Based on coverage from CBC, Times Colonist, CJME, and SaskToday.
Saskatchewan’s spring sitting kicks off Monday with one thing already settled: the next provincial budget will be in the red. Premier Scott Moe has said a deficit is coming when the budget is tabled later this month, but he won’t say how big it will be, even after repeated questions.
Moe is also out of the Legislature for the first week, travelling to India on a trade mission where he’s expected to join Prime Minister Mark Carney. That leaves his government to start the session without its main political quarterback in the room, while the Opposition NDP lines up its attacks on health care, affordability, and debt.
Saskatchewan deficit budget set for March
Moe’s message so far is that Saskatchewan, like other provinces, is dealing with pressures in health care, addictions, social services and policing. He’s framed the deficit as a revenue problem tied to trade and market uncertainty.
The Canadian Press report points to revenue shortfalls linked to China’s previous tariffs on Canadian canola products, tariffs Moe says have now mostly been removed. Moe has also pointed to broader trade concerns.
What Moe has been clearer about is what he says will not happen: he has suggested the budget won’t raise taxes and services won’t be cut. University of Saskatchewan political science professor Charles Smith said that combination points toward debt financing, which could give critics on both sides plenty of material.
Saskatchewan Party faces debt and spending attacks
The Saskatchewan NDP has already started leaning into the province’s growing debt costs. Leader Carla Beck said Moe is responsible for expanding the debt load, arguing the province is paying about $1 billion each year just to finance it.
Smith’s take is that Moe risks taking heat from fiscal conservatives who dislike borrowing, while also giving the NDP an opening to argue the province is sliding deeper into deficit and long-term debt.
The Saskatchewan Party, for its part, is trying to keep the focus on protecting services while minimizing the deficit, with Moe arguing Saskatchewan’s economy is more resilient than many other provinces.
Health care pressure dominates Saskatchewan Legislature
Health care is set to be one of the loudest themes of the sitting. During the break, the NDP hammered the government on conditions in health facilities and the safety of front-line staff. Beck says her party will also push on deteriorating conditions in hospitals and schools, and press for more action on crime.
Moe has hinted at delivering services, especially health care, in “new and innovative ways,” but there are no concrete details yet in the reporting on what policies that could translate into. Smith notes Saskatchewan isn’t alone in struggling with health care, but that doesn’t let the province off the hook: it still has to explain what it plans to do.
Involuntary addiction treatment bill returns
The most politically sensitive government bill hanging over the session may be the Compassionate Intervention Act, Saskatchewan’s proposed involuntary addiction treatment legislation. It was introduced on the last day of the winter sitting, meaning it still needs debate and committee work before it could pass.
Smith expects the government may prefer to keep attention on the economy rather than linger on a bill that could stir political and legal controversy. The government has said it wanted time for public discussion during the break before moving it forward.
Private members’ bills and child poverty motion
The NDP plans to “double down” on private members’ bills as a way to spotlight its priorities. Beck has warned the government it will get “a whole lot” of the NDP’s ideas this session. The party has had occasional wins with this tactic in the past, including bills on Sikh Heritage Month and domestic violence measures that were later picked up and passed.
Other NDP proposals expected back in the chamber include bills related to ER closures and virtual physician access, rent control, a wildfire strategy, and a referral process tied to the notwithstanding clause. The party also says it plans legislation aimed at stopping SaskPower and SGI rate hikes, and ending what it calls the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s “snitch line.”
On day one, NDP MLA Kim Breckner is expected to introduce an emergency motion aimed at reducing child poverty. It would need unanimous consent to be debated, so even getting it onto the floor could become an early test of how combative this sitting will be.
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