The Speaker: — Yesterday the Opposition House Leader stood on a point of order in regard to comments the member from Yorkton made during his member’s statement, which she said were false. She has alleged he violated rule 51(e) which reads, quote, when a motion is under debate, no member shall “use offensive, provocative or threatening language.”

The Government House Leader argued that the Opposition House Leader’s statement was a matter for debate rather than a point of order. I did not find the member’s language to be offensive, provocative, or threatening. Many Speakers, including myself, have ruled that disputes over facts are matters for debate. For this reason I find the point of order not well taken.

Before I conclude, I want to remind members of your Code of Ethical Conduct that states, “To our colleagues in this Assembly, we owe loyalty to shared principles, respect for differences, and fairness in political dealings.” I ask that you heed these principles.

ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS

INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS

The Speaker: — I recognize the Minister of Agriculture.

Hon. Mr. Marit: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I ask leave for an extended introduction.

The Speaker: — Leave has been requested for an extended introduction. Is leave granted?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Hon. Mr. Marit: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To you and through you, seated in your gallery today is a group of dedicated volunteers, the Saskatchewan volunteer crop reporters. These individuals take time out of their own busy schedules to provide extremely valuable information to the province. They are the eyes and the ears of our agriculture community, providing information that is extremely important to the industry and fuels the Ministry of Agriculture’s weekly Crop Report.

Each year we celebrate crop reporters who have put in decades of work, celebrating 25, 30, 40, and 45 years of service. I’d like to take the opportunity to recognize the crop reporters here today, and I’d ask . . . I know I can’t see them all, but I’d ask that they give a wave when I introduce them.

For 25 years of service: John and Margaret Raine from the RM [rural municipality] of Bratt’s Lake, David Blechinger from the RM of Pleasant Valley, Brian Bencharski from the RM of Kinistino, Dale Davis from the RM of Parkdale, and Tom Brown from the RM of Mervin. Additionally we would like to take a moment to honour the memory of David Frecon, the RM of Antler, who dedicated 25 years of service to the Crop Report.

Thirty years of service: Marcel and Diane Perrin from the RM of Duck Lake. Forty years of service: Lawrence Beckie from the RM of McCraney, and Keith Stacey from the RM of Moose Range. And 45 years of service, Mr. Speaker: Glen and Liz MacKenzie from the RM of Pinto Creek, and Dave Ehman from the RM of Craik.

Decades of service like these reporters have dedicated is no small feat, Mr. Speaker. The volunteerism they demonstrate sets a great example for our province. I ask that all MLAs [Member of the Legislative Assembly] join me in expressing our sincere gratitude and appreciation for their contributions and dedication to the agriculture sector here in the province of Saskatchewan. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker: — I recognize the member from Regina Rosemont.

Mr. Wotherspoon: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I couldn’t be more pleased to join the minister on behalf of the official opposition in bringing heartfelt thanks to these incredible volunteers in our world-leading sector of agriculture here in this province. We have world-class producers, a world-class ecosystem for agriculture, world-class innovators. And it’s all built upon volunteers like you, the crop reporters who have done invaluable work and invaluable service to this province and to producers in your regions and to all of Saskatchewan for many, many years.

The dedication that you’ve demonstrated through 25, 30, 40, and 45 years is nothing short of remarkable. And on behalf of the official opposition we join with the minister to say, thank you so very much.

The Speaker: — I recognize the Minister of Energy and Resources.

Hon. Mr. Reiter: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, to you and through you to this Assembly it’s my pleasure to join with the Minister of Agriculture in welcoming the crop reporters, in particular two of them, Mr. Speaker. Good friends of mine. Dave and Alva Blechinger from the RM of Pleasant Valley, Mr. Speaker. My former employer the RM of Pleasant Valley was. Dave and Alva have been friends for many, many years. I can remember distinctly being at their wedding, which feels like just a few years ago. And I also distinctly remember, shortly after I was married, I remember Dave sabotaging my house.

So, Mr. Speaker, regardless of that, it’s great to see them here today. And I’d ask all members to please join with me in giving them a warm welcome to their Legislative Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker: — I recognize the member from Cut Knife-Turtleford.

Mr. Domotor: — To you and through you, Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to introduce in your gallery Tom Brown, who is accompanied here today with his wife, Janet, and daughter Virginia. He’s not only the recipient being recognized today for his 26 years of dedication as a crop reporter, but is also a constituent of mine. Mr. Speaker, he also happens to be the former reeve of the rural municipality of Mervin, which was my employer before I took on this new role as the MLA.

In the years that I had the privilege of working with Tom, Mr. Speaker, he provided leadership in the community and always tried to ensure that decisions made by council were what was best for the ratepayers and the RM as a whole. He always impressed me with his genuine sincerity to listen to comments provided by ratepayers, council members, and administration before formulating his own opinion. I believe this is just one of the qualities that made him a respected and valued leader in our community.

Mr. Speaker, I would ask that all members of this Assembly join me in welcoming Tom and Janet Brown, as well as their daughter, Virginia Labbie, to their Legislative Assembly.

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

Hon. Mr. Wyant: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, to you and through you and to all members of the Assembly, I’d like to introduce the newest member of my advanced office team, James Kress. And he’s accompanied by Michelle Lang and by Karalee McLeod, who are all well known to members of the Assembly.

Mr. Speaker, James is a recent graduate from the University of Regina where he majored in computer science. I was pleased to be in attendance at his convocation just a couple of weeks ago. Mr. Speaker, James was awarded the University Prize in Science, which is a testament to his hard work and his dedication to his education. Not only did James excel during his time at the U of R [University of Regina], Mr. Speaker, I’m pleased to tell you he’s a car enthusiast and a motorcycle enthusiast and so he fits in very, very well in our office, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I might get some arguments from some of my colleagues in the building, but I am fortunate, Mr. Speaker, to have some of the best staff in the building. And James is a great addition to that, and we’re all very excited to have him. Mr. Speaker, I’d ask all members to help me congratulate James on his recent achievements and his convocation, and help me welcome him to his Legislative Assembly.

The Speaker: — I recognize the Minister of Environment.

Hon. Ms. Tell: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To you and through you and to all members of this Assembly, seated in the west gallery, I’d like to introduce 27 grade 6 students from Jack MacKenzie Elementary School in Regina Wascana Plains. Accompanying them today is their teacher, Ashley Myrah.

And hopefully right after question period I’ll be able to meet you at the staircase and we’ll have a few questions and answers together. And no ice cream today. Sorry, guys. Anyway I ask all members to help me in welcoming this school group to our Legislative Assembly.

The Speaker: — I recognize the member from Regina Rosemont.

Mr. Wotherspoon: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to just say a warm shout-out to the group from Jack MacKenzie. Stephanie, my wife, she teaches there. Of course, Mr. Speaker, she’s their phys ed teacher. I just had a chance to speak with them before they came in here. She’s also their teacher-librarian.

I had a wonderful chat with pretty much all of the kids there, Mr. Speaker, except for one wise guy who asked . . . He says, are you Ms. Wotherspoon’s dad? Mr. Speaker, despite that, I want to welcome all these amazing students and Ms. Myrah to their Assembly, Mr. Speaker.

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

Mr. Love: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Request leave for an extended introduction.

The Speaker: — Leave has been requested for an extended introduction. Is leave granted?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

The Speaker: — Carried.

Mr. Love: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To you and through you I’d like to welcome two families seated in your gallery. And I’ll have an opportunity to honour them and their work in our city and our province in an upcoming member’s statement. I want to take this opportunity to welcome them.

To Shaun and Katarina Nechvatal and their children that are here — Anika, Dominic, and Benjamin. Just an incredible family. In my community in Eastview, Shaun and Katarina are both educators in the Catholic system in Saskatoon. And not only do they serve our community day in and day out in the classroom — legendary careers as educators — they do so much outside the classroom, so much set in the world of athletics.

They’re involved in basketball in particular at the community level through Saskatoon Minor Basketball Association, through SSSAD [Saskatoon Secondary Schools Athletic Directorate] at the high school level, collegiate level in Saskatoon. They’re just amazing community members that I’ve had the honour to chat with on their doorstep and stay in touch since getting elected. And I’m just so proud that they’ve made the journey here today to be here in their Assembly for the upcoming member’s statement.

We’re also joined by Sharlene McNairn and her children Ethan, Rhodes, and Rion. And Sharlene’s also an educator in the public system. And it’s wonderful that they’ve made an out-of-school field trip here today for their children, for their families to make a day out of this trip so that they can be honoured for everything that they’ve done.

I can’t wait to share more about that in a few minutes in a member’s statement, because they truly are just the best of the best in terms of how far they go to give back to our community in the areas that they’re passionate, in particular — I’ll say more in a minute — through the cystic fibrosis community. And the work that they’ve done to raise funds, to advocate for families like theirs around Saskatchewan has done so much and it makes all of us proud. I’d ask all members to join me in welcoming them to their Legislative Assembly.

PRESENTING PETITIONS

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

Ms. Mowat: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise once again today to present a petition to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan to act on a suicide prevention strategy. These citizens wish to bring to our attention: that The Saskatchewan Strategy for Suicide Prevention Act received Royal Assent on April 30th, 2021; that the ministry is required under the Act to consult with community organizations in the development of a robust suicide prevention strategy.

We know that suicide remains the leading cause of death for teenagers in Saskatchewan, Mr. Speaker, and that suicide rates for Indigenous people in Saskatchewan are four times higher than non-Indigenous people. Northern Saskatchewan is especially hit hard by this and continues to experience high levels of suicide and overdose deaths.

I’ll 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 work with community organizations and leaders in the North to develop Saskatchewan’s suicide prevention strategy.

This is signed by individuals from North Battleford and Saskatoon. I do so present.

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

Mr. Love: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s my honour to rise again and present this petition to the Assembly calling for adequate funding for education in our province. Those who signed this petition would like us to know that in this budget year the funding is wholly inadequate and will again lead to cuts in the classroom.

This Assembly should know by now that in the last 10 years we have gained over 19,000 new students. We have 157 fewer teachers in our schools. We have seen an 80 per cent reduction in teacher-librarians, a reduction in in-school counsellors, a reduction to those supports that our young people need.

[10:15]

And this government isn’t listening. Hopefully they’ll listen to the thousands of people that gathered on the steps of this legislature, to the thousands of people that are gathering in these mini-rallies that I would say are anything but mini outside the offices of the members opposite, including one coming up this Saturday in North Battleford.

Mr. Speaker, it’s unacceptable. And if this government wanted to solve these problems, they could do so today.

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 provide adequate, sustainable, and predictable operating funds for our 27 public and separate school divisions to ensure that schools, teachers, and other caring professionals are able to meet the needs of every student in Saskatchewan.

Today’s petition is signed by residents of Saskatoon. I do so present.

The Speaker: — I recognize the member from Regina University.

Ms. A. Young: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’m proud to rise today on World Fertility Day and present a petition to the Legislative Assembly calling for the funding of in vitro fertilization treatments, Mr. Speaker.

The undersigned residents of the province of Saskatchewan wish to bring to your attention the following: one in six couples in Canada experience infertility, and that IVF [in vitro fertilization] treatments are prohibitively expensive, with one cycle typically costing upwards of $10,000. Despite public health care being a right in Canada there is no government financial support for Saskatchewan people requiring IVF treatments; and that Saskatchewan people’s ability to conceive should not depend on their socio-economic status; that investing in people determined to grow their families here in Saskatchewan makes economic sense; and that other provinces in Canada have created programs that financially assist in providing IVF treatments to those desperate to conceive.

I’ll read the prayer:

We, in the prayer that reads as follows, respectfully request that the Government of Saskatchewan immediately move to cover the financial burden of two rounds of IVF treatment for Saskatchewan people experiencing infertility.

Mr. Speaker, the signatories of this petition today are from Coronach. I do so submit.

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

Ms. Sarauer: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise again today to present a petition calling on the government to improve labour laws in Saskatchewan. Those who’ve signed this petition wish to bring to our attention the following: that even after the October 1st increase, Saskatchewan’s minimum wage remains the lowest in Canada at $14 an hour, and the opposition has been calling for $15‑an-hour minimum wage since 2018.

Mr. Speaker, the opposition has twice also introduced paid sick leave legislation, calling for a minimum of 10 paid sick days each year and 14 days during a public health crisis. Paid sick leave has been proven to save employers money while making workplaces healthier and safer for all workers.

Mr. Speaker, 71 per cent of workers in Canada have experienced workplace violence and/or harassment, and much more needs to be done to ensure that workplaces in Saskatchewan are harassment free.

I’d like to 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 improve conditions for Saskatchewan workers by passing legislation to increase the minimum wage; guarantee paid sick leave; limit nondisclosure agreements which could silence survivors of workplace harassment; and require employers to track and report incidents of violence and harassment in the workplace.

