Saskatchewan.

• Author: Park, Rob
• Position: Legislative Reports

Saskatoon Meewasin Constituency By-election

On March 2, 2017, Ryan Meili, the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party candidate, was elected in a by-election for the constituency of Saskatoon Meewasin. Following the passage of The Saskatoon Meewasin Constituency By-election Act on Monday, March 6, 2017, Mr. Meili was seated in the Assembly. The Act allowed Mr. Meili to be seated in the Assembly before the return of the writ.

First Session of the Twenty-Eighth Legislature

The first session of the twenty-eighth Legislative Assembly resumed on March 6, 2017. This is the third and final sitting of the first session of the twenty-eighth Legislature. Due to the federal election on October 19, 2015, the Saskatchewan general election was moved to April 4, 2016. With this change in the election date the Assembly agreed to a sessional order that set out three periods and conditions for the sitting of the first session of the twenty-eighth legislature.

Budget

On March 22, 2017, Minister of Finance Kevin Doherty presented the province's budget for 2017-18. The budget, entitled Meeting the Challenge, focused on controlling spending; modernizing the tax base; and investing in priority government programs, services, and infrastructure projects. The government said it was a "... move away from the level of reliance on resources revenues while at the same time ensuring important government programs and services are affordable and sustainable."

Opposition Finance critic Cathy Sproule criticized the government's financial plan stating it will lead to increased debt without investing for the future while still cutting programs for vulnerable people. On March 29, 2017, she moved an amendment to the budget debate motion that opposed the government's "... budget of broken promises, callous cuts, and tax hikes."

On March 30, 2017, the budget motion was passed in the Assembly. Under the Rules and Procedures of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan, the estimates were automatically committed to their respective standing committees. The rules provide for a vote to be taken on any remaining estimates on the second-last day of session, provided the cumulative total time for debate on the estimates is no less than 75 hours of debate.

Budget-related Bills

Pursuant to rule 34(l)(c)(i), 20 budget-related bills were outlined in the government's financial plan, which was presented on March 22, 2017. Budgetrelated bills, must be subsidiary to the passage of the budgetary...