CONTENTS
TABLING THE SPEECH FROM
THE THRONE
Consideration of Speech
from the Throne
FOURTH
SESSION — TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE
of
the
Legislative Assembly of
Saskatchewan
DEBATES
AND PROCEEDINGS
(HANSARD)
N.S.
Vol. 65 No. 1A Wednesday, October 25,
2023, 14:00
The Speaker:
— Members of the Legislative Assembly, ladies and
gentlemen, please remain standing for the entrance of the Lieutenant Governor
and the Vice-Regal party.
[At
14:02 His Honour the Lieutenant Governor entered the Chamber and took his seat
upon the Throne. His Honour then opened the session with the following speech.]
SPEECH FROM THE THRONE
His
Honour: — Pray be seated.
Mr.
Speaker, members of the Legislative Assembly, honoured guests, people of
Saskatchewan.
Welcome
to the opening of the Fourth Session of the Twenty-Ninth Legislature of the
Province of Saskatchewan.
As we
gather today, it is an opportunity to reflect on all that we have achieved as a
province, while at the same time looking to the future, steadfast in the belief
that Saskatchewan’s best days are still ahead.
Over the
last 16 years, my government has worked to build a province worthy of the
confidence and pride of Saskatchewan people.
While we
continue to build, we must also protect all we have built.
During
this session, my government will continue to build and protect Saskatchewan.
Saskatchewan
has enjoyed unprecedented growth in recent years.
Saskatchewan
has grown by more than 200,000 people since 2007.
In the
past year alone, Saskatchewan has grown by more than 30,000 people — the
largest population growth in more than a century.
Since
2007, almost 180,000 newcomers from 186 countries have called Saskatchewan
home.
In true
Saskatchewan fashion, these newcomers have been welcomed with open arms by our
residents and have settled in more than 450 communities across this province.
Saskatchewan
is no longer the place to be from.
It is
the place to be.
It is
worth remembering that my government’s plan for population growth was once met
with derision by those who believed growth was simply not possible here.
But they
were wrong.
Today, a
growing population drives a growing economy.
The most
recent Statistics Canada Labour Force report for the month of September showed
there were 13,700 more people working in Saskatchewan than a year ago.
Saskatchewan
set all-time record highs for the month of September
for total employment, full-time employment, male employment, female employment,
Indigenous full-time employment and Indigenous youth full-time employment.
Saskatchewan’s
economy expanded by 5.7 per cent last year — leading all other provinces in
Canada.
The
Conference Board of Canada forecasts that Saskatchewan’s economic growth will
lead the country again in 2024.
But
growth is not the goal for its own sake.
Growth
has enabled my government to reinvest in Saskatchewan and its people.
Since
taking office in 2007, my government has been building Saskatchewan with almost
$66 billion invested in our province, including:
· 60 new schools and 30 major
school renovation projects;
· 35 major health projects
completed, under construction, or in planning including new hospitals, long
term care facilities, and urgent care centres;
· Nearly 20,000 kilometres of
highway repaired or improved;
· $193 million in capital
investments and preventative maintenance in Saskatchewan’s provincial parks;
· $780 million invested in
post-secondary infrastructure; and
· Over $22 billion in
Crown Corporation capital, including the expansion of wireless service to more
than 99 per cent of the province.
That’s
growth that works for everyone, from the family that pays thousands of dollars
less in provincial taxes than they did in 2007;
To the
more than 81,000 post-secondary graduates who have stayed in Saskatchewan and received
$739 million through the Graduate Retention Program;
To the
thousands of additional doctors, nurses and other health care professionals
treating patients across our province.
My
government will continue to build and grow Saskatchewan while protecting what
we have built for the benefit of current and future Saskatchewan residents.
BUILDING
A STRONG ECONOMY
Saskatchewan
is building a strong economy, and is on track to achieve many of my
government’s Growth Plan goals, including:
· 1.4 million people
living in Saskatchewan by 2030;
· Private capital investment of
$16 billion annually. In 2023, total private capital investment reached
$13.2 billion; and
· Agri-food exports of
$20 billion annually. In 2022, Saskatchewan’s agricultural exports hit
$18.2 billion — the largest on record.
Saskatchewan
has already achieved many goals in the 2030 Growth Plan, well ahead of
schedule.
These
include:
· Increasing the value of
Saskatchewan exports by 50 per cent. Export values have increased by over 70
per cent;
· Doubling meat processing and
animal feed value-added revenue to more than $1 billion. That target was
exceeded in 2021 with total revenue reaching $1.1 billion; and
· Increasing the value of
Saskatchewan manufacturing exports by 50 per cent. Manufacturing exports have
been steadily increasing and have already exceeded the 50 per cent increase
target.
