The 2019 Speech of the Throne has been delivered to open the new session of the Saskatchewan legislature, and the word “growth” figured prominently in that address.
The address was titled A New Decade of Growth, and it laid out ambitious plans by Scott Moe’s Saskatchewan Party government to grow the population and workforce of the province over the coming decade.
“Over the past 12 years, Saskatchewan has enjoyed a remarkable period of strong and sustained growth - growth our province has not seen since the 1920s,” the Throne Speech stated.
“Ten weeks from today, Saskatchewan will enter the 2020s. My government’s goal is to ensure Saskatchewan’s strong growth continues, that all Saskatchewan people continue to benefit from that growth and that the 2020s will be a new decade of growth for our province.”
Newly-appointed Lieutenant Governor Russ Mirasty delivered the Throne Speech in the legislature Wednesday afternoon. That address began with a moment of silence for the previous Lieutenant Governor Thomas Molloy, who died July 2nd.
The speech lays out the government’s priorities during the legislative session, expected to be the last one prior to next year’s provincial election on Oct. 26, 2020.
Dominating the Throne Speech was the government’s pledge of new Saskatchewan Growth Plan.
“During this session, my government will release a new Saskatchewan Growth Plan to ensure this strong growth continues through the new decade,” the Throne Speech stated.
“The new Growth Plan will set specific targets and provide a roadmap of how Saskatchewan will achieve those targets. Those targets will include: 1.4 million people living in Saskatchewan by 2030; and 100,000 more people working in Saskatchewan by 2030.
“A strong and growing economy means a strong and growing province, which in turn enables my government to invest in important government services that provide a better quality of life for all Saskatchewan people. This virtuous circle of growth has replaced the vicious cycle of decline that hindered our great province for so many years. That’s why my government is committed to a new Growth Plan and to ensuring the 2020s are a new decade of growth.”
According to the Throne Speech, included in the Growth Plan are measures to increase agricultural value-added exports to $10 billion by 2030, and measures to encourage new mineral exploration to support the discovery of emerging and undeveloped commodities, such as base and precious metals.
There is also support offered towards a “strong oil and gas industry” as well as the uranium sector.
“My government remains committed to supporting the growth, diversification and innovation of the energy and resources sector through targeted incentives. The Oil and Gas Processing Investment Incentive supports infrastructure upgrades for companies, as well as value-added processing and improved emissions management. The Saskatchewan Petroleum Innovation Incentive, based around research and development, also provides transferrable royalty/freehold tax credits for qualified innovation and commercialization projects.
“Saskatchewan uranium provides clean, safe and reliable power all around the world. About one in 10 homes in Canada, nearly one in 20 in the United States and millions more in other countries receive electricity produced from Saskatchewan uranium. Despite challenges stemming from low uranium prices, Saskatchewan sees opportunity in new discoveries and uranium projects. Last month, ALX Uranium announced the commencement of a drilling program at Close Lake in the Athabasca Basin. NexGen also announced its maiden drilling program in the same region. These are just a few examples of new prospects that will position Saskatchewan to be a leader in supplying uranium to global markets.
“At the same time, SaskPower will continue to explore the potential for small modular reactors using Saskatchewan uranium to produce safe, emissions-free electricity here in our province.”
The government also pledged to move ahead with some previously-announced anti-crime initiatives.
“Last spring, my government, in partnership with the federal government, introduced the Gang Violence Reduction Strategy. This strategy will provide $11.8 million over the next five years to help address the issue of gang violence in our province by: expanding and improving addictions supports in correctional facilities; launching the Community Intervention Model, a community- based program focusing on intensive outreach and support for high risk youth; and continuing to support policing units that focus on combatting gangs and drugs, including expansion of the successful Crime Reduction Team policing model to Saskatoon and Regina early in the new year.”
The government intends to undertake several measures this session, according to the province’s news release. Some of those outlined in the Throne Speech include:
· creating a fund up to $10 million to assist Estevan, Coronach and surrounding areas transition to new economic development opportunities for workers affected by the federally-mandated phaseout of coal-fired electricity by 2030;
· continuing the constitutional challenge to the federal carbon tax in the Supreme Court;
· opening of the Regina Bypass;
· implementing Clare’s Law allowing police to disclose information to protect potential victims of interpersonal violence;
· a new Fisheries Act with protections against invasive aquatic species;
· a plan to reduce surgical wait times;
· legislation to regulate vaping and vaping products;
· measures to improve safety and well-being of First Nations children and reduce the number that need to come under the province’s care;
· tougher penalties for cell phone use while driving;
· amending The Lobbyists Act to address recommendations made by the Registrar of Lobbyists;
· strengthening enforcement of maintenance orders for child support payments;
· amending The Saskatchewan Employment Act to increase parental leave by eight weeks to ensure employees entitled to the new shared parental Employment Insurance benefit have job protection while using the new leave benefit, and to extend employment leave to individuals who are running for election to a First Nations Band Council.
In a news release, the indication from the government was that they would introduce 30 pieces of legislation during the fall sitting, and that they would table a budget during the spring that will make “significant investments in infrastructure.”
“Our government will continue to plan for a growing province by keeping our economy strong, investing in important government services and ensuring everyone in Saskatchewan continues to enjoy the benefits of growth,” said Premier Moe in a statement.
Reaction swift from NDP
The opposition New Democrats were quick to dismiss the contents of the Throne Speech. In a news release Wednesday afternoon the NDP accused Premier Moe of "again letting people down by failing to address the crisis in Saskatchewan classrooms and emergency rooms." T
“Parents expect a government that has a plan to deal with their child’s overcrowded classroom,” NDP Leader Ryan Meili said in a statement. “Families worry that they’ll be facing long wait times and hallway medicine in our hospitals. This Throne Speech makes it clear that Scott Moe doesn’t care about the significant challenges we’re seeing in his two largest areas of responsibility: health care and education.”
The NDP also pointed out that the Throne Speech ignored a decline in per-student funding over each of the last three years, which they said wasis a direct result of the government’s failure to invest in sustainable growth.
“People struggling to make ends meet, whose kids are struggling to learn in overcrowded classrooms, aren’t interested in what happened ten years ago,” Meili said. “They’re asking what Moe has done for them lately, and what he’ll do for them now. According to this Throne Speech, not much.”