The individuals signing this petition today come from Balgonie and Regina. I do so present.

STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

The Speaker: — I recognize the member from Cannington.

Volunteers’ Contribution to Saskatchewan’s Crop Report

Mr. D. Harrison: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Saskatchewan’s Crop Report is one of the most popular publications in government during the growing season. Many people, including producers, agri-businesses, and the media, rely on this information for their daily operations. The report informs the people of Saskatchewan and beyond what is happening in the fields across the province.

As the Minister of Agriculture noted earlier, we are joined today by the volunteer crop reporters who take time out of their very busy schedules to provide extremely valuable information to the province. From seeding to harvest, crop reporters diligently report on the status of rainfall and moisture conditions, seeding and haying and harvest progress, crop and hay yields, livestock feed supplies, and pasture conditions.

This growing season was another challenging one, with producers losing crops to drought, grasshoppers, and other conditions. For producers trying to navigate these challenges, the information provided by these volunteers for the Crop Report is vital. The report helps inform decisions made in fields and pastures across the province. And beyond our borders, it is used by traders and investors around the globe. It signals to our trading partners that we are on track to once again provide the agricultural products they need.

I would like to thank the group of dedicated volunteers here today for their service in providing the information needed for Saskatchewan’s Crop Report. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Hoops for Hope Basketball Fundraiser

Mr. Love: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to recognize the team at Hoops for Hope Saskatoon run by Shaun and Katarina Nechvatal and Sharlene McNairn, and of course, their families who have joined us here today.

For the past 13 years, Hoops for Hope has hosted a three-on-three basketball fundraiser in the community to support cystic fibrosis research. Since its inception in 2010, Hoops for Hope has been a beacon of hope for those battling cystic fibrosis. Year after year, the Hoops for Hope event has brought the community together, fostering a spirit of unity, sportsmanship, and compassion.

Through this fundraiser, they’ve managed to raise over $500,000 in support of cystic fibrosis research, treatment, and advocacy. It’s more than just a basketball tournament, it’s a testament to the power of collective action and the ability to affect positive change.

Mr. Speaker, while we bid farewell to this annual tradition, let us remember the countless lives they’ve touched and the strides they’ve made towards a world where cystic fibrosis is no longer a threat.

Thank you to Shaun, Katarina, and Sharlene and their families who are here today. Thanks to their volunteers, supporters, and participants — everyone involved at Hoops for Hope — for their incredible dedication, passion, and heart. Your 13 years of tireless work have left a lasting mark, and our province is forever grateful for the hope you’ve brought into the lives of those affected by cystic fibrosis. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker: — I recognize the member from Martensville-Warman.

Operation Christmas Child

Mr. Jenson: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It won’t be long and families all over our province will be celebrating Christmas. So it’s a good reminder that the 2023 Operation Christmas Child shoebox collection season is under way.

Mr. Speaker, individuals, families, churches, businesses, sports teams, and community groups are now packing shoeboxes with toys, school supplies, and hygiene items, plus personal notes and photos to be delivered to children in need around the world.

Mr. Speaker, among the organizations around the province that will be doing the same, Bergthaler Mennonite Church in my home community of Warman will be accepting donations during National Shoebox Collection Week from November 13th to 19th. Shoeboxes can also be packed online at packabox.ca.

Mr. Speaker, Operation Christmas Child is an annual initiative of Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief organization that works in more than 100 countries. Last year, Mr. Speaker, Canadians filled more than 415,000 shoeboxes with gifts that shared God’s love and hope with struggling children in West Africa, Central America, Ukraine, and Philippines. Mr. Speaker, since 1993 Operation Christmas Child has collected and distributed more than 200 million shoebox gifts in more than 100 countries.

Mr. Speaker, each shoebox that is delivered to drop-off locations throughout the world by November 19th will make a long journey into the arms of children around the world. Operation shoebox will ultimately bring some joy to less fortunate children who need it more than ever. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker: — I recognize the member from Regina University.

Resumption of Airline Routes in Saskatchewan

Ms. A. Young: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Nine months ago business leaders, municipal champions, and the Leader of the Official Opposition called on this government to fix the airline fiasco that has occurred under their watch. Jason Aebig, the CEO [chief executive officer] of the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce, said that the decision of airlines to remove routes from Saskatoon negatively affected business in his city.

It’s unfortunate that the only way airlines will fly in and out of Saskatchewan is with a minimum revenue guarantee from this government, but it’s good to have business travel back in Saskatoon.

Now last February, the minister promised that Regina was next, and yet here eight months later and Regina continues to do without. We have so much to offer the world here in Regina and would hate to lose corporate jobs and visitor revenue. American visitors make up 8 per cent of overnight spending in our tourist economy, and our remarkable hospitality and service sectors are still struggling to recover. We need those dollars more than ever.

Now, Mr. Speaker, it’s been eight months that Regina’s economy has been waiting for this government to pay attention and show the same level of care that it has shown to Saskatoon. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of our corporate leaders and small businesses and our airport authority, we call on this government to take immediate action today.

The Speaker: — I recognize the member from Athabasca.

Investment in Roads Benefits Forestry Industry

Mr. Lemaigre: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The forestry industry holds a paramount position within Saskatchewan’s economy. Being a landlocked province, we remain constant in our efforts to ensure the safe and efficient transportation of our valued resources to the market.

In May of this year, our government proudly announced a $6 million investment dedicated to the preservation and the upkeep of our northern road infrastructure, a critical lifeline for our thriving forestry sector. Mr. Speaker, I’m pleased to report that we are continuously progressing towards our growth plan’s objective of doubling the size of our forestry industry. By allocating additional resources to the North, we are committed to enhancing the safety and reliability of key transportation arteries such as Highway 165, 912, 913, and 123, which facilitates the movement of goods originating from our mills.

Hamish Doughty, the vice-president of Paper Excellence, eloquently articulated the significance of this investment when he remarked, “Investing in our roads reduces costs, which makes us more competitive.” I wholeheartedly agree. Through collaborative efforts we can elevate Saskatchewan to a global leader in trade by fortifying our transportation infrastructure. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

New Pork Processing Facility

Mr. B. McLeod: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today is a great day in Moose Jaw and, by extension, the constituency of Lumsden-Morse. North 49 Foods has officially opened its new sow harvest and processing facility on the west side of Moose Jaw. This is the first new pork processing facility developed in Canada in over a decade and represents a major step forward for the local economy and pork industry.

Mr. Speaker, the opening event last Saturday was attended by the Premier, several MLAs, and Moose Jaw’s mayor, Clive Tolley. The total investment into the project from Donald’s Fine Food groups was over $60 million, the largest investment to date for them. The plant also received its first shipment of sows today and will employ 80 people at start-up before increasing to 200 employees once operations are in full swing.

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to developing good jobs in the Lumsden-Morse and Moose Jaw areas. With the support of Sask Pork, we’ve contributed $1 million toward installing a special cull line to keep the facility clean and handle any infectious disease outbreaks.

On behalf of the Government of Saskatchewan, congratulations to company founder Donald Leung on 30 years of Donald’s Fine Foods, and thank you for your continued investment in Saskatchewan. We’re excited about the new opportunities this brings to the local economy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker: — I recognize the member from Lloydminster.

Opposition Support for Carbon Tax

Ms. C. Young: — Mr. Speaker, it appears the Opposition House Leader wants to get into a debate on the NDP’s [New Democratic Party] support for a carbon tax. Here is some useful information for her debate prep.

Her leader, Cam Broten, in 2016: “We need to put a price on carbon.” Her leader, Ryan Meili, in 2018: “I think carbon pricing is a model that works.” The same leader from his leadership platform: “Support a national approach to carbon pricing.” And then they voted him in as leader.

Once leader, he called our fight against the carbon tax pointless, costly, and futile, because he supports the carbon tax. Not to be outdone, her current leader voted against our motion condemning the federal carbon tax. It’s in Hansard, on page 869, October 25th, 2016. She can check it out for herself.

And the support continues with her new MLAs. Member for Regina Walsh Acres: “We’ve had the carbon tax come out. That is one action that we’d be taking to try and reduce our emissions.” Same member: “My take on the carbon tax, I’m in favour.” Member for Saskatoon Nutana: “We know it’s time for action using all the tools at our disposal, including placing a price on carbon.”

If that’s not enough information for the Opposition House Leader for her debate prep, no worries, I have more. It’s crystal clear. She just has to ask.

QUESTION PERIOD

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

[10:30]

Canada Pension Plan and Federal Carbon Tax

Ms. Beck: — Mr. Speaker, this tired and out-of-touch government isn’t focused on helping families with the cost of living. Instead of being there to provide support and certainty, they’re adding costs and they’re sowing division. Now one of the best tools that we have to provide a little certainty for seniors in this province is Canada’s pension plan. It’s there when you need it. It’s secure, or at least it has been.

Now next door in Alberta, the UCP [United Conservative Party] seems hell-bent on dragging Alberta out of the CPP [Canada Pension Plan]. And the government, this government, has floated the idea before. Now will the Premier commit today to keeping Saskatchewan in CPP so that Saskatchewan people can count on this cost-of-living security?

The Speaker: — I recognize the Minister of Finance.

Hon. Ms. Harpauer: — Mr. Speaker, we do understand the value of the CPP to residents in our province, and we will be watching very closely on what Alberta is doing. Now keeping in mind that the process for them to actually apply to be removed from CPP will be years and years in the making, because there’ll be the division of the funds and that will be in dispute, I would think, for a number of years. And they have committed to a referendum but not until those calculations are done.

What is pressing and urgent, quite frankly, is the inequity that’s being created from Ottawa on the carbon tax, Mr. Speaker. That’s what’s pressing and urgent. That’s what this government is discussing, not something that won’t happen for a decade or more.

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

Ms. Beck: — Well, Mr. Speaker, I notice that the Premier did not find his feet to answer that. And that was less than a reassuring answer from the Minister of Finance. Now, Mr. Speaker, people in this province are facing a cost-of-living crisis, and one of the things that people have been able to count on is the promise of the CPP.

Now the reckless proposal from Danielle Smith, whose lead the Premier often seems to want to follow, won’t just impact Albertans. It’ll weaken the plan for all Canadians and will remove portability for Saskatchewan workers in Alberta.

Now premiers across Canada have said that Alberta should stay in the CPP. Even the Premier’s federal leader, Pierre Poilievre, who I understand is coming to town this weekend, thinks that they should stay. Will the Premier, will the Premier urge Alberta to stay in the CPP?

The Speaker: — I recognize the Minister of Finance.

Hon. Ms. Harpauer: — Mr. Speaker, the federal Finance minister, Chrystia Freeland, has called for an FPT [federal-provincial-territorial] tomorrow on this very topic. It will be very interesting to listen to and is important obviously to all residents of Saskatchewan.

There is no commitment by our party or even any discussion on exiting CPP, nor do I envision any province being able to exit any time soon. Alberta has a fairly lengthy process that they have committed to before they are going to consider it. So right now we understand it’s a concern.

What we need to raise in that FPT quite frankly, and I know that the federal minister is going to try to avoid it, is what they are doing in creating the inequity and division on the carbon tax on heating fuel.

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

Ms. Beck: — Mr. Speaker, it is so telling that the thing that the members opposite thought was most important about that question was the mention of Poilievre coming to town.

Now, Mr. Speaker, the CPP has benefit of over $2 billion for people in this province; 800,000 people are beneficiaries or contributors to the CPP. Yet we get no answer from the Premier. And I’m not sure what we just got from the Minister of Finance, but it certainly wasn’t very reassuring.

So, Mr. Speaker, can we have some clarity from the Premier: will he commit to staying in the CPP, and will he pick up the phone and call Danielle Smith and tell her about the concerns of the people in this province?

The Speaker: — I recognize the Minister of Finance.

Hon. Ms. Harpauer: — I had the conversation with the Finance minister last night, Mr. Speaker, from Alberta and said this will affect Saskatchewan. And you know, we’re going to follow it very closely.

We do not see this as pressing and urgent today, however. What we see as pressing and urgent and what we need to have a discussion with the federal government today is the inequity and division that they are creating with the carbon tax removal in one area of Canada for heating fuel and not for the rest of Canadians, Mr. Speaker.

Yes, we will stay informed and follow the process, and yes, I agree with the Opposition Leader on a number of points that she makes on the importance of a pension plan that’s strong. And I can assure you we will make decisions when we need to on what is best for our Saskatchewan residents.

The Speaker: — I recognize the member for Regina Rosemont.

Mr. Wotherspoon: — Mr. Speaker, Saskatchewan people are barely getting by when it comes to the cost of living.

We’ve been clear. We’re against the federal carbon tax, Mr. Speaker, and we’re for the CPP. That side is skating all over the place, and the Premier can’t even get to his feet.

