The provincial government has promised to “do better” for the people of Saskatchewan in its fall speech from the throne with a pointed focus on health care and education.
Lt.-Gov. Russ Mirasty delivered the throne speech to begin the new legislative session.
Following last month’s election, 61 MLAs will enter an abbreviated fall sitting expected to last up to three weeks.
Like the sitting, Monday’s throne speech, entitled “A New Beginning,” is much shorter than the typical speech from recent years. It reintroduces campaign promises made by the Saskatchewan Party government with a few notable additions.
The speech says members from both parties heard from voters who want the following:
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Improved access to health care services.
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Better support for our children in their classrooms.
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Improved representation by being more responsive to concerns.
“That message has been heard and my government will act on it,” the government said.
Premier Scott Moe told reporters the speech and its contents matched campaign promises and the result of the vote.
“Voters delivered two messages this election,” the premier said. “The majority voted for our plan for a strong economy and a bright future, but many others voted for change and it is now our job to deliver both.”
The government is promising a “clear-eyed” approach to what’s working and what’s not. Throughout the speech, the government pledges to “do better.”
In health care, the government says it will “accelerate the hiring of health-care professionals and expand urgent care centres to ensure more people have better access to a doctor, nurse practitioner and other health-care professionals.”
The government is promising additional urgent care facilities in Saskatoon, Regina, Prince Albert, North Battleford, and Moose Jaw.
‘Same old’: Sask. NDP
Carla Beck, leader of the Official Opposition, described the throne speech as “more of the same” from the Saskatchewan Party.
“Claiming to have heard voters’ concerns while refusing to change course makes it clear that this is the same old Sask. Party government. People are tired of the same old song and dance from these guys. They want better than this,” Beck said, in a news release.
Beck says the province’s residents want results now in order to address why Saskatchewan ranks last in per-student funding, emergency wait times and surgical wait times.
Reduction of surgical wait times
The government promises to reduce surgical wait times, with an expected 450,000 surgeries done in the next four years.
The government also pledges to ensure every Saskatchewan resident will be able to access a primary health provider by the end of 2028.
Moe says the message from voters on their doorstep was they want access to surgery and primary care.
In addition, the government says it will create a “first-of-its-kind patient-focused nursing task force.”
Education remains a focus
In education, the government says it will expand its specialized support in classrooms program schools to more than 200 from eight.
“That’s hiring teachers, that’s is hiring educational assistants, that’s hiring support staff in our schools,” Moe told the media on Monday.
The speech also says “not enough has been done to support our children in their classrooms.”
“My government will address this by increasing funding to school divisions to help them meet the pressures of a growing student enrolment and the challenges of classroom complexity.”
Moe told reporters the government would focus on improving reading levels from kindergarten to Grade 3 “to ensure children have the best opportunity to succeed in later years.”
The government says it has 5,100 childcare spaces “under development” and will add 12,000 into development by the end of the next fiscal year.
In a news release, the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation said it was “encouraged” by the province’s decision to highlight education in its speech on Monday.
“Voters were clear this fall that the status quo was not working, and a new approach is needed if we are going to give Saskatchewan students the resources and supports they need to be successful,” said STF president Samantha Becotte.
The STF, which represents about 13,000 teachers across the province, was engaged in job action through the first half of the year as its members were working without a contract since August 2023.
The two sides are set to begin binding arbitration next month.
Under affordability, the government said addressing cost-of-living concerns was the “centrepiece” of the election platform.
“Bill 1 of this new Legislature will be The Saskatchewan Affordability Act — legislation to enact my government’s campaign commitments to reduce taxes and make life more affordable for everyone in Saskatchewan.”
The government says it will make good on election promises by introducing the largest personal income tax reduction in Saskatchewan since 2008.
It will “raise the personal exemption, the spousal exemption, child exemption and the senior’s supplement by $500 a year in each of the next four years, in addition to fully indexing income tax brackets.”
Carbon tax exemption
The government says it will also introduce legislation to extend the carbon tax exemption on natural gas for home heating through next year.
It will make changes to people in the Saskatchewan Assured Income for Disabilities (SAID) program. The amount that can be earned before reductions will increase by $1,000
Disability and caregiver tax credits will also increase by 25 per cent.
The Saskatchewan NDP says the government’s approach does not do enough.
The Opposition plans to bring forward an emergency motion on Tuesday that, if passed, would immediately cut the gas tax.
It’s a promise the Saskatchewan NDP made on the campaign trail but was rejected by Moe.
The Throne Speech also touched on “safe communities,” promising to add 500 more police officers and 500 more addiction spaces.
The government says it will amend The Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act to “provide officers with additional authority to shut down nuisance properties.”
It will also make changes to “address disruptive behaviour on public property.”
In closing, the government is calling for a “more respectful assembly.”
In recent months, the former Speaker Randy Weekes alleged harassment and bullying by the government and its staff members.
On Monday, Saskatchewan Party MLA Todd Goudy (Melfort) was elected the new Speaker.
The throne speech called for better decorum from members.
“[Debate] should never be driven by malice toward those on the other side or any individual who may serve here or anywhere in the province,” the speech says.
“My government will strive to improve the decorum and tone of this Assembly, to disagree without being disagreeable, and to remember that every Member shares the same desire to make Saskatchewan a better place.”
That pledge will be tested on Tuesday afternoon when question period begins.
After naming Goudy the Speaker, the government has 33 voting members, the Opposition 27.
New government, bigger opposition, the throne speech and the election of a new Speaker of the House. CBC’s Political Panel discuss an important opening week of session for the new government.
Adam Hunter covers politics for CBC Saskatchewan. Murray Mandryk writes a political column in the Regina Leader-Post/Saskatoon Star Phoenix. Stefani Langenegger is the host of CBC’s Morning Edition.
