A month after the Saskatchewan Party was re-elected, the government is outlining its priorities in the 2024 throne speech.
“We should never take for granted the tremendous privilege that we have in our province and our country to freely choose our representatives and our government,” Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said in the speech.
Moe says his government plans to start working on affordability issues, including a promise to reduce personal income tax rates.
The provincial government also plans to address problems in health care, education and community safety.
Affordability
The largest section of the throne speech, Moe said he will introduce the largest personal income tax reduction in Saskatchewan since 2008 by raising the personal exemption, spousal exemption, child exemption and seniors supplement by $500 a year in each of the next four years, in addition to fully indexing income tax brackets.
Moe said a family of four can expect to save more than $3,400 over the next four years and a senior couple will save more than $3,100.
“When fully implemented, an additional 54,000 people will no longer pay any Saskatchewan income tax,” Moe explained. “The Saskatchewan Low-Income Tax Credit will be increased by 20 per cent over the next four years.
When it comes to homeowners, the Home Renovation Tax Credit will allow homeowners to claim up to $4,000 in home renovation expenses every year, to a maximum benefit of $420 annually.
Seniors will be able to claim an additional $1,000 every year, for a maximum benefit of $525 annually.
Moe promises the Saskatchewan First-Time Homebuyers Credit will be increased by 50 per cent, from $10,000 to $15,000.
The government is also promising to increase the disability tax credit by 25 per cent.
The government will also introduce legislation to extend the carbon price exemption on natural gas through 2025.
Health care
Moe said his government will continue to accelerate the hiring of health-care professionals and expand urgent care centres.
An urgent care centre opened in Regina this July and has served the needs of more than 14,000 patients. Moe said his government will open additional urgent care centres in Saskatoon, Prince Albert, North Battleford, Moose Jaw and Regina.
Moe is also promising 450,000 surgeries will be performed over the next four years.
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“Increasing capacity will reduce surgical wait times to no more than three months,” the speech says. “To meet the need for more health-care infrastructure, five new hospitals are under development in Prince Albert, Weyburn, Esterhazy, Rosthern and Yorkton.
“Over four years, my government will invest more than $2.6 billion into health-care infrastructure.”
The speech also said the province will further implement a nurse task force, provide women with the option to do cervix self-screening at home for the human papillomavirus and more.
Education
When it comes to education, Moe said he will work to expand the specialized support classroom model.
“My government will work with school divisions to expand the specialized support classroom pilot to 200 more schools throughout the province,” Moe said.
He also said he would increase funding for school divisions, but not by how much or when.
Safer communities
When it comes to community safety, Moe said his government will add 500 more police officers and 500 more addiction recovery spaces.
“More police officers, more access to recovery spaces, more mental health supports and stronger laws – that’s my government’s plan for safer communities and neighbourhoods,” the speech reads.
Saskatchewan NDP push back
The Saskatchewan Party heads into the 61-seat legislature with 34 members, facing a larger 27-member Opposition under NDP Leader Carla Beck.
Beck said this speech from the Throne was just more of “the same old Sask. Party.”
“Regardless of who you voted for, people want action from their elected officials. They want results now,” said Beck.
“Claiming to have heard voters’ concerns while refusing to change course makes it clear that this is the same old Sask. Party government. People are tired of the same old song and dance from these guys. They want better than this.”
Beck said the speech misses the mark in many key areas.
She believes there are no new affordability measures until tax time next year, and only for those who are actually eligible.
The NDP leader also said the promises do nothing to get Saskatchewan schools “out of last place in Canada,” and no changes to the “failed healthcare plan.”
“Scott Moe suggests he’s heard the message from the people of Saskatchewan that they want change, but he offers nothing of the sort,” Beck said.
“He’s pressing ahead with cuts to funding for hospitals and schools and doing nothing immediately to help make life more affordable for families. This is a government that’s out of ideas and out of touch with the people in this province who are hurting.”
Beck, whose party gained ground in Saskatoon and Regina after the election, said she will press Moe to suspend the provincial gas tax and fix health care.
She says her party plans to introduce an emergency motion that would give Moe a Wednesday deadline to pause the gas tax.
A new Speaker
As part of the legislature resuming Monday and the Throne Speech being introduced, a new Speaker was elected.
Melfort member Todd Goudy has been chosen as the Speaker.
Prior to the throne speech, Moe told reporters his caucus will no longer send the Speaker harassing text messages and are to follow the Speaker’s orders.
“It’s incumbent on me to ensure that I’m having the conversations with the team that I serve alongside,” Moe said when asked about texting issues.
“We will be critical of policy at times, also complimentary of policy at times, but always be respectful of all the members in that assembly.
“(The Speaker) is the arbitrator in the room, and as I would say, the most honourable position of all.”
https://x.com/PremierScottMoe/status/1861111302329913387
The last Speaker, Randy Weekes, accused members of Moe’s Saskatchewan Party caucus of intimidation and harassment through text messages.
Weekes did not run in the last election.
Goudy told the assembly he will put aside political biases in his new role and allow members to express opinions while preserving decorum.
He said he hopes members will treat one another with respect.
Moe said his caucus will lead by example.
“With respect to what a new beginning looks like … you’re just going to have to watch us,” he said.
“The tone is going to be a respectful one, and the effort that we are going to bring forward is to really quantify and clarify what a brighter future in Saskatchewan looks like.”
— With files from The Canadian Press’ Jeremy Simes
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