Seniors can’t afford rent, prescriptions, and groceries, and they count on the security from their pension payments from the CPP. And that security is at risk because of the reckless choices of the UCP next door in Alberta. Billions of dollars stand to be lost from the CPP with the consequences of higher premium costs and lower pension payments for the people of Saskatchewan.

Will the Sask Party realize the challenge here and what’s at stake for Saskatchewan people, to speak up at the Finance ministers’ meeting tomorrow and to tell the UCP very clearly that this is a damaging plan and they need to shelve it right now?

The Speaker: — I recognize the Minister of Finance.

Hon. Ms. Harpauer: — Mr. Speaker, I believe the question has been answered. I have talked to the Finance minister, last night, Mr. Speaker. I have made him aware of how this may impact Saskatchewan residents and that would be a concern for us. The way that the investment pool is divided, quite frankly, is a long way out of doing that calculation. There obviously is going to be a number of opportunities for the provinces to weigh in, as well as the Government of Canada.

Mr. Speaker, what is pressing and urgent, and what we can agree to, is what’s impacting residents today, on affordability today — not a decade from now, affordability today — is the carbon tax. That is causing the price of everything to go up and that is something that we need to discuss with the federal government more urgently than something that needs to be dealt with down the road.

The Speaker: — I recognize the member from Regina Rosemont.

Mr. Wotherspoon: — Mr. Speaker, of course the opposition here, we oppose the federal carbon tax and we stand for pensions. And we have a national issue and a Premier who can’t find his feet, Mr. Speaker. We have a cost-of-living challenge that’s wreaking such havoc in the lives of Saskatchewan people, and retirement security is right at the top of that list.

This government should have the courage to stand up to Danielle Smith and tell them we’re all better off with Alberta in the CPP. But you see there, they’re too afraid to do that because on front after front — whether it’s their wasteful tax collection plan or their provincial police force — the Sask Party government doesn’t come up with their own ideas. These days, they’re sort of a cheap knock-off of the UCP, Mr. Speaker. That is when they’re not following the member for Sask Rivers, the Saskatchewan United Party.

Why won’t this Premier stand up for Saskatchewan and tell Alberta to stay in the CPP?

The Speaker: — I recognize the Minister of Finance.

Hon. Ms. Harpauer: — I’m not even too sure any longer what the member is asking for, when I said the conversation happened last night quite frankly, Mr. Speaker. But you know, it’s interesting that they’re going to dictate to us to talk to Alberta and tell Alberta what Alberta needs to do. Why don’t they call their federal leader and tell him . . . Months ago, months ago. It took till just recently before they supposedly talked to some official under their federal leader about the absolutely harmful effect on the price of everything on carbon tax. They are dictating to us how we should dictate to another province when they can’t even talk to their federal leader who’s propping up Justin Trudeau.

The Speaker: — I recognize the member from Regina Rosemont.

Mr. Wotherspoon: — Mr. Speaker, as the minister and the Sask Party full well know, this leader’s been clear with Singh, Poilievre, and Trudeau that we’re against the federal carbon tax, and she’s clear with all of them as well that the CPP needs to remain a national program.

We have a cost-of-living crisis. This is a government that’s only added costs and taxes during this time, and because of this Premier’s friends in the reckless Alberta government, retirement security for Canadians is being put at risk. If Alberta pulls out of the CPP, premium costs will go up for Saskatchewan people and pension payments will go down for Saskatchewan seniors. It is a bad deal for Alberta. It’s a bad deal for Canada. And you bet it’s a bad deal for Saskatchewan and the 800,000 people who are contributors or pensioners and the $2 billion they receive each and every year.

Why won’t that Premier find his feet? Why won’t that Premier stand up for Saskatchewan . . .

The Speaker: — I recognize the Minister of Finance.

Hon. Ms. Harpauer: — Wow. That member opposite’s already done the calculations that the Government of Canada and the Government of Alberta haven’t even figured out that calculation yet, Mr. Speaker. Somehow that member opposite has already done it.

That’s the member that has no plan on how they’re going to pay for everything that they are asking for in this Assembly. That’s the member that says we shouldn’t borrow money, we should spend more, and we should cut some of the expenditures, and has no idea how to pay for it, has no idea how to do the math. They have no plan, Mr. Speaker, but now they have an opportunity — let’s beat up on Alberta. And somehow that’s a win.

We’ve talked to Alberta. We’re having a financial FPT tomorrow morning, Mr. Speaker. The conversations are happening.

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

Water Management and Access to Water in Cumberland House

Ms. Ritchie: — Mr. Speaker, weeks ago leaders in Cumberland House and surrounding communities declared an emergency because they’re running out of water. Low flows through the Saskatchewan River system this year mean that supplies of drinking water won’t last through the winter without additional help.

I’ve been to the community. I’ve met with the leaders and people are very concerned. What is the Minister for the Water Security Agency doing to address this emergency and make sure people in Cumberland House will have access to water?

The Speaker: — I recognize the Minister of Agriculture.

Hon. Mr. Marit: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Obviously we take safety and security for the residents of Cumberland House very, very seriously. The Water Security Agency has worked along with other agencies including SaskPower to address the concerns of the residents of Cumberland House.

Obviously what we already have done, Mr. Speaker, is we’ve set up pumping. We’ve already done the pumping. We have filled the reservoir so that they have water for the next three months for sure. And what we have done already, Mr. Speaker, is worked with the community of Cumberland House.

The Water Security Agency folks have done a very good job of reaching out to the community with some options, Mr. Speaker. The community is looking at those options, and they’re going to come back to Water Security with what option they prefer to take. And Water Security will address their concerns and have that all addressed as soon as possible, as soon as the community of Cumberland House gets back to the folks at Water Security Agency.

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

Ms. Ritchie: — Mr. Speaker, despite that response, people in the region remain very concerned. It’s no small thing for a community to run out of water. As the minister said, low levels of rainfall this year have greatly reduced the flows through the river system, but that’s not the whole story. SaskPower operates multiple dams upstream of Cumberland House and community members are frustrated that more water hasn’t been allowed to flow through.

Why was this not better managed by the provincial government? And why did they not make sure enough water could come through to the communities downstream?

The Speaker: — I recognize the Minister of Agriculture.

Hon. Mr. Marit: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The folks at the Water Security Agency obviously have taken this issue very seriously, and they’ve reached out to Cumberland House. They were there at the response.

As I’ve said in my previous answer, and I’ll continue to say the same thing, Mr. Speaker: the Water Security folks work with the people of Cumberland House. They had pumps going. They filled the reservoir. The reservoir has enough water for three months now. They have come to the community of Cumberland House with options, Mr. Speaker, whether . . . what those options are.

The community has said, we will look at those options. We will get back to the Water Security Agency of what options they will take, Mr. Speaker. Those are options that the Cumberland House community is looking at. And when they decide which one they want, the Water Security Agency will address it, and they will have long-term water, Mr. Speaker.

[10:45]

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

Ms. Ritchie: — Mr. Speaker, it shouldn’t take calling a state of emergency before this government acts. People in Cumberland House are concerned about running water. They feel like they’re an afterthought when it comes to water management. They feel like this government is prioritizing the needs of every other user upstream over their own needs to have enough water in the community.

What does the Minister for the Water Security Agency say to the people in the region who feel like they aren’t being heard and that they don’t matter to this provincial government?

The Speaker: — I recognize the Minister of Agriculture.

Hon. Mr. Marit: — Mr. Speaker, every resident in this province matters to the Government of Saskatchewan. And I, even in my former ministry as Minister of Highways, was up in Cumberland House on occasions, and I know the former minister of Water Security Agency met with the folks at Cumberland House last year as well, Mr. Speaker.

As I said, the Water Security Agency people have been very engaged with the community of Cumberland House. We have addressed their water concerns in the short term. We’ve put options on the table. We’ve worked with the community of Cumberland House. The community of Cumberland House is going to look at those options, Mr. Speaker. As I said and I will continue to say, when we hear back from Cumberland House on which option they want to take, Water Security will act and make sure that their long-term water concerns are addressed, Mr. Speaker.

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

Ms. Ritchie: — Well, Mr. Speaker, if only it were that simple. These water management issues in Cumberland House are complex, and they’re only going to get worse as a result of climate change. There are so many players on the provincial level with competing interests and no coordination. This impacts SaskPower, the Water Security Agency, Environment, Agriculture, First Nations and Métis Relations, and more.

Instead of operating in silos, we need a real plan that works across government in a coordinated fashion. When will we see a comprehensive water management framework to make sure no community is ever at risk of running out of water again?

The Speaker: — I recognize the Minister of Agriculture.

Hon. Mr. Marit: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Water is a very important resource to the province and the people of Saskatchewan. The Water Security Agency has been working with all ministries across government on a water management strategy, Mr. Speaker. We’ve worked with that.

I can go through a list of 70 different engagements that we have done. I will go through the entire list if the member opposite wants to hear it. I can start by next time with all the First Nations that we have been meeting with, and all the groups we’ve been meeting with on a water management strategy, Mr. Speaker. We will continue that deliberation and consultation. We are very open to having that discussion with all entities in this province on concerns around water management, Mr. Speaker. We will continue that.

And as the member opposite about Cumberland House . . . as I have said, we are working with the community to address their concerns to have long-term sustainable water for that community, Mr. Speaker.

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

Ms. Ritchie: — Mr. Speaker, I’m well aware of those community engagements that the minister has mentioned. And they don’t go far enough because these are very complex issues and we need a plan to make sure we’re managing our water resources responsibly. What’s happening this winter in Cumberland House should never have happened, and it should never happen again. Sticking with this same system that has gotten us into this mess won’t fix anything.

A comprehensive water management framework is what’s needed. Again, when will this government develop a comprehensive water management framework that brings Crowns and ministries together to ensure this never happens again?

The Speaker: — I recognize the Minister of Agriculture.

Hon. Mr. Marit: — Mr. Speaker, we have started that process on the water management strategy, Mr. Speaker, in the engagement groups, and I’ve got pages of them. And I will start to go through them all for the member opposite so that she will understand exactly who we have met with. I’ll actually skip a couple of pages. I’ll skip three pages. No, I’ll skip four pages. I will go to who we have consulted with, Mr. Speaker.

We’ve consulted with Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, the Métis Nation of Saskatchewan, the Battlefords Tribal Council, the Battlefords Agency Tribal Chiefs, the File Hills Qu’Appelle Tribal Council, the Saskatoon Tribal Council, the Yorkton Tribal Council, South East Treaty #4 Tribal Council.

I’ll also . . . talked to the agriculture groups: Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission, Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission, Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, Saskatchewan Farm Stewardship Association, Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association, Saskatchewan urban municipalities, Saskatchewan rural municipalities, the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance. Mr. Speaker, we have done our due diligence and our consultation.

The Speaker: — I recognize the member from Saskatchewan Rivers.

Fuel Tax in Saskatchewan

Ms. Wilson: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have continued to press this government. Why can’t they seem to cut any taxes, particularly the provincial carbon tax on fuel? The NDP government in Manitoba just announced they will suspend their province fuel tax. Even the Manitoba NDP seem to understand how to cut taxes better than this government.

The real reason they won’t cut any of their taxes is because that’s how they fund their ever-growing bureaucracy. They continue to create and grow government agencies, middle management, and self-serving bureaucrats. They are replicating Ottawa right here in Regina, Mr. Speaker. Why won’t this government embrace the conservative values of small government, less taxes, and less bureaucrats?

The Speaker: — I recognize the Minister of Finance.

Hon. Ms. Harpauer: — Mr. Speaker, it’s rather interesting that the member never raised that issue whatsoever when she actually sat in the government caucus. And I thought, I thought that she and her members were in favour of balanced budgets, Mr. Speaker. And I think this government has been very committed to balancing the budget, because it bodes well for the future of the province and the future generations of the province.

To cut the fuel tax is about $500 million, Mr. Speaker. I would like to know where she’d find that money.

The Speaker: — I recognize the member from Saskatchewan Rivers.

Federal and Provincial Energy Policies

Ms. Wilson: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was disturbed to hear in the government’s Throne Speech a recommitment to being net zero by 2050. This government likes to make a show out of its opposition to the federal Trudeau government’s 2030 emission targets; however this is just a subsection of the federal government’s stated goal of net zero by 2050. The federal government passed the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act in June of 2021. It enshrines in legislation their commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

Shockingly this government opposite has agreed to the Trudeau Liberals’ net zero plan by 2050. They recommitted to it in their Throne Speech, Mr. Speaker. Why would this government commit to net zero in 2050, in complete compliance with the federal Liberals’ stated objective?

The Speaker: — I recognize the Minister of Crown Investments Corporation.

