Saskatchewan Minute: Issue 136

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

📅 This Week In Saskatchewan: 📅

• The Saskatchewan Legislature sits from today to Thursday, the second sitting week of the Third Session of the Thirtieth Legislative Assembly. Several private members' bills from the Opposition NDP are listed for first reading today - bills restricting property controls for grocery stores and supermarkets, introducing rent control, amending the provincial sales tax, banning private fees for medical care, banning parking fees for cancer patients, and banning unfair AI pricing. Several Government bills introduced last week are also on the go, covering court-ordered testing for bodily substances, statute law amendments, municipal employees' pensions, and revenue and financial services. After this week, the Legislature is scheduled to sit next on November 9th and November 10th, and its fall sittings are set to end on December 10th.
  
  
• Justice Minister and Attorney General Tim McLeod has introduced amendments to Saskatchewan's law that lets police officers, first responders, and victims of crime who are exposed to another person's bodily substances ask the Court of King's Bench to order that person tested for diseases such as HIV and hepatitis. The changes were promised in the Speech from the Throne on Tuesday. McLeod said the biggest change is that applications would be heard by default without notice to the person to be tested. The current process requires three days' notice before a testing order can be heard, which the amendments would cut to as little as two hours, and McLeod said he hopes exposed people could then have results within hours rather than days. He said the amendments would also strengthen compliance and enforcement, while court oversight and rules against improperly using or disclosing results would protect privacy. Regina Police Deputy Chief Trent Stevely said his service seeks such an order about six times a year, and Regina Fire Chief Layne Jackson called the changes great progress. The Saskatchewan Association of Chiefs of Police also backed the bill, while the Saskatoon Paramedic Association said it supports the goal but is still reviewing the details.
  
  
• Minister Tim McLeod also announced that the provincial government plans to let police deal with drivers at or above the .08 blood alcohol limit through a provincial traffic ticket, as an alternative to charges under the Criminal Code. McLeod said the change would require an amendment to the Traffic Safety Act. Under the proposal, a ticketed driver would have their licence suspended immediately and face a $1,000 fine plus a 30% victim fine surcharge for a first offence, or a $2,000 fine plus the 30% surcharge for a second or subsequent offence. Police could still lay Criminal Code charges, and McLeod said they would have to in certain cases, such as when a child is in the vehicle or a collision or injury has occurred. He rejected descriptions of the change as decriminalizing impaired driving, saying suspensions and vehicle impoundment still apply and that decriminalization is not something the Province could do. McLeod said Saskatchewan is the only western province that has not adopted such penalties and has the highest numbers of impaired driving incidents, while Alberta, Manitoba, and British Columbia have seen significant drops in serious and fatal impaired-driving collisions since adopting them. He added that Mothers Against Drunk Driving has pushed for the change for years.
  
  
• A new Angus Reid Institute poll gives Premier Scott Moe's Saskatchewan Party an 11-point lead over the NDP among decided and leaning voters, 51% to 40%, with 8% backing other parties and 16% of all respondents undecided. It put Moe's approval at 49%, rising to 61% outside Regina and Saskatoon, while 33% viewed NDP Leader Carla Beck favourably. The poll also found that 70% of residents name the cost of living as a top issue and 63% health care, and that 50% say the government is not focused on the issues most important to them, compared with 37% who say it is.
  
  
• The Saskatchewan Trappers Association is asking the Ministry of Environment to reverse a three-month extension of the wolf hunting season, which now runs alongside the trapping season, and to move its end back to December 7th. Association President Don Gordon said trappers were not consulted and learned of the change from the 2026 Hunters Guide, and argued the Ministry relied on outdated harvest data and population surveys. Gordon said his own survey of 24 fur blocks in the Northern Fur Conservation Area found about 750 wolves trapped in 2024 and 560 in 2025, while only 14 or 15 of roughly 500 wolf licences sold were filled by outfitters or resident hunters. He warned that more hunting traffic on shared snowmobile trails would drive wolves from trap lines, at a time when trappers have lost lines to wildfires and are seeing fewer wolves. The Ministry said the extension is consistent with the Province's Game Management Plan, was discussed with the association beforehand, and was reviewed by the Wildlife Advisory Council, and it maintains that Saskatchewan's wolf population is healthy and stable.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

We're hosting two upcoming Pints & Politics events, and we'd love to see you there!

In Saskatoon, we'll be hosting an event on Wednesday, November 18th, at Winston's English Pub. We'll be welcoming a special guest speaker, who we'll be announcing shortly. Stay tuned for more details!

In Regina, we'll be hosting an event on Thursday, November 19th, at Birmingham's Vodka and Ale House with former Saskatchewan Deputy Premier and Finance Minister Donna Harpauer. Hear from one of Saskatchewan's most experienced political leaders as she shares insights from her 25 years in public service.

Both events are free to attend, with food and drinks available for purchase. Space is limited, so be sure to reserve your spot!

🪙 This Week’s Sponsor: 🪙

This week's sponsor is you! We don't have big corporate backers, so if you like what you're reading, please consider making a donation or signing up as a monthly member.

Having said that, if you are a local business and are interested in being a sponsor, send us an email and we'll talk!