Saskatchewan Minute: Issue 124

Saskatchewan Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Saskatchewan politics.

📅 This Week In Saskatchewan: 📅

• The Government of Saskatchewan has begun covering Alyftrek, a cystic fibrosis medication, for patients aged six and older who meet the medical criteria, effective August 1st. Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease that damages the lungs and digestive system, and the province says the drug controls symptoms and slows its progression for people with any of 266 rare genetic mutations. Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill said the treatment has been shown to improve quality of life for patients. The province said the coverage follows a Health Canada recommendation last year and pricing negotiations through the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance. With Alyftrek added to the medications already covered, the Government says more than 95% of eligible patients in the province are now candidates for therapy. Saskatchewan has nearly 150 cystic fibrosis patients, part of more than 4,500 across Canada.
  
  
• Todd Lewis, a Saskatchewan senator, farmer and longtime agricultural advocate, has died at the age of 65. Senate Speaker Raymonde Gagne announced his death on August 2nd, describing him as a “steadfast champion” of the province's agricultural sector. Lewis farmed near Gray, south of Regina, for more than 40 years and served five years as president of the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan. He was appointed to the Senate by former prime minister Justin Trudeau in February 2025. Prime Minister Mark Carney and Premier Scott Moe both issued statements of condolence, with Carney calling him one of Canadian agriculture's most trusted voices. Lewis also served on his local school board, spent more than 20 years on the council of the rural municipality of Lajord, and volunteered as a firefighter.
  
  
• Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck and technology critic Brittney Senger claimed at a Saskatoon news conference on August 6th that the provincial government's decision to keep its coal plants running past their regulated end of life cleared the way for a large Bell AI data centre being built near Regina. The Opposition pointed to a SaskPower filing with the provincial rate review panel stating that extending coal generation “has allowed SaskPower to have supply available to accommodate the Bell data centre load”. SaskPower rejected the link, with spokesman Joel Cherry saying the direction to extend the life of the province's coal assets was given on June 18th, 2025, before the data centre was approved. Jeremy Harrison, the minister responsible for SaskPower, accused the NDP of deliberately misrepresenting the utility's evidence. The dispute connects two issues the Opposition has pressed for months, including leaked internal documents suggesting the coal refurbishment could cost as much as $26 billion. Bell has called the project its largest-ever investment in the province and estimates it will generate about $12 billion in economic activity.
  
  
• Saskatchewan's rate review panel has recommended confirming a 3.75% increase to vehicle insurance rates through the Saskatchewan Auto Fund, which is operated by Saskatchewan Government Insurance, while advising against a second increase of the same size planned for 2027. The panel found the auto fund has operated at a loss for the past four years amid higher claims, inflation and more complex vehicle repairs. The interim increase took effect in June and works out to about $38 more a year for the average customer, the first rate hike since 2014. The panel declined to endorse the further 2027 increase, saying SGI should submit a new application backed by complete public evidence and a capital restoration plan. Jeremy Harrison, the minister responsible for SGI, welcomed the report and said the government would take time to review it. The Opposition's SGI critic, Darcy Warrington, urged Harrison at an August 5th news conference to commit publicly to dropping the second hike, calling it a “much-needed break” for drivers struggling with the cost of living.
  
  
• The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is questioning why the provincial government spent $17,401 chartering two private planes to fly Premier Scott Moe, 12 cabinet ministers and several other MLAs between Regina and Saskatoon for a municipal convention in April 2025. Records obtained through freedom of information requests show the round-trip charter flights worked out to about $967 per passenger. Gage Haubrich, the federation's prairie director, said the group should have driven the roughly 260 kilometers, arguing that renting vans, fuel and refreshments would have cost about $800. The federation tied the spending to the province's finances, noting the government projects debt will reach $26.8 billion by the end of the fiscal year, with interest payments of about $1 billion. In a statement, the Government said the convention fell on a day the Legislature was also sitting, requiring ministers to be in Saskatoon for the convention and then back in Regina for the Assembly, which it said was only possible by flying.

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