Hon. Mr. Duncan: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’ll just say very clearly that this government is voicing our objection with a number of fronts on the federal policy front, including the clean electricity regulations. We’ll be responding in short order to those. And the member opposite, if she took the time to actually read what we put out, will see that we disagree with that. Mr. Speaker, I’m curious . . . I’ll sit down now, Mr. Speaker, because I’m interested to hear her next question.

The Speaker: — I recognize the member from Saskatchewan Rivers.

Ms. Wilson: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let’s be completely clear. Net zero by 2050 is the agenda of the Trudeau Liberals. In my communications with residents across the province, they have been very clear — they do not want net zero.

The Fraser Institute states the following:

If this plan is allowed to continue, it will cause economic and social harms that will take decades to fix. In 2023 if something has the word “net zero” attached to it, Canadians should say “net no thanks.”

Further they say, “The sectors that net zero will be most catastrophic for are agriculture and oil and gas.” These are the two pillars of Saskatchewan’s economy. Net zero for Saskatchewan means our energy and agriculture sectors are gone.

Why is this government insisting on following the Trudeau government agenda by committing to net zero to 2050?

The Speaker: — I recognize the Premier.

Hon. Mr. Moe: — Mr. Speaker, this has been an interesting week in the world of politics in Canada and most certainly in Saskatchewan. Mr. Speaker, I’ve talked to a number of members from the constituency of Saskatchewan Rivers and I would say that after the next election that that member is going to experience a whole bunch of net no thanks, due to the policies she’s been putting forward on the floor of this Assembly.

Mr. Speaker, what we’ve seen on the floor of this Assembly this week is the opposition comparing a 2016 landline cost to today a cellular phone cost. Mr. Speaker, that borders on disingenuous, bringing information like that to the floor of this Assembly.

What we have seen nationally, Mr. Speaker, is one of the most . . . a carbon tax crisis situation put in by our federal Liberal-NDP government, the coalition government that we have. And the solution, the solution that the federal government has, Mr. Speaker, is that they’re going to give everybody in the nation a heat pump.

So where we are today after a week of political discussion, Mr. Speaker, is a federal government that’s giving out heat pumps to everybody and landlines from the members opposite in this Assembly.

INTRODUCTION OF BILLS

Bill No. 140 — The Miscellaneous Statutes Repeal Act, 2023

The Speaker: — I recognize the Minister of Justice.

Hon. Ms. Eyre: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move that Bill No. 140, The Miscellaneous Statutes Repeal Act, 2023 be now introduced and read a first time.

The Speaker: — It has been moved by the Minister of Justice that Bill No. 140 be now introduced and read a first time. Is it the pleasure of the Assembly to adopt the motion?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

The Speaker: — Carried.

Principal Clerk: — First reading of this bill.

The Speaker: — When shall the bill be read a second time? I recognize the minister.

Hon. Ms. Eyre: — Next sitting of the Assembly, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker: — Next sitting.

Bill No. 141 — The Statute Law Amendment Act, 2023

The Speaker: — I recognize the Minister of Justice.

Hon. Ms. Eyre: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move that Bill No. 141, The Statute Law Amendment Act, 2023 be now introduced and read a first time.

The Speaker: — It has been moved by the Minister of Justice that Bill No. 141 be now introduced and read a first time. Is it the pleasure of the Assembly to adopt the motion?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

The Speaker: — Carried.

Principal Clerk: — First reading of this bill.

The Speaker: — When shall the bill be read a second time? I recognize the minister.

Hon. Ms. Eyre: — Next sitting of the Assembly, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker: — Next sitting.

Bill No. 142 — The Miscellaneous Statutes (Utility Line Locates) Amendment Act, 2023

The Speaker: — I recognize the Minister of Crown Investments Corporation.

Hon. Mr. Duncan: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move that Bill No. 142, The Miscellaneous Statutes (Utility Line Locates) Amendment Act, 2023 be now introduced and read a first time.

The Speaker: — It has been moved by the minister that Bill No. 142 be now introduced and read a first time. Is it the pleasure of the Assembly to adopt the motion?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

The Speaker: — Carried.

Principal Clerk: — First reading of this bill.

The Speaker: — When shall the bill be read a second time? I recognize the minister.

Hon. Mr. Duncan: — Next sitting of the House.

The Speaker: — Next sitting. I recognize the Minister of Crown Investments Corporation.

Hon. Mr. Duncan: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I request leave to move a motion under rule 61.

The Speaker: — Will the minister briefly state the purpose of the motion and read the text of the motion.

MOTION UNDER RULE 61

Federal Carbon Tax on Home Heating

Hon. Mr. Duncan: — Mr. Speaker, I move a motion in support of the vote taking place in parliament which would remove the unaffordable and unfair federal carbon tax on all forms of home heating. The motion reads as follows:

That this Assembly calls on all members of parliament to support the opposition motion being debated November 2nd, 2023, in the House of Commons that reads as follows:

That given that the government has announced a temporary three-year pause to the federal carbon tax on home heating oil, the House call on the government to extend that pause to all forms of home heating.

[11:00]

The Speaker: — The Minister of Crown Investments Corporation has requested leave to move without notice a motion of urgent and pressing necessity under rule 61. Is leave granted?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

The Speaker: — Leave has been granted. The member may proceed.

Hon. Mr. Duncan: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, and I want to thank the House for allowing me to move this motion under rule 61. It is an honour to stand on my feet and move this motion which I believe is of the utmost importance, not just to Saskatchewan families and businesses, but to all Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, our government has opposed the carbon tax from the very beginning. We’ve presented many dozens of petitions in this Assembly opposing the carbon tax. We’ve read countless members’ statements opposing the carbon tax. We’ve attended rallies, wrote letters, and even took the federal government all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada to fight the carbon tax.

With the announcement made by the Prime Minister last week to remove the carbon tax from home heating oil, the federal government has chosen to make life more affordable for families in one part of the country while leaving Saskatchewan families in the cold. Mr. Speaker, we maintain that the carbon tax is ineffective and unaffordable, but until recently, at least it had been applied fairly. Now following Justin Trudeau’s desperate political announcement last week, the carbon tax is completely unfair.

Mr. Speaker, in Atlantic Canada, 40 per cent of households use heating oil. In Saskatchewan, just 0.4 per cent. In fact, Mr. Speaker, more Saskatchewan families use wood to heat their homes than heating oil. Natural gas is the primary source of home heating in Saskatchewan, with 85 per cent of households having natural gas furnaces.

And, Mr. Speaker, what has been lost in all of this debate is the fact that prior to the 1980s, home heating oil was the primary source of home heating in much of Saskatchewan in farms and towns all across this province. Hundreds of millions of dollars — close to $350 million in 1980 dollars — was spent by SaskEnergy and by residents all across this province to bring natural gas to rural Saskatchewan, Mr. Speaker.

And I would say though, Mr. Speaker, that the idea of rural gasification, it wasn’t without controversy. The NDP of the day called it a cruel hoax, Mr. Speaker. But an environmentally friendly decision on the scale larger than what the Prime Minister has announced for Atlantic Canada, and it was made 40 years ago. And now we are being penalized for it, Mr. Speaker.

So why the difference? Why would the federal government provide this kind of affordability relief for Atlantic Canadians while completely ignoring those who use natural gas?

Well the federal minister for Rural Economic Development gave us the answer. She said that if people in other provinces want the same carbon tax exemptions as Atlantic Canadians, then perhaps they should elect more Liberal MPs [Member of Parliament]. Talk about saying the quiet part out loud, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, in making this announcement, the Trudeau-Singh Liberal-NDP coalition have admitted that the carbon tax isn’t affordable and it never was. If it was, then why would there be the need to give carve-outs to Atlantic Canada, unless of course the Liberals were tanking in the polls and desperately needed to hang on to some seats?

Another concession that’s clear in the Prime Minister’s announcement is that the carbon tax is not now, and never was, about the environment. If it were, why on earth would heating oil, one of the dirtiest home-heating options, be exempt from the carbon tax while cleaner sources like natural gas continue to be subject to the carbon tax?

Mr. Speaker, our government simply cannot accept the federal Liberal-NDP government giving an affordability break to people in one part of the country but not here. Earlier this week this House stood united in supporting our Premier and this government’s decision to remove the carbon tax from SaskEnergy bills effective January 1st, providing the same affordability relief for Saskatchewan families that the Prime Minister is offering to Atlantic Canadians.

Today there is a motion taking place in parliament — I had the opportunity to hear some of the debate this morning before we came into the House — that would extend the three-year carbon tax pause on heating oil to all forms of home heating. If this motion passes, then the carbon tax can be removed from all home-heating bills in Saskatchewan, saving Saskatchewan families hundreds of dollars a year on their home heating.

Mr. Speaker, it’s also important to know that Justin Trudeau and his Liberal government do not have a majority. The only reason that the Prime Minister is able to continue to impose this carbon tax is because he’s backed by Jagmeet Singh and every single NDP Member of Parliament across Canada. So, Mr. Speaker, NDP members in this Chamber have a choice: they can continue to stand up for their federal leader and continue supporting Justin Trudeau and his carbon tax, or they can choose a different path and stand with their province and against their federal brothers and sisters, Mr. Speaker.

So instead of leaving another message for Jagmeet Singh’s staff, the Leader of the Opposition can stand with this government. They could join us in calling on the federal NDP to vote to treat Saskatchewan families fairly and providing all Canadians with a reprieve from the carbon tax on home heating.

And with that, Mr. Speaker, I’ll move the following motion:

That this Assembly calls on all members of parliament to support the opposition motion being debated November 2nd, 2023, in the House of Commons that reads as follows:

I so move.

The Speaker: — The minister has moved:

That this Assembly calls on all members of parliament to support the opposition motion being debated November 3rd, 2023, in the House of Commons that reads as follows:

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

Mr. Clarke: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m happy to speak to this motion as the Environment critic.

Of course, this is exactly what the motion I proposed on Monday called for. We fully support the call to extend this relief to all types of home heating. And I’d like to thank the government for allowing us another moment to express our opposition to the carbon tax, so hopefully the next time when the member from Meadow Lake gets up to talk about the Saskatchewan NDP and the carbon tax, he’ll have yet another example to remember where we stand.

It’s unfair for the federal government to provide relief in one region but not in the West. This exemption should be applied to all forms of home heating, including natural gas and propane.

But, Mr. Speaker, motions in this Assembly are important, especially when they’re unanimous. But they only go so far. The Premier should get on a plane, go to Ottawa, get to the table, and negotiate a deal for Saskatchewan people.

Mr. Speaker, our leader, our leader has picked up the phone and just made sure Saskatchewan’s voice is heard loud and clear on this matter. When Saskatchewan New Democrats disagree with any federal party, Mr. Speaker — whether it be the NDP, the Liberals, the Conservatives, whoever — we’ll always pick up the phone and advocate for Saskatchewan.

The Premier needs to show the same leadership. What we see, Mr. Speaker, from this federal government is completely unfair. Now it’s up to the Premier to get a deal for Saskatchewan people.

Mr. Speaker, climate change is real. When we heard that term earlier today, members opposite groaned. Is that going to be their response when they go to COP28 [Conference of the Parties 28]?

Mr. Speaker, the cost-of-living crisis is real. We need action on both. The federal government and this Saskatchewan Party government are failing at both. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker: — Minister, your motion states, “motion being debated November 3rd.” Did you mean November 2nd? . . . [inaudible interjection] . . . Okay. Another motion.

With that minor change, is it the pleasure of the Assembly to adopt the motion?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

The Speaker: — Carried. I recognize . . . Oh, call in the members. Call in the members.

[The division bells rang from 11:10 until 11:12.]

The Speaker: — All those in favour please stand.

[Yeas — 47]

Moe

McMorris

Hindley

Reiter

Harpauer

Duncan

Wyant

Makowsky

Marit

Cheveldayoff

Skoropad

Kaeding

Cockrill

L. Ross

Eyre

J. Harrison

Hargrave

Bradshaw

Fiaz

Dennis

Lambert

Ottenbreit

Francis

C. Young

Steele

Bonk

Nerlien

B. McLeod

Friesen

Goudy

Keisig

Lemaigre

Jenson

D. Harrison

Domotor

Beck

Mowat

Wotherspoon

Love

Teed

A. Young

Burki

Clarke

Sarauer

Conway

Ritchie

Wilson

The Speaker: — All those opposed please stand.

[Nays — nil]

Principal Clerk: — Mr. Speaker, those in favour of the motion, 47; those opposed to the motion, 0.

The Speaker: — I declare the motion carried.

[11:15]

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 the Hon. Mr. Morgan, seconded by Mr. B. McLeod, and the proposed amendment to the main motion moved by Ms. Conway.]

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

Ms. Beck: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to start by saying that it really is an honour and a pleasure to be able to rise and enter into the Throne Speech debate today as the Leader of the Official Opposition, as the leader of this team.