Saskatchewan
is an exporting province.
What we
sell abroad creates thousands of jobs here at home.
My
government, alongside Saskatchewan exporters, has been actively promoting
Saskatchewan products to the rest of the world.
We have
what the world needs — food, fuel, and fertilizer.
At a
time of global uncertainty, Saskatchewan is the secure, reliable choice for
over 150 countries around the world.
My government
will continue to build and protect Saskatchewan’s export markets.
That is
why Saskatchewan has opened trade offices in nine countries: Vietnam, the
United Kingdom, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, Mexico, Germany, India, Japan and China.
This is
necessary because Saskatchewan has not been able to rely on the federal
government to promote Saskatchewan products abroad.
Saskatchewan
also produces some of the most environmentally sustainable food, fuel, fertilizer and other products anywhere on the planet.
Here is
just one example.
If all
oil-producing countries in the world adopted Saskatchewan’s environmental
regulations and practices, global greenhouse gas emissions from oil production
would be cut by almost a quarter.
That is
a tremendous success story and a great reason to buy Canadian oil that our
federal government should be telling the world.
But they
won’t, so we will.
Later
this year, the Premier and Saskatchewan will have a significant presence at the
COP28 Conference in the United Arab Emirates, where we will join with
Saskatchewan companies in promoting our province’s sustainable products to
representatives from virtually every country in the world.
COP28
will be a tremendous opportunity to promote sustainable Saskatchewan products
and to build and protect our export markets by providing the environmentally-friendly
goods and commodities the world is looking for.
While we
continue to tell Saskatchewan’s story and build our export markets abroad, my
government will also continue to build a stronger economy and create new jobs
here at home by attracting people, talent and business
investment to our province.
During
this session, my government will introduce a new Investment Attraction
Strategy.
This
strategy will attract new investment and create new jobs by building new
opportunities in emerging sectors, growing existing industries and connecting
the world to Saskatchewan.
While it
is important to foster relationships and build trade with other countries, we
must also build capacity within Canada.
As an
export reliant province, Saskatchewan companies must be able to quickly and efficiently transport goods to market.
Maintaining
and expanding a transportation network that seamlessly connects our province to
other jurisdictions and supports our supply chains is essential for
Saskatchewan businesses and exporters.
My
government recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Alberta and
Manitoba to strengthen economic corridors that support our supply chains.
The memorandum
commits the three provinces to jointly work to improve our transportation
system and to ensure the strength and competitiveness of our economies.
During
this session, my government will release a new Saskatchewan Jobs Plan to
recruit, train and retain a highly skilled workforce as part of our Growth Plan
goal to create 100,000 new jobs in Saskatchewan.
The
Saskatchewan Jobs Plan will:
· Ensure strong growth in the
province’s economy creates new job opportunities and careers for Saskatchewan
people — complementing my government’s investment attraction plan and preparing
the workforce of the future;
· Address the labour shortage
in key sectors of our economy and in public services such as health care, using
all the resources available to the province, including ensuring internationally-educated professionals can have their
credentials recognized in Saskatchewan;
· Expand employment,
educational and training opportunities for Indigenous people, Saskatchewan’s
natural resource sector; and
· Create opportunities for
young people, new entrants to the workforce and Saskatchewan residents by
tailoring training and education opportunities to meet the needs of our
communities.
Over the
past five years, First Nations and Métis employment in Saskatchewan is up 28
per cent and 92 per cent of Indigenous graduates of Saskatchewan Polytechnic
have employment upon graduation.
My
government is committed to increasing Indigenous employment and participation
in the economy, specifically in natural resource and value-added agricultural
project equity ownership, through the Saskatchewan Indigenous Investment
Finance Corporation.
Saskatchewan’s
agriculture industry remains a backbone of our economy.
Our
farmers and ranchers saw mixed results in 2023, with some areas experiencing
significant drought conditions while other parts of the province produced
record crops.
[14:15]
Overall,
our agriculture industry posted a third consecutive record year of agri-food
exports in 2022 and is on track to set more records this year.
From
January to June of 2023, agricultural exports were over $10 billion, up 35
per cent from 2022.
Our
producers are leaders in Canada’s industry, having developed and implemented
sustainable practices on their farms and ranches for generations.
My
government is proud of the work of our agricultural producers and stands with
them when they need assistance.
Saskatchewan
Crop Insurance average coverage increased to a record level of $446 per acre in
2023 and Crop Insurance is forecast to deliver over $1.6 billion in payouts to producers this year.
