Saskatchewan Minute: Travel Expenses, Full Payment, and a Nuclear Sharing Agreement

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

This Week In Saskatchewan:

• The Legislature will sit from Monday to Thursday this week. The Standing Committee on the Economy will meet today at 3:00 pm to consider Bill No. 158 (The Saskatchewan Commercial Innovation Incentive (Patent Box) Amendment Act) and Bill No. 160 (The Immigration Services Act). The Standing Committee on Private Bills will meet on Tuesday at 9:00 am to consider Bill No. 906 (The Lutheran Collegiate Bible Institute Amendment Act). The Standing Committee on Public Accounts will meet on Wednesday at 9:00 am to consider representation at the Canadian Council of Public Accounts Committees/Canadian Council of Legislative Auditors annual conference in Quebec from September 8th to 10th, 2024.
  
  
• The Province will start providing financial support to families who have to travel out of province for medical care. The Province has always paid for the care itself, but in many cases, especially for cases involving children, there are additional travel costs that have not traditionally been covered. The policy change was spurred by a family's plea at the Legislature, and the Province will now cover up to $2,000 per trip. The details are expected to be finalized soon.
  
  
• Federal and provincial governments, along with the Prince Albert Grand Council (PAGC), will be providing $1.4 million in funding to support the implementation of culturally appropriate police services for PAGC member communities. The investment will fund a study aimed at implementing Indigenous-led police services.

Last Week In Saskatchewan:

• Saskatchewan and Alberta have signed a memorandum of understanding to exchange information regarding nuclear power generation. In particular, the provinces have agreed to keep each other in the loop about supply chains, workforce development, and the regulatory environment. Saskatchewan is considering the construction of a small modular nuclear reactor in the next decade as part of its transition away from traditional coal-fired electricity. Alberta is also exploring nuclear energy as part of its strategy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
  
  
• Premier Scott Moe's Saskatchewan Party has significantly outpaced its rivals in fundraising, with donations totaling $3.6 million last year compared to the Opposition New Democrats' $1.4 million.While no election date has been set, Saskatchewan residents are expected to vote by the end of October.
  
  
• In response to Ottawa promising to have the Canada Revenue Agency audit Saskatchewan, Premier Scott Moe asserted that he believes Saskatchewan has paid in full. Why? Well, since home heating oil received a temporary exemption from the carbon tax, a move that primarily benefits residents of Atlantic Canada, Moe is operating in the interest of fairness, as though Saskatchewanians have also received an exemption. He stated that unless an agreement is reached with Ottawa, the Province would stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas and electric heating from residents, consequently "withholding" funds from the federal government.