And you know, Mr. Speaker, coming in this morning, Thursdays are often very busy and you’re rushing to get here early. I took a moment to enjoy the sunrise as it was coming up over Wascana Lake, and there were golds and pinks and purples. And I was just reminded of something that I was taught as a kid — I think many of us were — to the value of gratitude and giving thanks for all those things that are good. And, Mr. Speaker, there is certainly a long list of things that I, and I think we, in this province have to be grateful for.

Mr. Speaker, I want to start by expressing gratitude to yourself as the Speaker, presiding over what my colleague from Saskatoon Westview, I believe, described as sometimes one of the worst . . .

An Hon. Member: — Eastview.

Ms. Beck: — Oh, Eastview. My first mistake already. All right. Withdraw, Mr. Speaker. He described this as sometimes being one of the worst-behaved classrooms in the province, I believe. And I know it’s not always easy, so I want to say thank you.

I want to say thank you to the Clerks, to those in broadcast services, to the Sergeant-at-Arms’ staff, all of the legislature security, to the commissionaires, the Pages, the folks working in Hansard. I want to say thank you to those who work in the library, in visitor services, in the cafeteria, in catering, in maintenance, and the cleaning staff, Mr. Speaker. I always enjoy interactions and hearing from all of the folks who work in this building about their dedication, their service to ensuring that the work that we do is best supported.

And I want to say a special thanks today, you know, given that not only are we here for the Throne Speech and a number of night sittings as we have, we were also here for two very, very long weeks, rather unexpected fashion. But you know, the number one thing I heard from people who work in this building was, you know, that’s what we’re here for. We’re here to serve the members who ultimately are here to serve the people of this province. And I just want to say a heartfelt . . . It’s always heartfelt, but I think that there’s more behind it this year, Mr. Speaker.

I want to say thank you to all of the folks who support this team in our caucus office: my friend and colleague we dragged back into politics, Mr. Speaker, my chief of staff, Warren McCall; our director of research, Mitch Bonokoski; our director of comms, Brock Bowman; and Cheryl Stecyk, who . . . the title probably doesn’t befit all she does, but the keeper of knowledge and confidences and the one who keeps the ship running, Mr. Speaker. And I am sincerely grateful to all of them.

And I’m going to name some of the other staff, Mr. Speaker, in a minute, but I want to say a special shout-out to Jannet Shanks who won an award recently as one of the unsung heroes, I believe, and that certainly is the case and it’s very deserving. But what I noted when she won that award was how much it meant to her. And it was a good reminder to say thank you to the people who work so hard because we don’t always do that enough and it means a lot. So that was a good reminder, her reaction, and again congratulations on her award.

And respect matters, and the knowledge I think that for all of us here . . . You know, we’re the ones on camera. We’re the ones who get quoted in the newspaper or on social media, however that goes. But none of us could do this work without this amazing huge team behind us.

Also in our office I want to say thank you to Zoé and to Landen and to Emily, this group of amazing, vibrant young people who could be doing a lot of things, and they choose to work here with us, and I’m very, very grateful for that. We have an intern, Michael, in our office and it’s a joy to see how excited he is to be able to work in this building.

And I want to say thank you to my long-suffering CA [constituency assistant] Cory Oxelgren; to my executive; my volunteers, who while we were out working on by-elections this year, they were helping me door knock in Regina Lakeview as well; and a sincere thanks to the people of Regina Lakeview because it is with their support that I am able to take my place in the legislature here today.

Mr. Speaker, it’s been about 16 months, I think, since I’ve had the honour of leading this official opposition — four by-elections, a number of kilometres on the old vehicle. And I want to say that, 16 months in anyway, I still thank my lucky stars almost every day that I get to do this job and that I get to work with such good people, but most importantly — and I think none of us should ever forget this — that I get to work for such amazing people. And those are the people of Regina Lakeview and people across this province.

Now, Mr. Speaker, you will have known, and those who have to move the desks around in this legislature will certainly know, that we’ve been growing a bit on this side. We’ve added the . . . no longer our newest member, but the member from Meewasin and our twin MLAs over here from Walsh Acres and Regina Coronation Park. And it’s been a joy. I mean they’ve had an entry like no other and they really have hit the ground running, and I want to express thanks to them and all of this team.

And yesterday we added two more new staff to our team, Mr. Speaker, and Janielle Ogilvie and Ron Styles officially took duties and came to their desks, Mr. Speaker. And I want to thank them and this whole team for their support.

And I want to speak for one minute about this team of MLAs on this side. Through the emergency sitting — I’ve said this to them many times — but they showed themselves, they showed members in this Assembly, and I think they showed the people of this province what they’re capable of. And I can’t count how many times I’ve heard that comment, Mr. Speaker.

And I don’t know if I get to be proud of them because I’m not their mom. I am their leader, and I want to say how incredibly proud I am of the work that you did, but most importantly how you brought the voices that were being left out of that debate, were being impacted by that debate, who were not consulted in that debate, you brought them here and you did me, you did the people of this province proud. And I want to say thank you to each of you.

Mr. Speaker, I’m going to, as I said, lean a lot into gratitude because I think all of those things are very important. I want to thank my family, all of my kids.

And I’m going to get to the Throne Speech remarks here right now. But as I said, I say all of that to ground us in the reasons why we’re here. And I am so thankful to be able to speak for the people of Saskatchewan or on their behalf, because there are too many voices, Mr. Speaker, whose interests are not being heard here, who are not being represented here by this government, and certainly their voices are not present in that Throne Speech.

Mr. Speaker, listening is more important than ever. We have many challenges in front of us in this province and around the world. And you know, a 16‑year-old government — and I think we’ve seen this on full display — sometimes they can lose sight of the things that really matter. You can start to get a little bit too comfortable. Some may even say tired and out of touch, Mr. Speaker. But I think we can never fall into the trap where we think we know it all or stop listening to the people who aren’t our friends or who aren’t our donors.

Now I’ve heard it said a few times, and I suspect it’s still true today, that members opposite aren’t particularly interested in taking any lessons from members on this side. And unfortunately I think the list of those whom they are not interested in taking any advice from continues to grow and grow and grow, but I do hope they’ll hear me out today.

Now I think it really is fair to say, although there have been disappointments in recent years, that people were expecting some big things out of this Throne Speech, and it’s abundantly clear that big things, action was needed. This is a government that promised that it would address affordability and it would address housing in this province. But to say that this Throne Speech was sparse on details or action would be an understatement. Mr. Speaker, there was no sparsity or lack of self-congratulations.

Mr. Speaker, throne speeches are about priorities, and I think that this Throne Speech showed again very clearly how out of touch this government’s priorities are with the challenges of the people of this province.

So in this Throne Speech, Mr. Speaker, we didn’t see a single affordability measure that would bring relief for hard-working families. We didn’t see any game-changing ideas to fix the very real and growing challenges in our health care system. We didn’t see anything to support our classrooms and our teachers at a time when they’re busy actively growing and throwing disrespect at those who work with our children. And, Mr. Speaker, I think the word “senior” was mentioned but once, maybe twice, in the whole Throne Speech at a time when we are seeing the people of this province, our oldest citizens, those who’ve contributed so much, facing so many challenges.

We didn’t hear anything about any of those challenges, Mr. Speaker, even though they are the number one thing that we heard on the doorsteps in the by-election and the number one thing that people continually tell us — even those who have come to this Assembly since that emergency sitting — are top of mind for them.

But I’ll get into a few specifics in case they are listening on the other side, Mr. Speaker. Saskatchewan has the longest wait times in Canada, but there’s nothing here in that Throne Speech that’s going to address or meet the moment, meet the challenge. We see recycled announcements. We see people waiting years in pain for hip and knee surgery. I think probably all of us in this room know someone who’s on a wait-list. We saw the wait that our colleague from Saskatoon Centre had very recently on the very day of this Throne Speech, Mr. Speaker. And unfortunately that wait is not a one-off. It’s not an anomaly. It’s simply the lack of care under this tired and out-of-touch government.

We didn’t see anything here to fix family medicine or the fact that we’re losing doctors out of this province at a faster rate than any other province. We saw more recycled promises and self-congratulations. In this province today, Mr. Speaker, there are 200,000 people without a family doctor. That’s 1 in 6. But clearly they’re not a priority for this government.

[11:30]

We didn’t see anything to help with the rising cost of gas or groceries or the basics that Saskatchewan people rely on and tell us more and more every day, evidenced by record food bank usage, things that are keeping people up at night.

We still see the PST [provincial sales tax] on groceries, on construction labour. And we still see power bills that people can’t afford to pay after three hikes by that government. And this government’s big affordability announcement in this Throne Speech — there was one in there, Mr. Speaker — it’s a recycled program, a recycled rebate that this government cut back in April. Clearly, Mr. Speaker, cash-strapped families are not a priority, not an emergency for this government.

Speaking of seniors, four seniors’ homes in this city closed their doors last month. We saw seniors who were kicked to the curb, literally wheeled out into the snow without notice; caring, hard-working staff left wondering what’s going to happen to them. There’s no help for them in this Throne Speech, Mr. Speaker. And our parents and our grandparents are clearly not a priority for this government.

And, Mr. Speaker, in this Speech from the Throne we saw nothing, nothing new for our kids and our classrooms. We saw nothing. The Minister of Finance is saying it’s not a budget. We didn’t see any vision or any recognition of the very real challenges that are being faced in classrooms across this province.

This is not a time for self-congratulations. This is a time when you have 95 per cent of teachers, Mr. Speaker, united in their belief that they need to stand up to deal with the growing concerns of classroom complexity and the challenges facing our chronically underfunded education system under this government. There’s nothing here for them.

Mr. Speaker, we have fewer teachers, fewer supports for children in our classrooms. Where we do see growth from this government is in the growth of billboards and growth in the disrespect for those people working so hard in our schools to ensure that the next generation has the benefits that we enjoy. Mr. Speaker, our kids and the people who help them, who do that valuable work, are clearly not a priority for this government. In fact I would suggest they’re a target.

Mr. Speaker, in the spirit of finding something nice that I can say about this Throne Speech, about the things that we can agree on, we have thank you to the professional and volunteer firefighters and the fire chiefs. We have expansion of presumptive cancer coverage, and I think that is something that all members agree is very, very important. These folks who put themselves in danger, not only in the short term in the work that they do, in the long term with the exposure to carcinogens, Mr. Speaker, that was a good move.

We see agreement on our opposition to the federal carbon tax, which appears to be news to members opposite, Mr. Speaker, but certainly clearly an opposition to a lack of fairness for citizens across this country and people in this province when it comes to the very critical job of heating their homes in the wintertime. Mr. Speaker, I expected a bigger reaction from them over there, frankly.

Mr. Speaker, and poppies in the workplace. We agree that that is a good thing. And it was nice to see the representatives here from the Legion yesterday to watch unanimous passage of that bill.

And, Mr. Speaker, I will say this, and this is a big one and it’s one that we’ve heard in every corner of this province: the need for something this government I don’t know how many years ago gave up on, and that was a jobs plan, a job strategy. So we’ve heard announcement, acknowledgement that that is needed. We will wait to see if they learn the second lesson there, and that is the importance of actually working with communities, working with workers, bringing people to the table, because we desperately need that job plan in this province right now.

And I’m afraid that page was a little shorter than the other pages, but those are things that we do agree on.

But on front after front, Mr. Speaker, this Speech from the Throne does not speak for the people of Saskatchewan and it does not address those concerns most urgent to them in this province. And it could have and it should have, Mr. Speaker, because although this government is increasingly showing us how old and tired they are, when they want to, they can move at lightning speed. They showed us very clearly that in four days they can change the rules. They can call us back. And in four days they can strip away human rights from people in this province, in this case vulnerable children, mobilize all the tools at their disposal.

But they can’t find the same muster, the same focus to help our parents or our grandparents, not to fix our health care system, not to invest in our schools or our classrooms, and certainly not to provide relief on the cost of living, Mr. Speaker. But it took them four days and everything that they could muster to strip away the rights from vulnerable kids. And, Mr. Speaker, and I think that more than anything shows where this government’s priorities lie.

So returning to advice that, you know, they’re free to take — I hope they do — it’s simply this. Your job as government, as it is with all governments, is to not work in your own interests, not to listen to a small group of people, but it is to govern for all people in this province. Listen to the people of this province. They’re amazing. They’re smart. They’re dedicated. They know how to get things done, Mr. Speaker.

And it is those people, not the cleverness of our own members, not shenanigans and finger-pointing. It’s the people of this province that have always and will always make this province great. And you are doing yourself and the people of this province a great disservice if you do not have the humility, if you do not take the time to listen to them, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, you don’t have to agree with anyone on everything in order to be able to learn from them. But if you listen and you look for that common ground you will find it right across this province.

