Saskatchewan Minute: Voice Cloning, New Class, and Ballot Applications Underway

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

This Week In Saskatchewan:

• Saskatchewan high school students will soon have the opportunity to jumpstart their careers in the oil and gas industry through new courses to be introduced by the Province. Starting in the second semester of the 2024-25 school year, "Oil and Gas 20" will be available, followed by "Oil and Gas 30" in the 2025-26 school year. These courses are being developed in collaboration with Teine Energy and the Saskatchewan Distance Learning Centre. The curriculum will include 100 hours divided between online theory and practical work placements, offering insights into the industry's significance and the career opportunities it holds in Saskatchewan. Additional partnerships with other provincial oil and gas companies are anticipated to expand work placement opportunities for students.
  
  
• Elections Saskatchewan is gearing up for the upcoming provincial election, with the mail-in ballot application process underway. This election will also see the introduction of Voting Week, allowing citizens to vote at polling stations throughout an entire week with extended hours. Additionally, new technologies such as electronic pollbooks will be used in 34 urban constituencies to streamline voter verification. Despite the successful test of these technologies in recent byelections, Saskatchewan will continue to count votes manually, as electronic counting was rejected to preserve the integrity of the electoral process. The election must take place no later than October 28th, 2024.
  
  
• Environment Canada is predicting another warmer-than-average summer for Saskatchewan. Fortunately, it is expected to be a little less hot than last summer (which was the third hottest on record), hopefully alleviating some of the drought conditions. While dry conditions are expected to continue throughout the summer, last month’s rainfall was higher than average.

Last Week In Saskatchewan:

• As the 2023-24 school year approaches its end, negotiations between Saskatchewan teachers and the government have resumed after the teachers narrowly rejected a three-year deal. The Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation (STF) is re-entering talks following a vote where 55% of participating educators opposed the proposed contract. Although binding arbitration was suggested by Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill as a way to ensure uninterrupted graduations, the STF prefers to negotiate a new deal first. The rejected offer included an 8% salary increase over three years, a one-time market adjustment, enhanced benefits, and a commitment to tackle classroom complexity and violence. Work-to-rule begins again today, meaning teachers will only do the minimum required by their contracts, starting work 15 minutes before and ending 15 minutes after the school bell. This action ends all voluntary activities such as sports, clubs, and other extracurriculars.
  
  
• Saskatchewan has urged the federal government to establish restrictions on the use of AI for voice cloning in unsolicited communications due to its rapid evolution and potential risks. The Province highlighted concerns about AI-generated voices being used to misrepresent individuals, posing significant security threats. Saskatchewan's Justice Minister, Bronwyn Eyre, emphasized the need for robust controls to protect citizens and democracy from AI misuse.
  
  
• New Brunswick has thrown its support behind Saskatchewan in a legal battle over the Province's gender-identity policy in schools. New Brunswick's policy, like Saskatchewan's, requires parental consent for minors under 16 to change their names or pronouns at school, and both provinces face legal challenges on these grounds. New Brunswick will join Alberta as an intervenor in the case.