REGINA — The Saskatchewan legislature resumed Monday, with Premier Scott Moe’s government promising to do better on everything from health care to education -- and on civility in the house.
The two-week sitting began with the election of a new Speaker – Melfort member Todd Goudy – and a throne speech outlining the priorities and goals of Moe’s governing Saskatchewan Party.
Prior to the throne speech, Moe told reporters his caucus will no longer send the Speaker harassing text messages and are to follow the Speaker’s orders.
“It's incumbent on me to ensure that I'm having the conversations with the team that I serve alongside,” Moe said when asked about texting issues.
“We will be critical of policy at times, also complimentary of policy at times, but always be respectful of all the members in that assembly.
“(The Speaker) is the arbitrator in the room, and as I would say, the most honourable position of all.”
The last Speaker, Randy Weekes, accused members of Moe’s Saskatchewan Party caucus of intimidation and harassment through text messages.
Weekes did not run in the last election.
Goudy told the assembly he will put aside political biases in his new role and allow members to express opinions while preserving decorum.
He said he hopes members will treat one another with respect.
Moe said his caucus will lead by example.
"With respect to what a new beginning looks like ... you're just going to have to watch us," he said.
"The tone is going to be a respectful one, and the effort that we are going to bring forward is to really quantify and clarify what a brighter future in Saskatchewan looks like.”
The start of the legislative session comes a month after the Oct. 28 election, which delivered Moe's party a slimmer majority with 34 seats in the 61-seat legislature. Carla Beck's NDP is to form the Opposition with 27 seats.
The government's first piece of legislation is to be the Saskatchewan Affordability Act.
The bill is to enact the Saskatchewan Party's election campaign commitments to address affordability issues, including personal tax relief to save a family of four more than $3,400 over four years.
The province also plans to continue not charging the federal carbon levy on home heating, introduce a home renovation tax credit and increase benefits for those with disabilities and families with kids in sports and arts.
On health care, Moe said he's promising to hire more family doctors and shorten surgical wait times by making sure 450,000 surgeries are performed over four years.
He also said the province wants to open additional urgent care centres in Regina and Saskatoon, along with others in smaller cities.
In education, the speech promises to expand a pilot program that would see 200 additional schools in Saskatchewan receive specialized support to deal with students with higher needs.
The government also promises more funding to help children from kindergarten to Grade 3 improve reading skills.
"A child's ability to read at a level by Grade 3 is the single greatest predictor of future academic success," Moe said.
Beck’s NDP dismissed the throne speech as a rehash of past promises that failed to take concrete action on problems in schools and hospitals.
“Scott Moe suggests he’s heard the message from the people of Saskatchewan that they want change, but he offers nothing of the sort,” Beck said in a statement.
“He’s pressing ahead with cuts to funding for hospitals and schools and doing nothing immediately to help make life more affordable for families.
“This is a government that’s out of ideas and out of touch with the people in this province who are hurting.”
The NDP has said it will push the government this week to pause the 15-cent-a-litre gasoline tax to help families make ends meet.
Beck has said her party is to introduce an emergency motion Tuesday that would call for a suspension of the gas tax by Wednesday.
Moe’s government has already changed course on one election announcement.
On the campaign trail, Moe announced that the first order of business of his government would be a policy that would ban “biological boys” from using school changing rooms with “biological girls.”
After the election, Moe said that policy was no longer his first order of business and that he misspoke when announcing it.
On Monday, he said Monday school boards are being consulted on a change room policy that would support all students.
Beck has said the ban would put vulnerable kids at even greater risk.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 25, 2024.
Jeremy Simes, The Canadian Press