My
government is also supplying an additional $70 million to help offset
extraordinary costs of feeding livestock to maintain the breeding herd in
Saskatchewan.
PROTECTING
OUR ECONOMY
While
Saskatchewan continues to build a strong economy, our economic growth faces
threats like global instability, inflation and high
interest rates.
Incredibly,
one of the biggest threats to Saskatchewan’s economy is our own federal
government.
The
federal carbon tax increases the cost of everything we produce, manufacture,
transport to market, and buy.
The
federal Clean Electricity Standards and net-zero emissions targets are
unrealistic and unaffordable.
As our
Premier stated: “We will not risk plunging our homes, our schools, our
hospitals, our special care homes, our businesses into the cold and darkness
because of the ideological whims of others.”
Instead,
my government will continue to build affordable, reliable, sustainable power
generation and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
Our
resource sector is also under attack from our own federal government, through
its Clean Fuel Standard regulations and its proposed oil and gas emissions cap.
These
new regulations will kill thousands of jobs and devastate our resource sector,
which already follows some of the most environmentally-friendly
production practices in the world.
It makes
no sense, especially at a time that our national government should be promoting
Canadian oil and gas as a reliable and environmentally-sustainable
option to countries facing energy shortages.
Last
session, my government passed The Saskatchewan First Act to defend
Saskatchewan’s economic potential and provincial autonomy from federal
government overreach.
During
this session, my government will take the next step to defend our economy and
autonomy by using The Saskatchewan First Act to refer the federal Clean
Electricity Regulations, the Clean Fuel Standard regulations and the oil and
gas emissions cap to the Economic Impact Assessment Tribunal.
The
Tribunal will define, assess and report on the
economic harm caused by these destructive federal policies.
The
Supreme Court of Canada recently ruled that the federal government “overstepped
its constitutional competence” and the federal Impact Assessment Act is
unconstitutional.
In
light of this ruling, my government
is calling on the federal government to rethink the many other areas where it
is overstepping its constitutional competence, like electrical generation and
oil and gas production.
BUILDING
STRONG COMMUNITIES
My
government understands that higher interest rates and rising construction costs
have made it more expensive to build new homes.
In
order to promote new home
construction and protect new homeowners from rising costs, the Provincial Sales
Tax (PST) Rebate for New Home Construction, which ended on April 1st of this
year, will be reinstated and extended retroactive to April 1st.
This
rebate returns 42 per cent of PST paid — about 2.5 per cent of the total house
price, excluding the land value — for a new house.
This
program has the strong support of both homebuilders and those buying a new
home.
It will
result in more new homes being built and will help protect homeowners from
rising costs.
To help
those facing rising mortgage rates, my government will also introduce a
Secondary Suite Program.
This
program will help homeowners with the costs of building a rental suite within
their primary residence.
In
addition to helping homeowners with their mortgage costs, the Secondary Suite
program will increase the availability of rentals in Saskatchewan.
Communities
are more than bricks and mortar, more than buildings and roads.
Communities
are people, and government’s role is to build strong communities while at the
same time helping the most vulnerable.
Communities
across Canada are facing challenges with mental health and addictions.
Saskatchewan
is no exception.
My
government is focused on protecting those struggling with addictions.
Addictions
and mental health issues cannot be addressed without significant treatment
plans and facilities.
My
government will implement a new Action Plan for Mental Health and Addictions
with concrete, near-term actions to address the addictions issues impacting
individuals, families and communities across
Saskatchewan.
While
some jurisdictions have taken a different approach, my government will not be
supplying illicit drugs through our publicly-funded
healthcare system.
Instead,
our approach will be built on three pillars:
· Increasing capacity to get
more people the help they need;
· Improving the system to
better serve patients; and
· Transitioning to a
recovery-oriented system of care.
To
increase capacity, my government has set a new target of adding 500 new
addictions treatment spaces across the province so that more people can get the
help that they need to overcome their addictions and live healthy lives.
To
improve the system itself, my government has committed to implementing a
central intake for mental health and addictions treatment to better serve
patients.
My
government’s approach to harm reduction will increase access to addictions
treatment and support while reducing access to illegal drugs.
This is
the best approach to protect both those struggling with addictions and those
affected by their actions.
My
government is actively working with all levels of government, Indigenous and
community partners to address the complex issue of homelessness.
Building
on supports already in place for those in greatest need, my government recently
introduced a Provincial Approach to Homelessness.
This
approach will result in 155 new supportive housing units, 120 new permanent
emergency shelter spaces and increased support for transitions and community
safety.
