Saskatchewan Minute: Issue 128

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

📅 This Week In Saskatchewan: 📅

• Saskatchewan's Official Opposition is calling for the Legislature to be recalled early to respond to the escalating trade dispute with the United States, a demand the provincial government has rejected. NDP House Leader Nicole Sarauer said on Monday that MLAs should be back at work passing measures to make life more affordable and to support workers and businesses hit by tariffs, pointing to the roughly $7.5 billion Ottawa has committed to affected workers and to training and grant programs launched in other provinces. The Legislature is not scheduled to resume until October 27th. Government Whip Brad Crassweller rejected the call, accusing the Opposition of offering political stunts rather than serious solutions and stressing that resolving the trade dispute is Ottawa's responsibility. Crassweller said ministers and officials are instead building relationships at trade conferences, while Premier Scott Moe holds industry round tables with affected businesses. Among the Saskatchewan businesses feeling the squeeze are motorcycle dealers facing a 50% Canadian counter-tariff on large American-made bikes.
  
  
• Also on the affordability front, the Saskatchewan Rate Review Panel has recommended confirming a 3.9% increase to SaskPower electricity rates, citing mounting financial pressure on the Crown utility. The increase, applied on an interim basis on February 1st, adds about $5 per month to the average residential bill and about $11 per month for the average farm customer. In its report, released Friday, the panel pointed to an expanding capital program, higher fuel and purchased-power costs, declining export revenue, and uncertainty over future carbon obligations, noting SaskPower now forecasts an operating loss of $187 million for 2025-26. The panel deferred a decision on a further increase planned for February 2027 but warned ratepayers it could run 1.5-2.5% higher than the 3.9% just approved. Crown Investments Corporation Minister Jeremy Harrison said the government will review the report and balance a reliable electricity system against protecting ratepayers from unnecessary cost increases.
  
  
• The provincial government has also signed a special warrant providing $50 million to the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency for the fiscal year ending March 31st, 2027. Signed on August 26th, the warrant directs $21 million to the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program and $29 million to wildfire response. The Agency said the disaster program has already approved 172 designations this year, far above the previous 10-year average of 43 per year, as spring and summer flooding forced many communities to declare states of emergency. The Opposition NDP welcomed the funding but criticized what it called an "utter lack of fiscal foresight", arguing the government has failed year after year to adequately budget for disasters. The province has said this year's flood response cost about $100 million more than expected, contributing to its projected $825 million deficit.
  
  
• Turning to education, advocates and the Saskatchewan NDP are calling on the provincial government to set clearer standards and consistent training for the education support workers who provide medical care to students. CUPE Saskatchewan says many support workers administer insulin and other medications, use EpiPens, provide tube feedings, respond to seizures, and perform wound care and catheterization, often without consistent training or clear direction. The issue was raised by Jennifer Simmons, whose eight-year-old daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes last November and missed much of the school year after her Estevan French immersion school could not meet her medical needs. NDP education critic Matt Love said the lack of consistent standards can become a barrier to children attending school. The Ministry of Education said its policy requires school divisions to support students with medical conditions through training and coordinated planning, and that staffing decisions are made locally.
  
  
• On a related issue affecting children, the Government of Saskatchewan says a provincial survey found strong public support for restricting children's use of social media, and it has forwarded the results to Ottawa. Mental Health and Addictions Minister Lori Carr said on Thursday that 86% of respondents backed limits on social media for those under the age of 16, with 58% favouring a cap set at 16. The survey drew more than 26,000 responses, which Carr said was about 5% of the households it was sent to, and cost the province around $180,000. Carr said Saskatchewan does not plan to bring in its own restrictions, arguing the matter falls to the federal government, which introduced legislation in June that would regulate youth access to social media platforms. She said the government wants Ottawa informed of what Saskatchewan residents think as it develops that legislation.

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