Saskatchewan Session in Review

The first session of the 30th Saskatchewan Legislature has now risen for the year. Following the October 28th provincial election and the swearing in of MLAs and Cabinet, Premier Scott Moe convened a short 10-day fall session to start delivering on his election platform.   

The session kicked off with a Speech from the Throne which was delivered by Lt. Governor Russ Mirasty. You can read Upstream’s full analysis of the speech HERE. The speech outlined Premier Scott Moe’s legislative priorities, emphasizing affordability, healthcare, public safety, and education. These reflected the government’s campaign promises and the Premier’s post-election commitment of serving voters who re-elected his government to champion strong economic growth but also to deliver change based on the stronger showing for the NDP than in previous elections. 

Since the Speech from the Throne, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau named Bernadette McIntyer of Regina to be the next Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan.

The short 10-day legislative session saw the government bring forward several pieces of legislation, all building off their successful re-election platform.

Bill 1, The Saskatchewan Affordability Act will see the implementation of the largest personal income tax cut since 2008 saving an average family of four $3,400 annually. This act will increase the basic personal exemption, tie tax brackets to inflation, and see over 55,000 residents pay zero provincial income tax. Since forming the first of their 5 successive majority governments, the Saskatchewan Party has consistently reduced the tax burden for individuals and businesses in the province and has made the province once of the least taxed jurisdictions in the country. This has been a key pillar to the success of the Saskatchewan Growth Plan. 

Bill 2, The SaskEnergy Amendment Act (2024) will extend measures to exempt residential customers from the federal Carbon Tax on natural gas. This was a key pre-election pillar for the Moe government in opposing the unpopularity of the Trudeau government and was used to make Justin Trudeau, who obviously was not on the Saskatchewan ballot, an election opponent in October. Prior to the election, Premier Moe instructed SaskEnergy to not collect or remit the federal Carbon Tax. 

The Mid-Year Fiscal Report, presented by Finance Minister Jim Reiter, projected a $743.5 million budget deficit, primarily due to increased healthcare, public safety, and crop insurance costs. Saskatchewan also posted the lowest unemployment in the country. 

Continuing to deliver on promises made during the election campaign, the Government also introduced the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Amended Act and The Safe Public Spaces (Street Weapons) Act. These key pieces of legislation are acting on the commitment to create safer neighbourhoods for all Saskatchewan citizens to address challenges posed by abandoned properties that create a public nuisance and contribute to unsafe living conditions that negatively impact the health, safety and economic wellbeing of area residents. The Safe Public Spaces Act will allow municipalities and First Nations to opt into new rules that regulate the possession, transportation and storage of items that may be used as street weapons, such as large knives, machetes or bear spray. 

The NDP Opposition proposed emergency measures, including suspending the 15-cent gas tax and eliminating PST on children’s clothing, which were rejected by the government. 

Premier’s Popularity Rises

On the final day of the session, an Angus Reid poll revealed that Premier Scott Moe’s approval rating had increased, reaffirming his position as one of Canada’s most popular premiers. His approval climbed to 52% reflecting strong public support for his government’s focus on affordability and economic issues during the campaign. 

The Legislature will reconvene in late February or early March 2025.