And I would say on the level of values, those values — the looking out for our neighbours, the hard work, the creativeness, the inventiveness, that get-it-done attitude — Mr. Speaker, that is what has always been our strength in this province. The diversity, the willingness to have an idea but believe enough in yourself and the people around you to bring it out and invite in input to make it better, that is how as a province we have built and punched above our weight and protected the most vulnerable in this province.

Solutions to the problems in this province right now that are keeping people up at night can be found if you listen. Now I know after 16 years it’s easy to lose sight of where you came from. But, Mr. Speaker, I implore, I implore the Premier and members opposite to listen and work in the interests of the people who have been coming to this Assembly.

Mr. Speaker, this government has clearly not made Saskatchewan people a priority. And for many reasons, but for that reason in the main, I will be voting for the amendment and I will be voting against the Speech from the Throne. Thank you.

The Speaker: — I recognize the Premier.

Hon. Mr. Moe: — Thank you, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to all of my colleagues on both sides of the House that have weighed in on the Speech from the Throne this year, which really does map out some of the work that the government is going to embark on on behalf of the people that we ultimately represent collectively across this great province, what I think is most certainly one of the greatest places in the world to live, Mr. Speaker.

I as well, like many colleagues, would just extend a very quick thank you at the outset of my remarks first and foremost to Sally and Cindy that run my office, the constituency office in Rosthern-Shellbrook, service the folks from there with any of the concerns and issues that they may have, Mr. Speaker. And they range, a wide range of issues, Mr. Speaker. But thank them very much for all they do and the bright smile and the very warm voice that they meet constituents where they are at in their community and in their life, Mr. Speaker.

Rhonda and Launa in our office here in Regina, Mr. Speaker, in the Premier’s office. Every morning I come in. I’m not always in the best of moods, I must admit, Mr. Speaker, but I get to see the very gracious smile from Rhonda and Launa in the Premier’s office and it most certainly improves my mood and is a great way for me to start each and every day when I’m in our capital city, in the Queen City of Regina.

And I would extend that to all of our executive council staff, not only working in the Premier’s office but working across the ministries that we have, both here in the office as well as all of those that are working in the public service, Mr. Speaker, all of those working in our respective caucus offices, Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the people in Saskatchewan.

We are so fortunate to have a great democratic system in Canada, Mr. Speaker. We’re seeing that play out on the floor of this Assembly today. We’re seeing it later today — or as we speak — on the floor of the federal parliament as well, Mr. Speaker. And I think at this time with the . . . And I appreciate the support, passing a bill yesterday, so ensuring that all Saskatchewan people — within reason where they work — are able to wear a poppy to honour the very people that have provided us with that freedom, and I would say that provided us with that democracy, Mr. Speaker. And that’s our veteran members, veteran members in Saskatchewan and across Canada.

Mr. Speaker, the very title of the Speech from the Throne this year I think really does outline the work that the government is doing today and the work that the government is going to embark on over the course of this year, the fourth year in our term, Mr. Speaker, is that building and protecting what we have built in this province, Mr. Speaker. And I’ve said many times in here that this, this focus, this focus of building our families, building our communities, building consequently those communities building our province . . . And as I say, a strong Saskatchewan always makes for a stronger Canada, Mr. Speaker.

The recipe for that success is not really that complicated, Mr. Speaker, and I’ve said this many times on the floor of this Assembly and in other areas. The recipe for success in Saskatchewan is actually quite simple, but it does involve a lot of hard work. And fortunately in this province we are blessed with common sense and hard work, a hard work ethic, a great work ethic, Mr. Speaker.

And I would say the initial part of that recipe for success is to attract that investment into our province, Mr. Speaker. And we’re seeing that investment arrive in the tens of billions of dollars, even just this week with another $6.4 billion coming into the potash industry. The largest mining company in the world making the largest investment, their largest capital investment in the history of that company, is right here in this province, Mr. Speaker. And I think that’s something collectively we can be so proud of.

And that’s added to investments in the canola crush industry, in the energy industry, both whether that be uranium, whether that be the oil, Mr. Speaker — some of the most sustainable oil that you can find on earth being produced right here in Saskatchewan — whether it be into the copper industry, whether it be into ultimately new industries like helium and lithium, Mr. Speaker. We have so much and we’re so blessed with natural resources in this province.

And we have a government and a number of ministers that are so focused on the first step of that success, and that’s attracting that investment into the province. With that investment, Mr. Speaker, and we’re seeing that in the Queen City here with a canola crush plant coming up and more on the way.

[11:45]

We see those construction jobs, Mr. Speaker. Those construction jobs are bringing people into the community, providing Saskatchewan residents the opportunity to not have to leave the province, to build the very industries that are going to then employ people to operate those facilities long into the future, Mr. Speaker.

In fact I checked just not long ago here and we’re about 600,000 people working in the province. Mr. Speaker, that’s more than have ever worked in the province of Saskatchewan in our history, Mr. Speaker. There’s more people working today than ever before.

I checked the population of our province, which is ultimately one of the metrics that we watch and watch very closely as we create that recipe for success. People move here from other areas of the world, I believe over 150 countries now. People from over 150 countries call Saskatchewan home. They’ve moved to over 450 communities from corner to corner in this province, Mr. Speaker, with that population growth.

I checked on October the 31st, so that was a day and a half ago, 7:30 in the evening I checked, about a day and a half ago, and we were at 1,219,660 people. I just checked here. I had a moment before I rose to my feet. We’re up about 131 people in the last 36 or 40 hours. We’re now 1,219,791, Mr. Speaker. What a great story to tell.

So, Mr. Speaker, that’s a little bit about the building, the building that is happening and the results of that building. And that needs to continue. And that’s why it’s part of the title of the Speech from the Throne as this is a government that very much, since we’ve had the honour to form government about 16 years ago, has been focused on growth and building — building our family units, building our communities, being part of the actual building in those communities, whether it be health care facilities or schools or highways, Mr. Speaker.

But I would say that the second part of this Speech from the Throne is equally important today and that’s the protecting what we have built. We need to, yes, continue building, but we need to protect what we have built in this province, Mr. Speaker.

And I would say that there is some very real threats that we face as the province of Saskatchewan. I would say even as the nation of Canada, as Canadians. There are some very real threats. I’m going to list them very quickly at the outset, but I’ll come back to them a little later, Mr. Speaker.

But the first threat that we see is really a threat of uncertainty. When we look over the course of the last number of months of what’s happening globally . . . and we are a global player exporting to over 150 countries around the world, nine offices and a number of other offices that we use to engage on our industries’ behalf, on the people that live in Saskatchewan’s behalf around the world.

We see the very tragic Russian invasion of Ukraine, Mr. Speaker. We see what’s playing out with the . . . essentially what is the Hamas, the terrorist invasion of Israel, Mr. Speaker, and some of the response that we see in the days ahead, Mr. Speaker, and are very proud to have the Israel flag hanging in the rotunda of this Assembly in support of our Jewish community.

Mr. Speaker, that would be the first threat is, I would say, the general uncertainty that we see in the world. The second threat, I would say, is the policy that we see coming out of the coalition government in Ottawa. Most certainly, Mr. Speaker, it’s a threat to the opportunity that we have to continue to build and preserve what we can do with that growth for years into the future. I’ll come back to that in a moment.

And I say the third threat that we have in this province specifically, Mr. Speaker, is if there was ever a day when the members opposite, who support those policies coming out of the federal government, ever had the opportunity to sit on this side of the Assembly, Mr. Speaker.

With that, Mr. Speaker, not only do we need to continue, have to continue to focus on building our families, building our communities, building our province and our nation, Mr. Speaker, we equally need to focus on how we are protecting what we have built over the last decade and a half, what we have built in this province over a century now, Mr. Speaker, and what we continue to build day in, day out. Case in point, 131 more people living here than there was 40 hours ago.

Mr. Speaker, I want to touch on just two specifics from the Speech from the Throne and then just a little, maybe a little more broadly on where the government is going to focus over the course of the next year.

I want to focus first on education, where we see, you know, operational funding that was announced in last year’s budget, was increased shortly after as we had some information come from the report from the classroom size and composition committee that we had put together some years ago, Mr. Speaker. We saw $20 million provided shortly after the budget in-year, Mr. Speaker, for that composition work that that committee had done. Mr. Speaker, we need to continue to have that conversation with our school divisions, with our teachers, and with our parents across the province so that we are supporting all of our children in the needs that they have at school.

Another $20 million was provided because our population is just growing so quickly, and with that population growth, they’re bringing their children. And their children are arriving in our schools, Mr. Speaker. And so I’ve said publicly that the annual increase that we provide into our education system likely needs to be looked at even more than what we traditionally have looked at it, which is every 12 months, and that we’re just growing that fast that the estimates that we are receiving and working together collaboratively — the Ministry of Education alongside our school divisions — simply is not reacting quick enough.

And so that is an ongoing discussion, is how do we best support our school divisions during a time of really what is unprecedented growth, which will bring me to the next conversation around education and the investment that this government has made, not just in the last year or two, but since we’ve had the honour to form government, and that’s the capital investment in our education system. I think we’re about 750 or 60 schools across the province, if I’m not mistaken, Mr. Speaker. That’s down quite a few from when the members opposite were in government, as they did close 170 of those schools. But we managed to salvage 760 of those schools, Mr. Speaker.

And when you look at where we have come over the last, let’s say, half a century or even 70 years, Mr. Speaker . . . I can remember as a teenager sitting with my grandfather. He was born in 1916. He’s no longer with us. He passed away in I believe it was 2012 if I’m not mistaken, Mr. Speaker, at 96 years old. I remember talking to him about attending a one-room school, the Pleasantville School. His wife, my grandmother, attended that very same school. Of course they walked uphill both ways, Mr. Speaker, like all folks did in that period of time.

But when you look and think of those one-room schools that we had, the very foundation of . . . and the people that ultimately built our communities, Mr. Speaker, regardless of where you live, those are the folks that built our communities, built the barn, so to speak, that we’re working incredibly hard at times to keep painted in this day and age, Mr. Speaker.

So if you look at the records — and here’s where the protect, protecting what we’ve built have come in and protecting the opportunity to continue building comes in, Mr. Speaker — when you look at the record of this government, we have built 60 new schools, 30 significant renovations, and I believe it’s about 15 that are under way today, 15 either new construction or major renovations or schools that are in their planning stages, Mr. Speaker.

That’s unheard of, Mr. Speaker, when you go back through the history of the province. That equates to about . . . In the time that we’ve had the honour to form government, which was about the same time as the members opposite formed government the last time, that’s 107 schools total. That’s about six schools a year, six new schools or major renovations a year or half a school a month. That’s what this government has delivered on, about one new school every two months since we formed government in 2007.

Now you compare and contrast that with the members opposite who closed a school a month, 170 total, Mr. Speaker. It is a dramatic, dramatic difference between what has been happening since 2007 in this province, Mr. Speaker, when it comes to education investment, in particular capital investment in education, Mr. Speaker, versus what was happening in the 16 years previous to that.

And I would say that this, this is what has changed more than anything else in this province, is the attitude and the expectation of Saskatchewan people. And go back to your community and you talk to them. Had we built . . . We have 15 schools in the queue right now, either being planned or actually under construction.

Had that happened in 2007, what would have the conversation been in community after community across this province? Because they have never seen anything like it in — let alone the 16 years up to that — I would say the 100 years up to that, Mr. Speaker. It would be the conversation at every dinner table, every coffee table, Mr. Speaker, and in every public conversation in communities across this province, Mr. Speaker.

And so with that, I think that’s important for us to realize. That’s what’s changed is the attitude and expectations of Saskatchewan people, to the degree that sometimes we forget to talk about it. We just expect it. We expect 15 schools being built a year. We expect a school coming online every two months. That is where we have gotten to in this province. I would say that’s a great expectation and one that we are committed to continuing to deliver on through the strength of our economy.

But, Mr. Speaker, on this note I just . . . I’m going to read off a number of communities. Some of them will be twice, Mr. Speaker. But at the end I’m going to ask, what do all of these communities have in common?

Swift Current, Langenburg, Swift Current again, Lloydminster, Lloydminster again, Hudson Bay, Porcupine Plain, Turnor Lake, Blaine Lake, Rosthern, Warman, Regina, Prince Albert, Regina, Regina, Regina, Regina, Regina, Regina, Mr. Speaker, Oxbow, Weyburn, Humboldt, Saskatoon, Martensville, Martensville, Warman, Warman, Regina, Regina, Regina, Regina, Regina, Regina, Regina, Regina, Saskatoon, Saskatoon, Saskatoon, Saskatoon, Saskatoon, Saskatoon, Saskatoon, Saskatoon, Saskatoon, Saskatoon, Leader, Maple Creek, Regina, Weyburn, Humboldt, Melfort, Hafford, Lloydminster, La Ronge, Lloydminster, Gravelbourg, Martensville, Duck Lake, Balcarres, Lumsden, Regina, Prince Albert, Saskatoon, Weyburn, Saskatoon, Saskatoon, Saskatoon, Saskatoon, Elrose, Prince Albert, Saskatoon, Cannington, Regina, Lanigan, Carrot River Valley, La Loche, Saskatoon, Saskatoon, Moose Jaw, Moose Jaw, Regina, Regina, Regina, Regina, Balgonie, Regina, Lloydminster, North Battleford, Athol Murray College at Notre Dame, and, Mr. Speaker, Yorkton.

