Saskatchewan.

AuthorGudereit, Miranda
PositionLegislative Reports

Spring sitting of the second session of the twenty-ninth legislature

The second session of the twenty-ninth legislature resumed on March 7, 2022. In accordance with the parliamentary calendar, the Assembly will sit for 40 days before concluding the spring sitting on the Thursday before Victoria Day.

As previously reported, at the beginning of the fall sitting, the Assembly passed a sessional order which established masking requirements in the Chamber and committee room, introduced a COVID-19 vaccination or proof of negative test policy for Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), allowed for absences of members isolating due to COVID-19 exposure, and permitted proxy voting on recorded divisions for the same reason. These measures expired at the conclusion of the fall sitting on December 9, 2021.

In addition, members' desks were returned to their pre-COVID positions in the Chamber. In 2020, to allow for increased physical distancing between members, a number of government desks were relocated to the other side of the Chamber. All government members are once again seated on the government side.

Seating of a new member

Jim Lemaigre, the Saskatchewan Party candidate, was elected in a by-election for the constituency of Athabasca on February 15, 2022. This marks the first time a Saskatchewan Party candidate has won a seat in the Athabasca riding.

On March 7, 2022, the first day of the spring sitting, Mr. Lemaigre was seated in the Assembly following the passage of The Athabasca Constituency By-election Act. The Act allowed Mr. Lemaigre to be seated prior to the return of the writ on March 10, 2022.

Budget

On Wednesday, March 23, 2022, Finance Minister Donna Harpauer presented the province's budget for 2022-23. The budget, titled Back on Track, announced handing for priority programs and services in health care, education, social services, and the protection of people and property. "This budget makes significant investments that will get important government services back on track as we come out of the pandemic," said Ms. Harpauer. Highlights include funding to reduce the surgical wait list, recruit and retain health care workers, and create affordable new child care spaces.

In response, opposition Finance critic Trent Wotherspoon called it a budget "with high resource revenues but with very low support for people" and argued that it "fails to respond to the magnitude of the challenges faced." On March 24, 2022, he moved an amendment in...

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