My
government also recognizes that our emergency shelters are not always
well-suited to those struggling with addictions.
In
order to better assist those
individuals and ensure the safety of other clients in shelters, my government
will create 30 new Complex Needs Emergency Shelter spaces in Regina and
Saskatoon.
Saskatchewan
people deserve the highest quality health care services.
In 2007,
my government inherited a health care system decimated by hospital closures,
long-term care bed closures, declining numbers of doctors and nurses practicing
in Saskatchewan and the longest surgical wait times in Canada.
My
government set to work rebuilding the health care system.
Twenty-five
healthcare facilities have been built since 2007.
These
include the new hospitals in Humboldt and Moosomin, the new Saskatchewan
Hospital in North Battleford, the new Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital in Saskatoon and the new Dr. F. H. Wigmore Regional Hospital in Moose Jaw.
Long-term
care centres have been built in Meadow Lake, Swift Current, Prince Albert, Rosetown, Tisdale, Saskatoon and Watrous.
Integrated
facilities with both acute and long-term care beds have been built in Leader, Kelvington, Biggar, Kerrobert,
Maple Creek, Kipling, Radville, Redvers and Shellbrook.
In
addition to all of these projects, more are in stages
of planning and construction.
In the
2023‑2024 fiscal year, my government is providing:
· $100 million for the
construction of the Prince Albert Victoria Hospital;
· $12 million for capital
and operating funding for the Regina Urgent Care Centre;
· $3 million for the
Saskatoon Urgent Care Centre — in partnership with Ahtahkakoop
Cree Nation Development;
· $38 million for the
Weyburn Hospital project;
· $20 million for the new
long-term care facility in La Ronge and $10 million for the new long-term
care facility in Grenfell;
· Continued planning for
long-term care facilities in Estevan and Watson;
· $500 thousand each for the
Regina General Hospital Parkade and Yorkton Regional
Health Centre projects; and
· Planning money has been
committed for the new Rosthern Hospital, Battlefords District Care Centre and the Esterhazy Integrated Facility.
There
are now 1,000 more doctors and 5,000 more nurses practicing in Saskatchewan
compared to 2007.
But
there is more to be done.
My
government’s Health Human Resources Action Plan to recruit, train, incentivize,
and retain more health care workers has achieved significant success since
launching a year ago.
Since
its implementation, 728 new nursing graduates from the province and across
Canada have been hired.
In
August 2023, an accelerated, streamlined pathway for internationally educated
nurses was implemented, reducing licensing times from nine months to 14 weeks.
Nursing
recruits from abroad will be supported through the process, from recruitment to
their work placements and settlement in a new community.
Thirty-four
Registered Nurses (RNs) from the Philippines arrived in Saskatchewan this
summer.
Once
their clinical training is complete, these RNs will be eligible for licensing
and ready to begin working in Saskatchewan’s health system.
The
Saskatchewan Health Authority has also hired 19 Ukrainian newcomers into the
health care workforce since September 2022.
This
fall, up to 12 Physician Assistant positions will be added at community clinics
across the province.
An
investment of $1.3 million was included in the 2023‑24 provincial
budget to create Physician Assistant positions for the first time.
The
Rural and Remote Recruitment Incentive of up to $50,000 available to nine high
priority designations in 54 communities is seeing success, with 166 new hires
conditionally approved to date.
This
incentive covers healthcare professionals from a variety of disciplines, from
Registered Nurses to Medical Radiation Technologists and Continuing Care
Assistants.
Of the
250 new and enhanced permanent full-time position postings, there have been 203
hires.
These
positions are targeted to stabilize staffing in rural and remote areas of the
province.
The
Final Clinical Placement Bursary to support students in health disciplines with
their final clinical placement requirements has had 149 applications approved
since April 1, 2023.
The
Nursing Loan Forgiveness Program aims to attract nurses to smaller and
mid-sized communities.
This
fall, my government will build on this program and expand eligibility to
nursing professionals who choose to work in the communities of Prince Albert,
Moose Jaw, Swift Current, Yorkton and The Battlefords.
My
government is investing $25.2 Million in continued support for approximately
550 new post-secondary training seats for Saskatchewan students across 18
health training programs.
Additional
training seats for Medical Laboratory Technologists and Medical Radiologic Technologists
have been added at Saskatchewan Polytechnic this fall.
My
government is expanding the scope of practice for pharmacists, nurse
practitioners and advanced care paramedics to optimize their skills.
This
work will ensure patients receive the right care at the right time.
Providing
access to timely surgeries is a priority.
Saskatchewan
surgeons performed more than 24,000 surgeries in the first three months of 2023
— the highest number of surgeries ever performed in a three-month period.
