Saskatchewan.

• Author: Gudereit, Miranda
• Position: Legislative Reports

Pipe ceremony

To mark the opening of the new legislative session, a pipe ceremony was held in the rotunda of the Legislative Building on October 26, 2021. Elders AJ and Patricia Felix, accompanied by First Nations Chiefs and helpers, led the ceremony and participants included the Speaker, the Lieutenant Governor, and Members of the Legislative Assembly from both the government and opposition caucuses. The ceremony was hosted by Speaker Randy Weekes and will be held prior to each session opening going forward.

Prorogation and the opening of a new session

The Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan reconvened on October 27, 2021 in accordance with the parliamentary calendar and by an order of the Assembly. Lieutenant Governor Russ Mirasty prorogued the first session of the twenty-ninth legislature in the morning and opened the second session of the twenty-ninth legislature with the Speech from the Throne that afternoon. The speech was followed by blessings from an Indigenous Elder and a Catholic Archbishop, both of whom prayed for reconciliation.

Election of Deputy Speaker

The next day, the Legislative Assembly elected a new Deputy Speaker. Two members put their names forward as candidates: Lisa Lambert, MLA for Saskatoon Churchill-Wildwood, and Joe Hargrave, MLA for Prince Albert Carlton. The members elected Mr. Hargrave to serve as Deputy Speaker.

Sessional order regarding COVID-19 measures

On October 28, 2021, the Assembly passed a sessional order outlining temporary modifications to the rules and procedures of the Legislative Assembly and its committees in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The sessional order required MLAs, Legislative Assembly Service employees, government officials, media, and public observers to wear a mask at all times in the Chamber and committee room except when speaking during proceedings. In addition, rule 2 of the provisions of the Rules and Procedures of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan which requires all members to attend sittings of the Assembly was ruled inapplicable to members isolating due to exposure to COVID-19. Accordingly, the sessional order allowed for proxy voting on recorded divisions for members isolating for that reason.

The sessional order also stipulated that all Members of the Legislative Assembly had to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test within the previous 72 hours to attend and participate in legislative proceedings. The...