As this year’s Throne Speech leaves First Nations hardly mentioned, the Saskatchewan Government is attempting to address major social issues impacting the province.
Lt. Gov. Russ Mirasty said the Scott Moe Government will look to increase Indigenous employment and opportunities in the economy.
“Over the past five years, First Nations and Métis employment in Saskatchewan is up 28 per cent and 92 per cent of Indigenous graduates of Saskatchewan Polytechnic have employment upon graduation,” Mirasty said Wednesday in the Legislature. “My government is committed to increasing Indigenous employment and participation in the economy, specifically in natural resource and value-added agricultural project equity ownership, through the Saskatchewan Indigenous Investment Finance Corporation.”
Premier Moe said this year’s Throne Speech would focus on affordability for families, especially in housing. To spur new construction, the province is reinstating the Provincial Sales Tax Rebate, it cut in April. The rebate, retroactive to April, will return 42 percent of the PST paid, approximately 2.5 percent of the total house price.
This decision follows a federal measure earlier this year to remove GST on new home construction, which is supported by homebuilders and developers.
“This program has the strong support of both homebuilders and those buying a new home. It will result in more new homes being built and will help protect homeowners from rising costs,” Mirasty said.
The province is encouraging homeowners to build rental suites, as it said would help with rising mortgage costs. However, the Throne Speech did not provide details on this program.
“In the first two years of the Canada-Saskatchewan Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, nearly 5,000 new spaces were created. My government understands the need to create more affordable childcare spaces throughout the province. That is why nearly 2,500 new childcare spaces will be added in the coming months,” Mirasty explained.
In healthcare, the province said it is still committed to bringing in more professionals. It added that more than 24,000 surgeries were performed in the first three-months of this year and the wait-list for surgeries is on track to return to pre-pandemic levels by March.
“Building on supports already in place for those in greatest need, my government recently introduced a Provincial Approach to Homelessness. This approach will result in 155 new supportive housing units, 120 new permanent emergency shelter spaces and increased support for transitions and community safety,” Mirasty said. “My government also recognizes that our emergency shelters are not always well-suited to those struggling with addictions. In order to better assist those individuals and ensure the safety of other clients in shelters, my government will create 30 new Complex Needs Emergency Shelter spaces in Regina and Saskatoon.”
The Opposition argued the Throne Speech does little to help residents. NDP leader Carla Beck said the government rose hydro rates three times, but campaigned on lower bills.
“This is a Sask. Party government that can’t be trusted. Scott Moe ran on lower power bills, then increased them three times. I think governments should be measured on the results they deliver, not the promises they make,” said Beck. “If Scott Moe was more focused on fixing issues than scoring cheap headlines, maybe we’d be somewhere.”
“There’s an emergency in our emergency rooms and Moe still hasn’t come forward with any game-changing solutions for healthcare,” said Beck. “Moe says he’s concerned about housing, yet his government sat on its hands as dozens of seniors were thrown out of their homes this last week. The rising cost of living and healthcare crisis are clearly not priorities for this government.”
This is the last Throne Speech for this administration as an election is anticipated next October.