The surgical
system is on track to eliminate the COVID-related backlog and return to a
pre-pandemic wait list by March 31, 2024.
Over
$7 million is dedicated this fiscal year to address wait times for
diagnostic imaging.
This
funding will deliver:
· CT services for an additional
10,500 patients;
· MRI services for an
additional 4,700 patients; and
· Interventional radiology for
an additional 150 patients.
PROTECTING
OUR COMMUNITIES
My
government is working to protect Saskatchewan communities in other ways.
Saskatchewan
residents can train to become firefighters right here at home.
My
government recently partnered with Suncrest College to establish the
Saskatchewan Emergency Response Institute, located outside of Melville.
It will
provide municipal firefighter education and train volunteer and industrial
firefighters.
Firefighters
are a part of every community in Saskatchewan, putting their lives on the line
to protect the residents of our province.
This
fall, my government will amend The Workers’ Compensation Act to expand
the list of cancers in the presumptive coverage for firefighters.
Saskatchewan
currently provides presumptive coverage to firefighters for 16 types of cancer.
This
legislation will add presumptive coverage for six more types of cancer: primary
site pancreatic, thyroid, penile, soft tissue sarcoma, mesothelioma
and laryngeal cancer, giving Saskatchewan the broadest presumptive cancer
coverage for firefighters of any province in Canada.
It is
with much gratitude that my government thanks these women and men who sacrifice
daily to keep us all safe.
[14:30]
My
government continues to work with Lung Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan Heart and
Stroke and the Canadian Cancer Society to reduce the incidence of smoking and
vaping, particularly among young people.
During
this session, my government will introduce legislation designed to reduce
smoking and vaping, including raising the legal consumption age from 18 to 19,
consistent with the age for alcohol and cannabis consumption.
PROTECTING
FAMILIES
A
growing population means more children in our daycares
and our schools.
In the
first two years of the Canada-Saskatchewan Early Learning and Child Care
Agreement, nearly 5,000 new spaces were created.
My
government understands the need to create more affordable childcare spaces
throughout the province.
That is
why nearly 2,500 new childcare spaces will be added in the coming months.
This
will bring the total number of new childcare spaces created in Saskatchewan
since 2007 to 10,521 — a 114 per cent increase.
Earlier
this year, my government delivered an additional $40 million to school
divisions to support increasing enrolment and classroom complexity.
This
means total operating funding has grown to $2.08 billion for the 2023‑24
school year, an increase of $89.4 million, or 4.5 per cent, over last
year.
In
Saskatchewan schools today, there are 705 more teachers, 570 more educational
assistants and 221 more student support staff positions than in 2007.
Since
2007, my government has invested $2.4 billion to build 60 new or
replacement schools and fund 30 major renovation projects in the communities of
Saskatoon, Regina, Martensville, Langenburg, Hudson Bay, Lloydminster, Swift
Current, Turnor Lake, Humboldt, Oxbow, Porcupine
Plain, Prince Albert, Weyburn, Rosthern, Blaine Lake, Lanigan, Warman and many
others.
My
government is investing $147 million this year to build:
· A Francophone school in Regina;
· St. Frances Cree Bilingual
School in Saskatoon;
· Kindergarten to Grade 12
school in Lanigan;
· Joint-use school in Moose Jaw;
· Elementary school in La Loche;
· Regina North joint-use school;
· Saskatoon City Centre school;
and
· Harbour Landing West
joint-use school in Regina.
Not all
education happens inside a traditional classroom.
My government
recently launched the Saskatchewan Distance Learning Centre (SDLC) to ensure
students have access to as many learning opportunities as possible, regardless
of where they live.
The SDLC
offers more than just regular courses.
The SDLC
has been busy reaching out to industry to form new partnerships that will
ensure our students will be well prepared to enter the growing job market here
in Saskatchewan.
These
partnerships have resulted in programs in areas such as agriculture equipment
technician, mechanical and automotive, autobody, tourism, power engineering and
animation.
Saskatchewan
Polytechnic has long been a cornerstone of advanced education and skills
training in Saskatchewan, offering over 150 programs to prepare students for
ever-changing workplace requirements.
Last
month, my government announced a major step forward for the future of
Saskatchewan Polytechnic, committing up to $200 million to a new
centralized Saskatoon campus which will be located at Innovation Place on the
University of Saskatchewan campus.
The new
campus will set the stage for an Innovation Corridor that brings together
business, entrepreneurs, students and other learning
institutions to create a centre of excellence in applied learning and research.
My
government continues to deliver meaningful supports to Saskatchewan seniors.
