Saskatchewan.

• Author: Drake, Anne
• Position: Legislative Reports

Second Session of the Twenty-Eighth Legislature

Lieutenant Governor W. Thomas Molloy gave Royal Assent to 32 bills on May 30, 2018, and the spring sitting of the 28th legislature's second session concluded on May 31. To this date, 60 bills have received Royal Assent during the second session of the 28th legislature.

Humboldt Broncos Bus Tragedy

On April 6, 2018, a bus carrying the members of the Humboldt Broncos junior A hockey team was struck by a tractor trailer, leaving 16 individuals deceased and 13 more injured. In light of the tragedy, motions of condolence were moved on April 9 and April 11, 2018. The Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan is very grateful for the outpouring of support shown from across the country.

Budget Presentation

The 2018-19 budget, titled On Track, was tabled on April 10, 2018, by Finance Minister Donna Harpauer. "This budget sets the stage for a new decade of growth by keeping Saskatchewan's finances and our economy on track," she said. Highlights include a 2.5 per cent increase in funding for health care, including coverage of HIV drugs, hearing loss screening for infants, and supports for autistic children. Increased funding for social services and education, investments in infrastructure, and new business incentives are also of note. According to Ms. Harpauer, the budget keeps Saskatchewan on track in its second year of a three-year plan to reduce reliance on resource revenues and return to a balanced budget by 2019.

Finance critic Cathy Sproule countered that Saskatchewan's debt was on track to triple since 2008 and that the increases in education funding did not restore the cuts to education introduced in the previous budget. She cited citizens' struggle to keep up with the increased costs of living due to tax increases and cuts introduced in the previous year's budget, and she criticized the current budget's lack of hope and direction to create long-term growth. On April 11, 2018, she moved an amendment to the budget motion that the Assembly "... disagrees with the government for tabling a budget that fails to make smart investments to grow the economy, create jobs, prioritize education, and protect the most vulnerable."

The budgetary motion was passed by the Assembly on April 18, 2018.

Significant Legislation

Debate time devoted to each of three bills tripled the average time spent on debate per piece of legislation this session: The Cannabis Control (Saskatchewan) Act; The Animal Protection Act, 2017...