The Saskatchewan Legislature rose on Dec. 10 after a short, eight-day session.
The session, the first one after the Oct. 26 provincial election, was a chance for the Saskatchewan Party government to set its legislative agenda. Much of that revolved around its election platform promises, with the first bill focusing on the home renovation tax credit.
It was a session punctuated by social distancing. The chamber was never full. Plexiglass barriers were positioned between desks. In their speeches in response to the Speech from the Throne, members lamented the fact they now sit alone, and no longer have seatmates. And everyone wore a mask, from Lieutenant-Governor Russ Mirasty, the newly-elected Speaker Randy Weekes, to all the members.
There were times when it seemed some members were a little winded, speaking with their usual gusto while wearing a mask.
Unsurprisingly, nearly all the questions in question period from the opposition New Democratic Party focused on the government’s response to COVID-19. New Democratic Party Leader Ryan Meili repeatedly asked for additional funds for a variety of different groups, from schools to more staffing for long-term care, to additional testing. He also pushed the government to do more to control the spread of COVID-19.
Layoffs at Regina’s Evraz steel mill in excess of 500 were another source of questions. Towards the end of the session, NDP Leader Ryan Meili pointed out that if the government had followed the NDP’s idea of a three-week “circuit breaker,” which the NDP suggested three weeks ago, COVID-19 numbers may not have gotten so bad.
Another frequent refrain came from Regina University MLA Aleana Young’s questions regarding what she called “the worst of both worlds.” The jobs, employment and small business critic noted businesses were being told they could stay open, but their clientele were being told they should stay home. Young gave birth to a daughter just days before the election. She frequently had her newborn with her in the chamber, who made nary a peep.
In one of the few question period exchanges not related to COVID-19, Saskatoon Nutana MLA Erika Ritchie, environment critic, asked about Saskatchewan’s energy efficiency rankings.
Cumberland MLA Doyle Vermette asked about government support for suicide prevention. He pointed out a private members bill he brought forward earlier in the year regarding a suicide prevention had not received support from government members at the time.
In a press conference at the conclusion of the session, Meili said, “This is our last day of the session, off to Christmas holidays here. I wanted to thank everyone for the work they've done covering a short but really important session; extremely serious issues that we're dealing with right now with what's going on in COVID-19. Here in Saskatchewan, the outbreaks in not only hospitals and long-term care, in our prison system. And … I have been disappointed to see this government unable to display any humility; to admit that they haven't got everything right. And that's disappointing, because in order for them to change, in order for us to have a better path forward, that needs to happen. They need to stop campaigning, they need to start governing, and not downplay this, but make the serious efforts to keep people safe.”
He added, “Clearly, this government's position has not been getting COVID-19 under control. They've allowed this despite what the modelling said, they've allowed this to grow and grow without taking serious action. And … here we are today. We're living with the with the consequences already. And I'm extremely worried about what we're going to see in the next week, in the next few weeks, as we see more and more patients in hospital, more outbreaks in long-term care. It's a really disturbing situation.”