Since
2007, we have quadrupled support for low-income seniors through the Seniors
Income Plan, from $90 to $360 per month.
To
better support seniors, the Geriatric Evaluation and Management program in
Regina is being further enhanced to better serve southern Saskatchewan.
The
enhanced program will help assess and provide assistance to
seniors managing complex medical issues, provide social supports, assess
cognitive issues and assist with mental health issues.
My
government continues to take action to protect Saskatchewan people from the
threat of interpersonal violence.
In July,
my government signed on to the National Action Plan to End Gender Based
Violence.
We are
investing $27.5 million in interpersonal violence programs and supports
this year.
This
includes $876,000 in operational funding over three years to support second
stage housing, including intervention and counselling services for women and
their children leaving interpersonal violence and abuse.
My
government recently announced expanded funding for the second stage housing
pilot to include additional locations in Prince Albert and Regina, bringing the
three-year commitment for second stage shelters to $984,000.
We have
expanded the Child Support Calculation Service pilot project, which will allow
families to determine and re-calculate child support payments without needing
to go to court.
The
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Community Response Fund is an
important part of Saskatchewan’s actions to address issues raised by the
National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
The fund
supports Indigenous community approaches to violence prevention and enhancing
safety for Indigenous women and girls.
To date,
the fund has provided $400,000 in support of eight projects in southern, central and northern Saskatchewan.
My
government remains committed to protecting Saskatchewan people and communities.
Last
spring, Saskatchewan joined with other provincial and territorial governments
in calling on Ottawa to reform Canada’s broken bail system.
We will
continue this work by holding the federal government to account to make the
needed changes to the Criminal Code.
My
government will also continue to work with the federal government and First
Nations to develop solutions to First Nations policing issues and continue to
work with the Prince Albert Grand Council to look at self-administered policing
options.
During
this session, my government will introduce The Protection from Human
Trafficking (Coerced Debts) Amendment Act, which will relieve human
trafficking victims of negative credit factors incurred through coercion.
Rapid
Access Counselling serves adults in 24 communities across Saskatchewan.
This
year, my government will expand these mental health services to children and
youth in thirteen communities including Estevan, Weyburn, Carlyle, Oxbow,
Regina, Saskatoon, North Battleford, Humboldt, Prince Albert, Kindersley, Yorkton,
Swift Current and Moose Jaw.
New
residential homes for youth with complex mental health needs and addictions
issues will be opened in Saskatoon, Regina and Prince
Albert.
My
government has heard Saskatchewan people’s concerns about affordability and the
cost of living.
While
federal policies like the carbon tax and clean electricity regulations will
increase utility costs for Saskatchewan families, my government and
Saskatchewan’s Crowns are making every effort to keep utility costs as low as
possible.
Today,
Saskatchewan residents enjoy the second lowest utility bundle costs in Canada.
On
October 1st, SaskEnergy lowered natural gas costs by
24.5 per cent, resulting in an overall bill decrease of eight per cent for the
average residential customer.
Inflation
has caused cost of living pressures for everyone, particularly low-income
families.
During
this session, my government will introduce a new Saskatchewan Employment
Incentive program.
This
program will bolster the income of low-income working families with dependent
children by providing financial incentives for individuals to obtain and
maintain employment.
PROTECTING
OPPORTUNITIES
The
growth and successes Saskatchewan has realized over the past 16 years must be
protected.
Saskatchewan
feeds the world.
Irrigation
can protect future crop production.
Since
2020, over 34,000 acres have been irrigated in Saskatchewan.
The 2030
Growth Plan has a target of irrigating an additional 8,500 acres per year.
Saskatchewan
has seen almost double that target this year — 15,000 new irrigable acres — and
is on track to meet its 2030 target.
Our
province is blessed with an abundance of natural resources and my government
will ensure Saskatchewan remains at the forefront of opportunities.
The
Critical Minerals Strategy is putting Saskatchewan on the path to lead the
country in mining exploration and development.
Opportunities
are already being realized with the first carbon neutral copper mine in the
world being built in McIlvenna Bay by Foran Mining.
Another
great summer has just concluded in Saskatchewan’s beautiful provincial parks,
with more than 900,000 park visits.
Improvements
continue to be made, including a new group pavilion at Rowan’s Ravine, a new
visitor reception centre at Crooked Lake and a new 40 site serviced campground
at Meadow Lake Provincial Park.
The
Creative Saskatchewan Film and Television Grant continues to attract new
productions to our province.
Through
the assistance of the Film and Television Grant, 25 new film and television
productions began filming in the past year, 20 of which have completed
production.
