Saskatchewan’s legislature resumes Monday for a brief two-week session, with Premier Scott Moe’s Saskatchewan Party focusing on affordability after a challenging election campaign.
The session begins with the election of a new Speaker and the delivery of the throne speech, outlining the government’s priorities. Government house leader Tim McLeod said last week that the Saskatchewan Party plans to introduce legislation addressing key campaign promises, including personal tax relief projected to save a family of four more than $3,400 over four years.
“The priority legislation, particularly on affordability, will be front and centre,” McLeod said. “We’re anxious to start going to work for the people of Saskatchewan.”
In the Oct. 28 election, the Saskatchewan Party secured 34 seats, maintaining a majority in the 61-seat legislature but down from the 42 seats held previously. The NDP, led by Carla Beck, won 27 seats, sweeping Regina and taking all but one seat in Saskatoon.
Beck announced the NDP’s immediate focus is affordability, including an emergency motion Tuesday to pause the 15-cent-per-litre provincial gas tax by Wednesday.
“We’ve got to lower costs for people and we’ve got to lower them now,” Beck said. “Families can’t wait until tax season next year. People voted for action, and we aren’t going to waste a second.”
The move follows similar measures in other provinces. Manitoba has suspended its gas tax until the end of 2024, while Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, and Alberta have implemented temporary reductions.
Moe has previously opposed suspending the gas tax, citing its role in funding highway repairs. Instead, he highlighted his government’s decision to exclude the federal carbon levy from home heating bills as a cost-saving measure.
The Saskatchewan Party also appears to be recalibrating its approach to contentious social policies. Moe recently clarified that a proposed campaign-trail policy to ban "biological boys" from school changing rooms designated for "biological girls" is not an immediate priority. Instead, the government plans to consult school boards to develop a policy supporting all students.
Beck criticized the proposed measure, arguing it would marginalize vulnerable youth further. Her party also opposes Saskatchewan’s parental consent law for children under 16 who wish to change their names or pronouns at school, a law shielded from legal challenges using the notwithstanding clause.
With affordability, education, and community safety high on the agenda, this short sitting sets the tone for how the Saskatchewan government will navigate its post-election mandate