That is 90 projects. And what do you think those projects are, Mr. Speaker? Those are all of the schools that we have built since 2007. And, Mr. Speaker, I would like to table it for the province to see.

As I said, there’s a stark contrast between, you know, where our province’s attitude is today, what our expectations, what the expectations of Saskatchewan people are today. Because I did catch in one of the statements . . . I believe it was the member from Elphinstone who had said, and she was referring to health care because they closed 52 hospitals as well, which I’ll get to in a moment very briefly.

But they did close 170 schools during their time in government. A school a month closed versus the record on this side of government, where we built a school every two months, Mr. Speaker.

But here’s the quote, and this is with respect to 52 closed hospitals by the NDP in Saskatchewan — 52 plus the Plains, pardon me. And I’ll quote the member from Elphinstone: “The NDP modernized health care services in 1993 by transitioning acute care services to health centres in smaller communities across Saskatchewan.” Well, Mr. Speaker, in 2007 the people of this province stopped the modernization process when it comes to health care and education.

Mr. Speaker, a couple of words on health care, and I won’t go on too . . . I could talk all day when it comes to health care, Mr. Speaker. But again each and every year, our health care investment in services — and the Minister of Finance can speak in great depth to this as can both of our Health ministers — has been increasing and increasing markedly, Mr. Speaker, like many other provinces across the nation as we recover from a pandemic are facing new health care challenges, most significantly I think in the conversation around mental health and addictions and how we’re providing those supports to families. Individuals I would say first, but to families as well, Mr. Speaker. And I do want to make a couple of comments on mental health and addictions.

But prior to getting to that, Mr. Speaker, I want to just talk a little bit about the investment in capital. And we can talk about the 35 facilities that are being built across the province. I remember the current member from Indian Head-Milestone years ago, when he was the minister of Health, Mr. Speaker, made an announcement — and this maybe coincides with what I said about the education capital infrastructure that we’ve built over this period of time — but made an announcement of 13 health care facilities in the province.

That was the talk at every coffee table. That was the talk at every lunch. That was the talk across this province because this province, quite frankly, had never seen it. They almost seen it in the case of Humboldt. I think they announced it seven times. Never put actually nail to stick and started building. We built that one, Mr. Speaker, as well as 13 additional ones, and now up to 35 facilities being built or currently being built in the province.

That includes, you know, facilities coming in Prince Albert, Yorkton, Weyburn, Mr. Speaker. Over a 100‑year-old facility, I believe, in Weyburn has been replaced. We see a new facility in Moose Jaw. A much needed Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital, Mr. Speaker, and I can go on and on and on.

[12:00]

But I want to talk just a little bit specifically about this city, the Queen City, our capital city, Mr. Speaker. A year ago or maybe two years ago, the conversation that we were having in our caucus conversations when it came to health care in Regina was, yes, focused on the health human resource plan that we were putting in place and how can we ensure that we’re hiring the people to offer those services. But there was a couple of other issues specific to Regina. One was people that worked at the Regina General, families that were going to visit family members that were in the Regina General, and people that needed to go in and out for various services. And that was, where did they park their car?

And sometimes when it comes to the services that are being offered in this province, Mr. Speaker, they’re much simpler than all of the very complex health care discussions that we have on the floor of this Assembly. And credit to the Health ministers of the day, Health ministers today, and credit to the caucus for approaching that conversation with an eye to finding the solution, Mr. Speaker. And that solution is building a new parkade there, not only for the staff, but for all the family members from within Regina — yes, some from Coronation Park, Mr. Speaker — within Regina and outside of the city that are coming to utilize that facility. They will have a safe place to park and, I would say, a state-of-the-art place to park as well.

Mr. Speaker, we’ve had some discussion on the floor of the Assembly as well, again specific to Regina, with respect to the long-term care, Mr. Speaker. Many of those original 13 announcements that the member from Indian Head-Milestone had made so many years ago were long-term care facilities. And we have continued building those long-term care facilities after those 13 in partnership, like the Amicus facility in Saskatoon, Mr. Speaker, but also a number of publicly operated facilities as well, like the one in La Ronge for instance, which is being built today, Mr. Speaker.

But the largest, the largest commitment that this government has ever made in the long-term care space, Mr. Speaker, is right here in the capital city of Regina as we move forward on building 600 long-term care spaces to service the people from this city and the immediate surrounding area, Mr. Speaker. Never in the history of the province has there been a commitment to build 600 long-term care beds, Mr. Speaker, in a facility like that commitment. It is the largest we have ever made.

Mr. Speaker, I do want to speak just a little bit . . . Mr. Speaker, I do want to make a few comments with respect to mental health and ultimately addictions. Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Mental Health, Minister of Health, and joined by our Minister of Social Services went out with the mayors of Saskatoon and Regina a couple of weeks ago and I think made a significant announcement. And really it in some degree speaks to the measure of what are you doing with the success that you’re experiencing in the province and, you know, how are you working to always provide a pathway for success for individuals, Mr. Speaker.

And as health care is changing, it most certainly has been changing in the last number of years in the conversation around mental health and all too often subsequent addictions, Mr. Speaker. And I think not just in Saskatchewan but across Canada, that has also led us to some of the outcomes of that all too often addictions discussion, Mr. Speaker. And some of that is homelessness. And some of that homelessness is individuals that have very, very complex needs, Mr. Speaker, and require some pretty intricate and I’d say some complex supports.

I don’t know that there is a model across Canada that is working very well or extremely well in supporting, you know, all the different levels of people that are ultimately experiencing homelessness, and in particular those that are there with some of the most complex needs, save for this province who is making an effort, Mr. Speaker, and is working alongside our municipalities.

One — and I’ll come back to the mental health and addictions piece — to address those emergency shelters, to address by adding over 100, Mr. Speaker, to address some of the assisted living needs that are in our communities, largely our larger urban communities but across the province, Mr. Speaker, with over 100 assisted living spaces. And two, provide a pathway with some new and innovative investment, Mr. Speaker, that is really there to provide that pathway, that opportunity for those that are living all too often homeless in our streets, Mr. Speaker, and to provide them a pathway to a better life.

In that announcement, that was over $40 million provided there, Mr. Speaker. And again not about the money, but about the people and the opportunity that we are providing ultimately those people to achieve.

The second part of that announcement was updating our mental health and addictions plan, Mr. Speaker, which I also think was significant. It was backed up with an additional $50 million, Mr. Speaker, total investment largely in our large urban centres of about $90 million in mental health, addictions, and all too often homelessness, Mr. Speaker.

But I want to just focus on the three points because I don’t think this has warranted enough discussion in the public sphere or even on the floor of this Assembly. But what I saw was really bringing together some of the work that had been happening over the course of the last year or two in that mental health and addictions space.

And one was to build capacity. It was the first plank of what the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions had brought forward. And a couple of years ago we had brought forward the target of 150 addictions beds in the province. We’re achieving that or will be achieving that very, very shortly, and have doubled down on that target to bring that up to 500 beds. I don’t know that that’s going to be the right number. Likely we are going to need more than that.

But we most certainly are committed to getting to that 500 number as soon as we can so that we have those detox spaces, so that we have those rehabilitation spaces, Mr. Speaker, so that we can meet, so our health care system, our rehabilitation, our recovery beds, that capacity can meet people when they’re ready to make that change, Mr. Speaker. So that’s the first piece is building that capacity, and that’s been going on for some period of time.

Second is to build that central intake system so that, for example, a patient can self-refer, which wasn’t available prior, Mr. Speaker. And we know all too often what happens or what can happen when we have family members, community members that present in an emergency room, which is not the place, Mr. Speaker.

That’s why you’re seeing investment in new and innovative ways to offer not only urgent care but mental health and addictions care, Mr. Speaker, in the urgent care centres that are being built in Saskatoon and Regina. We’re seeing the one on north Albert Street here in Regina, Mr. Speaker, coming up rather quickly. The Saskatchewan Health Authority is building that.

There’s a parallel facility, likely with some additional services like the opportunity for some private diagnostics and whatnot, that we’re doing in partnership with Ahtahkakoop First Nation. Chief Larry Ahenakew, who I know well, is very excited. He was down for the Speech from the Throne, Mr. Speaker, and very excited about being part of that investment, not only for folks from Ahtahkakoop that would use Saskatoon or come to Saskatoon for their health care — some live in Saskatoon — but for all folks ultimately that may be challenged with their own personal mental health. And I think it’s fair to say that we all are from time to time, but some that may have slipped into a life of addictions and are ready to make a change, Mr. Speaker.

And that’s one of the pathways, one of the entry points into a centralized intake system, Mr. Speaker, that will now have the capacity behind it to ensure that we can take that community member, that friend, that family member by the hand and put them in front of the professional services that ultimately they require. That’s plank number two, Mr. Speaker.

And three is to focus on the recovery of that individual, to focus on a pathway to a better life for that individual, Mr. Speaker. This is the ROSC, or the recovery-oriented system of care, of which you will see this government increasingly focus on over the course of the next year and over the course of the next number of years, Mr. Speaker. And again all of this effort was backed up by, in this case, $50 million and an additional $40 million in the space of shelters, Mr. Speaker, where we can continue to wrap those supports around those folks in our community, and all too often, in our family that need a hand up.

And so those are my comments on health care, Mr. Speaker. And I would say that at the very basis of a growing economy and growing population and growing communities and jobs for everyone — maybe even the odd landline if the members opposite ever find their way over here, Mr. Speaker — this is the measure of what a government should be doing on behalf of the citizens in the communities that we serve, Mr. Speaker, is investing so that every citizen has every opportunity to achieve all ultimately that they can.

Mr. Speaker, build and protect. In order to make those investments, we need to continue building. That very recipe for success that I mentioned at the opening, Mr. Speaker, is how we’re able to build a school every two months. And case in point, that building of our economy was not there for the 16 years previous, and we were closing a school a month. That’s the contrast, Mr. Speaker. The recipe for success is attracting that investment, building that economy, creating those jobs so that you can turn around and invest in schools, invest in hospitals, invest in new and innovative ways to support individuals and to support communities with health care services, Mr. Speaker.

And that is only possible, Mr. Speaker, when the policies that are being foisted upon us, Mr. Speaker, have that very same focus to build that opportunity for, in this case Saskatchewan people, but I would say it extends to all of Canada.

And I said earlier, with respect to the three threats that we’re facing, one is the uncertainty around the world. We’re doing everything that we can from Saskatchewan’s perspective to ensure that we are present in the markets that matter, Mr. Speaker, so that our markets are open and available to us. Now much more focused on allied countries, Mr. Speaker, as we see some unrestful situations.

But we have the trade offices, Mr. Speaker, and the relations largely to ensure that we will protect Saskatchewan’s interests and we will protect Saskatchewan’s market share in the countries that are allied with our nation, and ultimately that we are providing some of their food and fuel security for.

Second to that, the second threat would be the policies coming from our national government, the coalition government, the Liberal-NDP government in Ottawa, Mr. Speaker. And I would say that just this past week we are seeing one of those very problematic policies come and be debated on the floor of this Legislative Assembly.

And we’ve been very clear with respect to the federal policy around a carbon tax pause on heating fuel, Mr. Speaker. It is not fair. It’s not fair to Canadian families. We’ve said that it really does expose the very two myths that have been at the basis of this entire carbon tax policy which is now creating a carbon tax crisis in our nation. But it has exposed the very two basic myths about it.

One is it’s not affordable. And the Minister of Crown Investments had went through this in his motion earlier, which we were happy that it was supported by, I think, all members or most members on the floor of this Assembly. Mr. Speaker, it’s not affordable. If it was affordable and if people were actually getting more money back, the federal government wouldn’t have done what they’re doing.

And secondarily, Mr. Speaker, it’s not being applied fairly, and nobody can argue that it is. And I think that’s where we’ve found a point of congruence on the floor of this Assembly. You see what was and what has always been. And I was fortunate enough or unfortunate enough to be the Environment minister when this wrong policy came into place in Canada, Mr. Speaker. And I can remember those days well, and that’ll be a conversation for another day, possibly not on the floor of this Assembly. But we have always believed that this is the wrong policy.

But outside of Quebec, Mr. Speaker, we have also seen that largely it’s been implemented relatively fairly across the nation, outside of Quebec, Mr. Speaker. Today what we’re seeing is yes, it’s still the wrong policy. We’ve said that all along.