My
government is grateful for the service and sacrifice of military veterans and
their families.
We
honour that service by providing $1.5 million annually to the Saskatchewan
Veterans Support Club Program.
As
Remembrance Day approaches, many Saskatchewan residents show their gratitude
and honour our veterans by donating to the Royal Canadian Legion Poppy Campaign
and by wearing a poppy.
While no
one is required to wear a poppy, no one should ever be prevented from doing so.
That is
why my government will introduce The Saskatchewan Remembrance Observance Act
to protect individuals’ right to wear a poppy in all Saskatchewan workplaces.
Sound
financial management protects future generations by ensuring resources are
available to deliver vital programs and services, both today and in the years
ahead.
Surplus
provincial budgets last year and this year have enabled my government to pay
down $2.5 billion of the debt incurred during the pandemic, resulting in
interest savings of $110 million per year — savings that are used to
support important programs, services and
infrastructure for Saskatchewan people.
CONCLUSION
There
are so many opportunities right here in Saskatchewan, regardless of whether
you’ve lived here all your life or you are brand new
to our province.
Saskatchewan
has built a strong foundation — a foundation of a strong economy, of strong
communities where families can grow and thrive, and of opportunities for those
who seek them.
A strong
and growing province means more homes, more businesses, more families, more
opportunities, more careers and more futures have been
built, right here in Saskatchewan.
It means
more hospitals, more schools and more highways have
been built right here in Saskatchewan.
And it
means there is so much more to be built in the years ahead.
My
government, together with the people of our great province, will keep building
Saskatchewan.
And we
will protect all we have built.
I now
leave you to the business of the session, knowing that you will favourably
discharge your duties and responsibilities.
May
divine providence continue to bless our province and guide this Assembly in all
its deliberations.
God
bless Saskatchewan.
God
bless Canada.
God save
the King.
The Speaker:
— I invite Elder Betty McKenna to come forward.
Ms. McKenna:
— I’m going to do something that I learned from Cadmus. I put it on the phone.
When you get to my age, you forget where you are halfway through the sentence.
[Elder
McKenna spoke for a time in Saulteaux.]
[14:45]
O
Great Spirit, I ask you to bless everyone in the province of Saskatchewan. I
ask you, O Great Spirit, to place your hand on every resident, no matter
how large, small. I’m talking about our bees, our ants before I get to our
humans. We need them to help us.
O
Great Spirit, bless them, and bless us that we may keep them. It would be
terrible to lose the most precious ones that we have.
Great
Spirit, I ask that you bless us in the morning when the sun comes up, that you
bless every human, that you give them their heart’s desire. And we don’t know
what anyone’s heart’s desire is, but we can stand beside one another and bless
you and wish you well on your journey in life.
O
Great Spirit, I ask that we have everlasting peace in our province.
O
Great Spirit, I ask you to guide us and to simply help one another to reach out
and be there.
[Elder
McKenna spoke for a time in Saulteaux.]
The Speaker:
— I invite Archbishop Donald Bolen to come forth.
Mr.
Bolen: — Lieutenant Governor, Mr.
Premier, Leader of the Opposition, all elected officials, members of the
judiciary, all gathered here today, thank you for the invitation to lead a
prayer.
It’s
not an easy time to be in leadership, whether political, religious, or in other
spheres of life, and we all need help, wisdom, and humility. So
I would invite you all to enter into an internal space of silence, coming
before God, before the Creator, before whoever you understand yourself to be
accountable. Then I will offer a brief prayer out of the Catholic tradition and
a blessing which I hope will in some way speak to and cover each of you.
In
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Lord
God, we ask you to be present today and on each day
when elected leaders gather in this place. May this place be a home to deep
listening and discernment of the common good. May it be a place of rigorous
dialogue in the pursuit of truth, peace, and justice.
Send
your spirit to support and guide each of the members of the legislature as they
carry out their work. Help them to exercise their authority at the service of
others, to walk in humility and gentleness, to be especially attentive to those
in greatest need in our society. Help them to find strength in their generous
giving of themselves, that others’ lives may be better as a
result of their service.
May
they pursue dialogue to resolve conflicts and address complex issues. May they
strive to build up unity at a time of polarization, harmony at a time of deep
divisions. May they listen to the cry of the poor, the cry of the earth, and
seek constructive ways to respond which rise above differences and divisions
and inspire the people of Saskatchewan to likewise respond, each in our own
ways, to the needs of others. Help us all to be artisans of truth and
reconciliation in this, our Treaty 4 territory.
