Throne Speech goes on despite protest outside Legislative Building

The second session of Saskatchewan’s 29th legislature started Wednesday with differing priorities for the government and the opposition, and a change of plans thanks to threats.

There was supposed to be a ceremony outside the Legislative Building with Lt.-Gov. Russ Mirasty, Premier Scott Moe, a vice-regal salute and a fly-by from 15 Wing Moose Jaw, but it was all cancelled with less than a half hour to go.

The premier’s office said it was cancelled in light of recent threats and on advice from security officials, though the premier’s office didn’t elaborate on what kind of threats or from whom.

As there often are on the first day of session, there were protests outside the Legislative Building. One was a group of people frustrated over changes to social services programs which, they say, have pushed many people into homelessness.

But that protest was relegated to a space across the street while a larger and louder protest took shape comprising people against the COVID-19 vaccine and public health orders.

By 1 p.m., more than 100 people lined the edges of the cordoned-off area in front of the legislature steps with signs and chants.

A protest was held at the Legislative Building before the reading of the Throne Speech on Oct. 27, 2021. (Lisa Schick/980 CJME)

Shortly thereafter, the reading of the Throne Speech went ahead as planned.

Mirasty read it on behalf of Moe’s government, with some mention of the COVID-19 pandemic but more emphasis on other aspects of the Saskatchewan Party’s plans.

“This Throne Speech is about building a better province of Saskatchewan — a stronger, a safer, a healthier, a more educated, and a more independent Saskatchewan,” Moe said before the speech was read.

In trying to explain why there was little mention of the pandemic outside of the introduction, Moe said the speech is a reflection of the other priorities his MLAs are hearing from constituents.

“COVID is important for everyone, including the government of Saskatchewan. It’s still part of the conversations and we still need to take it very seriously … but there are other topics of discussion and policy initiatives that people of Saskatchewan want to see their government working towards,” he said.

NDP Leader Ryan Meili, meanwhile, called the Throne Speech a hodge-podge of re-releases and distractions and said Moe, in the speech, is trying to call attention away from COVID-19 to other things.

“We should have seen Scott Moe acknowledging the (832) lives lost and his role in failing to control the fourth wave that led to so many of those deaths. We don’t see that. We don’t see a government that recognizes the real challenges of cost of living and employment that people are facing,” said Meili.

“I would have wanted to hear a document that talked about the people of Saskatchewan, and that’s not what we heard from Scott Moe.”

Here are some of the topics covered in the speech.

Health

Moe said his government has invested $530 million so far to support the fight against COVID.

While he laid out many of the things the government has done to date — from launching the largest vaccination program in Saskatchewan’s history to creating a proof-of-vaccination policy — Moe didn’t offer any insight on changes that might be coming to the province’s COVID strategy.

There is one piece of COVID-related legislation coming in the session: A bill to prevent demonstrators from restricting access to hospitals.

Aside from COVID, Moe said his government will continue its support for eight projects to improve patient flow and reduce emergency wait times in Saskatoon and Regina, and for previously announced hospitals and long-term care facilities around the province.

The government also is planning to introduce legislation that will allow hygienists, therapists and dental assistants to practise independently of dentists.

Mental Health and Addictions

As announced in the budget, over the next three years, the government plans to add 150 treatment and detox spaces in the province by working with charitable organizations and third-party providers.

It also is looking to create more accessibility to take-home naloxone programs, and to launch three new community wellness buses to provide professional support and harm reduction supplies.

Economy

Moe noted Saskatchewan’s economy is recovering from COVID, with employment in the province back to more than 99 per cent of its pre-pandemic level.

As well, the province’s exports are up 35 per cent and projects worth nearly $10 billion have been announced.

To continue the recovery, the government will be enhancing its Saskatchewan Value-Added Agriculture Incentive, a non-transferable tax rebate on investments in new or expanded value-added agriculture facilities in Saskatchewan.

To help projects run by First Nations, Moe’s government is to create the Saskatchewan Indigenous Investment Finance Corporation. Its goal is to invest up to $75 million to help the Indigenous business sector.

The government will create the Helium Action Plan as the province looks to produce 10 per cent of the world’s helium by 2030.

Moe’s government also plans to launch a new Sustainable Saskatchewan brand, which will promote the quality and environmental sustainability of products produced in the province, which Moe said is something buyers are looking for.

“When you look at the agri-food products that Saskatchewan produces, it’s among the most sustainable in the world — from a carbon perspective or from a soil, water (and) air perspective,” said Moe.

Education

The pandemic sent many students home to study. While most have returned to school this year, Moe said the government plans to create a new learning policy to help students who continue to learn online.

The government remains committed to the federal government’s plan to reduce daycare costs to $10 a day, and Saskatchewan also plans to increase wages for child-care workers by up to $3 per hour.

As construction continues on 16 new schools across the province, the government announced it will be providing funding for the hiring of more educational assistants to work in the system.

It also is developing the Parent Teacher Home Visit Pilot Project, through which 400 students and their parents will meet in their homes with teachers at least twice during the school year.

Policing

The government plans to add 60 new police positions and 11 civilian positions to support police initiatives in the province.

It also will create a new Provincial Protective Services unit, which is to comprise 325 conservation officers, Highway Patrol officers, Provincial Capital Commission community safety officers, Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods officers and deputy sheriffs.

As well, the Saskatchewan Trafficking Response Team will be created to pursue people who transport drugs and weapons into the province. The team will include 30 RCMP officers, six municipal police officers and two criminal analysts.

There also will be a new Warrant Enforcement and Suppression Team, a team of eight officers who are to target dangerous offenders with outstanding warrants. In the same vein, the government will give courts the option to order GPS electronic monitoring for repeat offenders who have committed serious crimes.

New Crime Reduction Teams will be established in Meadow Lake, La Ronge, Lloydminster and Moose Jaw.

Other legislation will be introduced to combat money laundering, trespassing, harassment and withholding spousal and child support.

Truth and Reconciliation

In the wake of the discovery of 751 unmarked graves on the Cowessess First Nation, the government is to provide $2 million to the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations to investigate undocumented deaths and burials on residential school sites.

The province also is expanding the Opikihiwawin program to offer culturally appropriate child welfare services to Indigenous families.

A new online gaming agreement with the FSIN also is planned.

The Office of the Treaty Commissioner has asked the government to install signs to mark the boundary between Treaty 4 and Treaty 6 lands to raise awareness of the treaties in Saskatchewan.

Autonomy

Moe said the province will examine ways to build provincial autonomy. Those include taking back from the federal government the collection of corporate income tax and the creation of a provincial police force to complement the RCMP and municipal police forces.

In a referendum last week, Alberta residents voted to remove equalization from the Constitution. As a result, the federal government has to negotiate with the provinces on that topic – and Moe said his government will be “a full participant” in those talks.

— With files from 980 CJME’s Lisa Schick