Saskatchewan throne speech focuses on economy, health care

To kick off the fall session for the provincial government, the Hon. Bernadette McIntyre, Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan, delivered the throne speech Wednesday at the Legislative Building.

The speech touched on several topics, including wildfires, health care, safety and the economy.

It claimed that Saskatchewan has the strongest economy in Canada, while leading in capital investments across the country. For the majority of the year, the province has led the nation in year-over-year job growth with the lowest unemployment rate.

The speech shared that the government continues to build Saskatchewan’s economy with maintaining incentives in mining and agriculture.

Due to recent tariffs imposed by the United States and China, the province has been working toward expanding export markets. In the last year, trade missions with several countries were underway, including Mexico, India, Germany, South Korea and many other countries around the globe.

The speech claimed that the province exports to over 160 countries and financial growth has been made, adding that in 2007, the province’s exports were less than $20 billion a year but now the province sees between $40 billion to $50 billion every year.

That being said, the government still plans on working closely with its federal counterpart to strengthen relationships with the United States and China.

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Saskatchewan remains one of the most affordable places to live in the country, with some of the lowest rental rates. Despite this, residents are still feeling the burden of the rising costs of living. To combat this, the government has claimed to have lowered the cost of living for seniors, students, homeowners and families. This upcoming session, they also plan to deliver the second step of their four-year plan for the largest personal income tax cut in years.

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Health care has been a huge topic for the province, as residents see health care providers stretched thin. In her speech, McIntyre announced that the Saskatchewan Healthcare Recruitment Agency is actively recruiting health care workers in the United States.

Moe promised that the government is working to ensure every Saskatchewan resident has access to a primary health care provider by 2028. A $50,000 incentive has been made to encourage more providers to work in rural or remote areas.

As for surgical wait times, McIntyre said the government is committed to performing 450,000 surgeries over the next four years, saying it’s a goal they are confident they will be able to complete with more than 100,000 surgeries performed in 2024 to 2025.

New urgent care centres will also be in effect to take pressure off of emergency rooms, with over 41,000 patients treated in the Regina Urgent Care Centre within its first year of operation.

Another anticipated topic in the speech was wildfires and efforts to help the province recover from the 2025 wildfire season. In addition to millions provided by the government to support evacuees across the province, $10 million has been provided for temporary housing and $20 million for community cleanup.

To recognize the firefighters who risked their lives during the wildfires, the province will be awarding the Premier’s Commendation Award to volunteer, municipal and Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency fire departments.

Lastly, the government said that they are continuing to work towards a safer province by cracking down on the trafficking and use of illegal drugs, claiming a commitment to hiring 100 additional municipal police officers, 14 Safer Communities and Neighbourhood (SCAN) personnel, 70 officers within the Saskatchewan Marshals Service and 180 new RCMP positions.

Actions made by the province to help with the drug crisis also included 500 new addiction treatment beds, complex needs facilities and the Compassionate Intervention Act, with the goal of a recovery-oriented system of care to make recovery easier for those with addictions.

During the fall session, the government announced the new Compassionate Intervention Act, which requires individuals who are a threat to themselves or others to enter an addiction treatment program.