Lord
God, I ask you to extend a blessing over all those gathered and all members of
the Legislative Assembly as I pray the prayer of St. Francis for all of us:
Lord, make us instruments of
your peace.
Where there is hatred, may we
sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness,
joy.
O Divine Master, grant that
we may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we
are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we
are born to eternal life.
Amen.
The Speaker:
— Thank you, Elder McKenna and Archbishop Bolen.
[At
14:50 His Honour retired from the Chamber.]
The Speaker:
— I will begin with the traditional Assembly prayer. All please rise.
Present us, O Lord, in all
our doings with thy most gracious favour and further us with thy continued
help, that in all our works, begun, continued, and ended in thee, we may
glorify thy holy name, and finally by thy mercy attain everlasting life. Amen.
Please
be seated. I recognize the Premier
INTRODUCTION OF BILLS
Pro Forma Bill
Hon. Mr. Moe:
—
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move that a bill respecting the administration of
oaths of office now be introduced and read the first time.
The Speaker:
— It has been moved by the Hon. Premier that the said bill be now introduced
and read the first time. Is it the pleasure of the Assembly to adopt the
motion?
Some Hon. Members:
—
Agreed.
Clerk:
— First reading of this bill.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Introduction of Pages
The Speaker: — I wish to inform the Assembly that the
Pages for this session will be Caitlin Fitzpatrick,
Chasity Gyorfi, Tahera Hussain, Brylee
Jeffries, and Kaleela Sangwais-Thomson.
TABLING THE SPEECH FROM THE
THRONE
The Speaker:
— I wish to inform the Assembly that in order to
prevent mistakes, I have obtained a copy of the speech of His Honour the
Lieutenant Governor, which I now lay on the Table.
I
recognize the Premier.
MOTIONS
Consideration of Speech from
the Throne
Hon. Mr. Moe:
—
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move:
That the speech of His Honour
the Lieutenant Governor be taken into consideration on Thursday, October the
26th, 2023.
The Speaker:
— It has been moved by the Premier:
That the speech of His Honour
the Lieutenant Governor be taken into consideration on Thursday, October 26th,
2023.
Is
it the pleasure of the Assembly to adopt the motion?
Some Hon. Members:
—
Agreed.
The Speaker:
— Carried. I recognize the Premier.
Hon. Mr. Moe:
—
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move that this House now adjourn.
The Speaker:
— Before putting the question on the adjournment motion, I have a few
announcements to make.
I
would like to thank all the guests, the members of the public for joining us
today.
I
want to thank the members of the judiciary from the Court of Appeal, the Court
of King’s Bench, and the Provincial Court for your attendance today.
I
would like to welcome the vocal jazz group from Regina’s Michael A. Riffel High School. They are seated in the west gallery. I
will be calling on them to sing for us in a few minutes.
Thank
you again to Elder Betty and Archbishop Donald Bolen for taking part in today’s
ceremony.
Thank
you to Miles Newman for playing the Vice-Regal Salute this afternoon.
I
would like to thank the members of the various Saskatchewan-based regular and
reserve force units for providing us with the guard of honour earlier this
afternoon.
I
would like to invite everyone to join Their Honours, the Premier, the Leader of
the Opposition, and members of the Legislative Assembly at the Speaker’s tea
which will take place immediately following the Chamber ceremony. The tea will
be in two locations: room 218 in the west wing and the library reading room in
the east wing.
It
has been moved by the Premier that this House do now adjourn. Is it the
pleasure of the Assembly to adopt the motion?
Some Hon. Members:
—
Agreed.
The Speaker:
— Carried.
I
would now like to welcome the vocal jazz choir from Michael A. Riffel High School under the direction of Stacy Allan. They
will be singing two songs for us: “Lullaby to an Ancient River” and “Sisi Ni
Moja.” Ladies and gentlemen, the Riffel vocal jazz
choir.
[The
choir sang.]
[15:00]
The Speaker:
— On behalf of all present, I’d like to thank the choir for that very fine
performance.
One
final announcement. I ask that members and guests observe the following order
when departing from the Chamber: Speaker’s party; His Honour’s party; Premier
and Provincial Secretary; Leader of the Opposition; judges of the Court of
Appeal, King’s Bench, and Provincial Court; members of the cabinet and their
spouses; other members of the Legislative Assembly and their spouses; guests.
This
House now stands adjourned until tomorrow, Thursday, October 26th at 10 a.m.
[The
Assembly adjourned at 15:04.]
Disclaimer:
The electronic versions of the Legislative Assembly's documents are provided
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printed record; only the presentation differs unless otherwise noted. The
printed versions are the official record for legal purposes.