Public Safety Agency
Marlo Pritchard,
President and Fire Commissioner
Laura Debassige, Vice-President, Corporate Services
Steve Roberts,
Vice-President, Operations
Devon Exner, Assistant
Deputy Minister, Recovery Task Team
Rizwan Ahmed,
Executive Director, Human Resources, Safety and Training
Peter Boniface,
Executive Director, Air Operations
Michelle Broda,
Executive Director, Finance and Corporate Services
Jeff Brown, Executive
Director, Recovery Task Team
Dave Cundall,
Executive Director, Corporate Planning
Noel McAvena, Executive Director, Provincial Disaster Assistance
Program
Dale Rockel, Director, Investigations and Emergency Response
14. The committee adjourned consideration of the 2026–27 estimates and 2025–26 supplementary estimates no. 2 for the Ministry of Community Safety.
15. The committee adjourned at 10:35 p.m. to the call of the Chair.
Blaine McLeod, Chair
Jessica Start, Committee Clerk
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