Members opposite did not. They felt it was a good policy, Mr. Speaker. But today we still think it’s a wrong policy. I’m sure they still think it’s a good policy. But we agree that it’s being applied unfairly to Canadian families, and that’s where we’re seeing the point of congruence on the floor of this Assembly, Mr. Speaker. And that’s appreciated because it is, it is being applied, it is being applied unfairly to Canadian families, Mr. Speaker.

And that is what is changed on the floor of this Assembly, Mr. Speaker. And I think that’s what has changed with respect to finding agreement between the two parties, Mr. Speaker. Because we still disagree on the policy, but we do agree on the fact that the federal coalition government, Justin Trudeau and Jagmeet Singh, are applying that policy unfairly, and it’s adding to the affordability challenge that all Canadians are experiencing today.

In fact, in Saskatchewan as we move forward, if the federal government actually does, the coalition government does extend this pause to all sources of heating fuel, Saskatchewan residents will have a 40 per cent reduction in their natural gas bills. If they don’t on January 1st, they will anyway, Mr. Speaker, because the Minister of Crown Investments Corporations has directed SaskEnergy to not collect the Trudeau-Singh carbon tax.

And so, Mr. Speaker, I did read with interest, and I do want to get this on the record just before I close, is we had the federal Rural Economic Development minister — we’re all rural economic development ministers in this caucus — but the federal government has one from Atlantic Canada that came out and made the comment, and I don’t quote, but made the comment, something pertaining to if the Prairie provinces wanted a carbon tax pause on how they heat their homes, they need to elect more Liberals.

[12:15]

Well, Mr. Speaker, I see that differently. I think, across Canada actually, if we elected less Liberals, that’s problem solved. Less NDP for that matter as well. Mr. Speaker, I would say three things about what has occurred at the federal level, and it’s going to be debated or is likely right now, Mr. Speaker, and will be voted on Monday. Our stance has been clear from day one. We feel that you should scrap the carbon tax on everything for everyone. Stance number one from Saskatchewan.

Mr. Speaker, in the event now that they are applying this carbon tax when it comes to home heating, how we heat our homes — very unfairly across the nation — we would say that they need to, as the motion states on the federal parliament floor, they need to extend that pause to all types of home heating fuels, Mr. Speaker, or SaskEnergy is going to quit collecting that on January the 1st.

And I would just say, and I would preclude likely a coming conversation with respect to the very reasoning that the federal government has put behind putting the pause on home heating fuel, which largely pertains to Atlantic Canada. They say it’s the most expensive and it’s the dirtiest way to heat your home. Saskatchewan has shifted, due to the investment of Saskatchewan people some 30 years ago, Mr. Speaker, shifted largely to natural gas. But if that is true, then that same conversation then extends to how we create electricity that is used in our homes as well, Mr. Speaker. And that’ll be a coming conversation in the days ahead.

But ultimately at the end of the day, as I say, Mr. Speaker, the opportunity for us to elect more Liberals and more federal NDP across the prairies, I just don’t think it’s there, Mr. Speaker. And I would encourage other Canadians, in particular those in Atlantic Canada and the GTA [Greater Toronto Area], to consider electing less and solve the problem for all of us collectively.

Mr. Speaker, just in closing, and this somewhat leads on some of the comments that I’d made about what . . . The measure of success is truly what you are doing — as you succeed as a province, as you succeed maybe as a family, an individual, as your community succeeds — what you are doing with that growth, Mr. Speaker, how you are reinvesting that growth. And maybe it’s into, you know, swimming pools and things that young families are looking to utilize as they move to your community, Mr. Speaker.

The same holds true at the provincial level. And when you look at what this government has invested in, in addition to the schools, in addition to the hospitals, the highways, Mr. Speaker, that list can go on and on for a period of time.

Look at how this government, and look at how — I would say much larger than the government — the people of Saskatchewan received what were Ukrainian refugees, Mr. Speaker, during a very difficult time for them and their families. They were chased out of their country by Vladimir Putin, Mr. Speaker. You look at how this province but, more importantly, how the people in community after community accepted and opened their homes to Ukrainian refugees. They were never designated as refugees by the federal government but they most assuredly were, Mr. Speaker.

You look at the investments this government is making: physician assistants, nurse practitioners, Mr. Speaker. We talked and I had the opportunity to talk with some occupational therapists yesterday, Mr. Speaker, about the conversations and where they are with the University of Saskatchewan and having a training centre right here within the province, Mr. Speaker.

You look at the announcements, and I was fortunate to be part of a second-stage housing announcement, operational funding announcement in Prince Albert, increasing this government’s commitment to second-stage housing. Mr. Speaker, supporting those not only on the capital side but supporting those families, all too often women and children that have found themselves in a very precarious situation. That’s some of the measure of what are you doing with your success, whether that be in your family household or your community or, in our case, the province, Mr. Speaker.

So let’s do some comparisons. And this is the choice that people will be faced with in this province in just about a year. Let’s compare what this government over the last 16 years has been investing in versus maybe the opportunities that were not present in the 16 years previous to that.

We hear about affordability, Mr. Speaker, and it’s a priority for this government to discuss. But in 2007 under the members opposite, a family of four making $75,000 would have paid about $5,000 in taxes at that point in time. Today they pay just under $2,000, so a savings of just over $3,000 each and every year, each and every year. But, Mr. Speaker, the member from Rosemont thinks that’s the end of the story but it’s not. There’s more. There’s much more, Mr. Speaker.

You think of the active families benefit, Mr. Speaker, and the effort and initiative that families make for their children to be involved in whatever extracurricular activity that they want, Mr. Speaker. And sometimes it’s more than one activity and sometimes it’s much more than one child. Mr. Speaker, that same family of four with two children is going to receive $150 per child. Three hundred dollars doesn’t cover all of the costs, but it helps. And it might be part of supporting that child in their extracurricular activity or allowing that family the funds to put that child in a second extracurricular activity, Mr. Speaker.

That’s what a government does with the success ultimately that we are finding ourselves in, Mr. Speaker. If your child has been diagnosed with autism, Mr. Speaker, if your child has been diagnosed with autism, there’s $8,000 that is provided in funding for that child, Mr. Speaker, up to the age of five, and then $6,000 from the ages of 6 to 11, Mr. Speaker. That wasn’t available. That was not available previous to 2007 under an NDP government, Mr. Speaker. And that, I would say . . . And I’ve talked to families about just how valuable that funding is to their family.

Mr. Speaker, we had a number of folks here from the diabetes services in the province, Mr. Speaker, and we’ve seen some of their advocacy over the last number of years. And you’ve seen a government that has made decisions around funding insulin pumps, glucose monitors, Mr. Speaker. Actually that insulin pump is up to $6,300 each and every year to that family, Mr. Speaker. So if you’re that family of four and one child might be diagnosed with autism, one child with diabetes, Mr. Speaker, these numbers are certainly starting to add up.

When it comes to child care, Mr. Speaker, and for those that say we never work with the federal government, we were the third province to sign on to the federal child care agreement because it’s advantageous to Saskatchewan families, Mr. Speaker. And we put our share into that funding to ensure that Saskatchewan families could move towards that $10‑a-day child care, Mr. Speaker. And I understand that we’re one of three provinces that is actually making progress on this front, Mr. Speaker.

If any of that family attended a post-secondary school, Mr. Speaker, and this is a significant one, they would be receiving the graduate retention program — again not available under the NDP, Mr. Speaker — graduate retention program that has now benefited 81,000 grads. $739 million has been invested in that program.

So, Mr. Speaker, all told — and this is the difference and this is the choice — all told, a family of four under the Saskatchewan Party today is saving $3,000 in income tax, $300 they would be receiving for the active families benefit, up to $8,000 in autism services if one of their . . . in that family is diagnosed with autism, over 6,300 in support for diabetes, $16,000 a year they’d be saving in child care, and they’d be receiving up to a $20,000 tax credit from the graduate retention program. Again, Mr. Speaker, none of these programs were available under the NDP.

Mr. Speaker, that is the measure of success. That is the measure of what ultimately the question that people would ask is, what are you doing in the province? Why are you so focused on building your province? Why are you so focused on that recipe for success? It’s because of what you can do with it, Mr. Speaker. Investing in schools, building a new school every two months rather than closing a school every month, Mr. Speaker. Investing in health care facilities — 35 health care facilities, new and innovative health care facilities, offering new and innovative services to Saskatchewan people.

Mr. Speaker, that’s the building and we’re going to protect that economy from global uncertainty, Mr. Speaker. We’re going to protect that economy from our federal coalition government. And, Mr. Speaker, we’re going to do everything in our power to go to the Saskatchewan people and ensure that they elect a Saskatchewan Party government so that we can protect that economy and protect that opportunity from the members opposite’s hands, Mr. Speaker.

And that’s why I will be not supporting the amendment that the members opposite have put forward, Mr. Speaker. I most certainly will be supporting the main motion put forward, Mr. Speaker, by the member from Saskatoon — not Eastview but Southeast, Mr. Speaker — and seconded by the member, the new member, Mr. Speaker, from Lumsden-Morse.

The Speaker: — The question before the Assembly is the proposed amendment moved by the member from Regina Elphinstone-Centre and seconded by the member from Regina Rosemont:

That the motion be amended by adding:

And, that the Assembly does not support the agenda outlined in the Speech from the Throne because it fails to include adequate measures to address the cost-of-living crisis and the health care crisis the people of Saskatchewan are facing; and further,

That the Assembly has lost confidence in the government.

Is it the pleasure of the Assembly to adopt the amendment?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Some Hon. Members: — No.

The Speaker: — Those in favour of the amendment please say yea.

Some Hon. Members: — Yea.

The Speaker: — Those opposed say no.

Some Hon. Members: — No.

The Speaker: — Call in the members.

[The division bells rang from 12:26 until 12:27.]

The Speaker: — All those in favour please stand.

[Yeas — 11]

Beck

Mowat

Wotherspoon

Love

Teed

A. Young

Burki

Clarke

Sarauer

Conway

Ritchie

The Speaker: — All those opposed please stand.

[Nays — 37]

Moe

McMorris

Hindley

Reiter

Harpauer

Duncan

Tell

Wyant

Makowsky

Marit

Cheveldayoff

Skoropad

Kaeding

Cockrill

L. Ross

Eyre

J. Harrison

Hargrave

Bradshaw

Fiaz

Dennis

Lambert

Ottenbreit

Francis

C. Young

Steele

Bonk

Nerlien

B. McLeod

Friesen

Goudy

Keisig

Lemaigre

Jenson

D. Harrison

Domotor

Wilson

[12:30]

Principal Clerk: — Mr. Speaker, those in favour of the amendment, 11; and those opposed to the amendment, 38.

The Speaker: — I declare the amendment lost. The question before the Assembly is the main motion moved by the member from Saskatoon Southeast and seconded by the member from Lumsden-Morse:

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

To His Honour the Honourable Russ Mirasty, Lieutenant Governor of the province of Saskatchewan.

May it please Your Honour:

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

Is it the pleasure of the Assembly to adopt the motion?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

Some Hon. Members: — No.

The Speaker: — Those in favour say aye.

Some Hon. Members: — Aye.

The Speaker: — Those opposed say nay.

Some Hon. Members: — No.

The Speaker: — Call in the members.

[The division bells rang from 12:31 until 12:32.]

The Speaker: — Just before we have the standing vote, I just want to clarify that the last vote was 37‑11, not 38.

All those in favour please stand.

[Yeas — 36]

Moe

McMorris

Hindley

Reiter

Harpauer

Duncan

Tell

Wyant

Makowsky

Marit

Cheveldayoff

Skoropad

Kaeding

Cockrill

L. Ross

Eyre

J. Harrison

Hargrave

Bradshaw

Fiaz

Dennis

Lambert

Ottenbreit

Francis

C. Young

Steele

Bonk

Nerlien

B. McLeod

Friesen

Goudy

Keisig

Lemaigre

Jenson

D. Harrison

Domotor

The Speaker: — All those opposed please stand.

[Nays — 12]

Beck

Mowat

Wotherspoon

Love

Teed

A. Young

Burki

Clarke

Sarauer

Conway

Ritchie

Wilson

Principal Clerk: — Mr. Speaker, those in favour of the main motion, 36; those opposed to the main motion, 12.

The Speaker: — I declare the motion carried. Why is the Government House Leader on his feet?

Hon. Mr. J. Harrison: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move that this House do now adjourn.

The Speaker: — The Government House Leader has moved to adjourn the House. Is it the pleasure of the Assembly to adopt the motion?

Some Hon. Members: — Agreed.

The Speaker: — Carried. This House now stands adjourned till Monday at 1:30.

[The Assembly adjourned at 12:35.]

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