Last week, Lieutenant Governor Russ Mirasty delivered the 2023 Throne Speech outlining the Saskatchewan government’s agenda for the upcoming legislative session. Premier Scott Moe said the Throne Speech outlines the government’s plan to build and protect Saskatchewan. “Together with Saskatchewan people, we will continue to build a strong province, a strong economy, strong communities and strong families,” Moe said in a news release. “And we will protect what we have built together from the risks of global uncertainty and from a federal government that seems intent on shutting down important parts of our economy.”

During the upcoming legislative session, the government will:

• Introduce a new Saskatchewan Employment Incentive program to bolster the income of lowincome working families with dependent children;

 • In order to promote new home construction and help with rising costs, new homeowners will qualify for a Provincial Sales Tax (PST) Rebate for New Home Construction, effective retroactive to April 1 of this year.

 • Introduce a Secondary Suite Program to increase rental availability;

• Introduce a new Investment Attraction Strategy;

• Introduce a new Saskatchewan Jobs Plan;

• Continue to increase Indigenous employment and participation in the economy through the Saskatchewan Indigenous Investment Finance Corporation;

• Lead a significant Saskatchewan presence at the COP28 Conference in the United Arab Emirates, where Saskatchewan companies and government officials will promote our province’s sustainable products to the world;

• Protect Saskatchewan’s economic autonomy by using The Saskatchewan First Act to refer the federal Clean Electricity Regulations, the Clean Fuel Standard and the oil and gas emissions cap to the Economic Impact Assessment Tribunal;

 • Implement the new Action Plan for Mental Health and Addictions, which includes the creation of 500 new addictions treatment spaces across the province;

• Implement the new Provincial Approach to Homelessness;

• Create 30 new Complex Needs Emergency Shelter spaces in Regina and Saskatoon;

• Continue to build a number of important hospital and health facility projects in Regina, Saskatoon, Prince Albert, Weyburn, La Ronge, Grenfell and other communities;

• Continue to implement the Health Human Resources Action Plan to recruit, train, incentivize and retain health care workers across the province;

• Expand the Nursing Loan Forgiveness Program to include Prince Albert, Moose Jaw, Swift Current, Yorkton and The Battlefords;

• Continue to reduce the pandemic-related surgical backlog;

• Continue to build new schools in Regina, Saskatoon, Lanigan, Moose Jaw and La Loche;

• Continue to expand online learning opportunities for students through the Saskatchewan Distance Learning Centre; • Continue to add more childcare spaces;

• Expand mental health services for children and youth in Estevan, Weyburn, Carlyle, Oxbow, Regina, Saskatoon, North Battleford, Humboldt, Prince Albert, Kindersley, Yorkton, Swift Current and Moose Jaw; and

• Expand support for second stage housing to protect individuals fleeing interpersonal violence. The Throne Speech outlined a number of bills the government will introduce including:

• The Workers’ Compensation (Extending Firefighter Coverage) Amendment Act to expand presumptive cancer coverage for firefighters to include six additional types of cancer;

• The Tobacco and Vapour Products Control Amendment Act to raise the legal age for smoking and vaping from 18 to 19, consistent with the age for alcohol and cannabis consumption;

• The Protection from Human Trafficking (Coerced Debts) Amendment Act to relieve human trafficking victims of negative credit factors incurred through coercion; and

• The Saskatchewan Remembrance Day Observance Act to protect individuals’ right to wear a poppy in all Saskatchewan workplaces. The Throne Speech concludes by saying Saskatchewan has built a strong foundation of a strong economy, strong communities and strong families. “My government, together with the people of our great province, will keep building Saskatchewan and we will protect all we have built,” Moe said.