The fall session of the Legislature, the final one for Brad Wall before his departure as Premier, opened Wednesday afternoon with the Speech from the Throne.
In that address the government outlined plans for a busy agenda, with a number of proposals and initiatives outlined for the next few months before a new Premier takes over.
This is also likely to be the final Throne Speech delivered by Lieutenant Governor Vaughn Solomon Schofield, whose term is also coming to an end.
Among the plans outlined by the government in the session were the following:
Most noteworthy was the repeal of Bill 40 provisions that allow for the sale of a partial equity position in a Crown Corporation of up to 49 percent.
Bill 40 had been passed earlier in 2017 but the government is reversing course on the bill in the wake of feedback from the public.
The provincial government also reiterated their plans to press ahead with consolidation of the province’s 12 regional health authorities into a single Saskatchewan Health Authority. It will commence in December.
They plan to invoke the notwithstanding clause of the Charter in order to introduce legislation that will protect the right to school choice .
The carbon tax will be another hot item. “We will stand up for our agricultural sector in opposing a federal carbon tax and federal small business tax changes that will hit farmers and ranchers hard,” the Throne Speech states.
The government also plans to introduce further actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while continuing to oppose the carbon tax, including through a legal challenge if necessary.
The government plans to introduce legislation to facilitate the federal government’s legalization of the use of non-medical marijuana, although the province states it continues to have concerns about the federal government’s rushed timetable.
In health care, the government plans to fulfill a commitment to provide individualized funding to children under six with Autism Spectrum Disorder of $4000 per year per child.
The government also is seeking to increase the rate of organ donation in the province through a new program led by donor physicians, as well as to expand the pool of donors and explore the option of moving to a “presumed consent” model.
The government will be moving ahead with the new Protection and Response Team announced earlier this fall, based on recommendations coming from the caucus committee on crime chaired by Battlefords MLA Herb Cox.
“Acting on the committee’s recommendations, my government has created a new Protection and Response Team (PRT), consisting of 258 armed officers who have the authority to arrest and detain those suspected of committing crimes,” the Throne Speech stated.
“The Protection and Response Team will improve response times to emergency calls and increase the visibility of uniformed officers in rural Saskatchewan. My government has committed nearly $6 million to support the PRT and other initiatives arising from the committee’s report.”
The Throne Speech also touts continued investments in health care infrastructure.
“Thirteen new long-term care facilities have opened, and new hospitals have been built or are under construction, including the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital in Saskatoon and the new Saskatchewan Hospital in North Battleford,” the Throne Speech stated.
On the municipal front the province plans to work with cities to allow ride sharing-services like Uber and Lyft to operate in the province.
Cyberbullying will be a focus during the session. Amendments to the Privacy Act are being proposed for greater protection against unauthorized electronic distribution of intimate images, including “sexting” and “revenge porn”. The amendments would allow plaintiffs to sue in a civil action and also create a reverse onus on defendants requiring proof of consent.
A process to improve disclosure of decisions made by the Office of Residential Tenancies (Rentalsman’s Office) to better protect the rights of both tenants and landlords is being created.
The government will be continuing efforts to improve internet and cellular coverage through rural Saskatchewan.
On taxes, the government is planning business tax reductions aimed at small businesses.
“While we are pleased the federal government has backed down on most of its proposed tax changes that would have hurt small businesses, my government has decided to refocus its business tax reduction plan on Saskatchewan small businesses.
“Effective January 1, 2018, we will raise the small business income threshold from $500,000 to $600,000 - the highest threshold in Canada.
“This is the amount of income up to which small businesses pay tax at the significantly lower two per cent small business tax rate.
“We will also return the corporate tax rate to 12 per cent - the same as the other western provinces.”
An Agriculture Value Added New Growth Incentive is also being proposed to attract investment.
On trade, the province is also intending to consider retaliatory trade measures in response to Alberta’s beer rebate program. The government is calling it an unfair trade practices that discriminates against Saskatchewan brewers.
On parks and recreation, a new provincial park in the Porcupine Hills, southeast of Hudson Bay is proposed.
Finally, the government is looking to introduce a new Seniors Education Property Tax Deferral Program to give seniors with household incomes under $70,000 the option to defer the education portion of property tax on homes.
In a statement, Premier Wall touted the plan in the Throne Speech as one that continues to keep Saskatchewan strong.
“Saskatchewan has enjoyed a decade of growth and our government is working to ensure our province keeps growing stronger,” Wall said. “Today’s Throne Speech outlines our plan to strengthen our economy, continue to improve important services like health care and education, protect our communities, and carefully manage the province’s finances.”
The premier also stated that “even after a decade of growth, there is still a lot of work to do and our government has many new ideas and initiatives we will be introducing during this session. I look forward to a vigorous debate on our agenda and to moving forward with our government’s plan to keep Saskatchewan growing stronger.”
Prior to the Throne Speech, news that the government was repealing Bill 40 prompted a response from Nicole Sarauer, interim leader of the Opposition. She voiced skepticism about the government’s reversal in a news release.
“Now, after all of this, the Sask. Party wants Saskatchewan people to believe that they have actually listened and, after nearly a decade in government, they have finally figured out that Crown Corporations are owned by Saskatchewan people. That is simply not believable,” said Sarauer in a statement.
“After defending this bill for so long and after all of the broken promises, the only thing that is perfectly clear today is, when it comes to our Crowns, the Sask. Party cannot be trusted.” Sarauer further stated that the “people of Saskatchewan deserve a government that is working for them, not one that is working to save the Premier’s personal legacy so he can ride off into the sunset."
In a statement released Wednesday after the Throne Speech was delivered, the NDP painted its contents as a repeat of "oil and tired campaign promises, cherry picked statistics and chased headlines."
“It’s easy to look good when oil is at $100 per barrel but now that times are tougher, the Sask. Party are failing Saskatchewan people,” Sarauer said. “This Speech from the Throne is the definition of unambitious and shows that the Sask. Party still seems more interested in serving the Premier’s legacy than the people of Saskatchewan.”
