Affordability, carbon tax bills pass as Sask. legislature continues short sitting

The Saskatchewan Party's election promises of action on affordability and continued carbon tax exemptions have been fulfilled as the short sitting of the legislature carries on.

Both The Saskatchewan Affordability Act and The SaskEnergy (Carbon Tax Fairness For Families) Amendment Act, 2024 passed in the house Thursday in unanimous votes.

The affordability act will implement 13 commitments the Sask. Party outlined during its campaign – promising “the largest personal income tax reduction in the province since 2008.”

The amendment act will continue to exempt residents from paying federal carbon levies for home heating. The act is estimated to save the average Saskatchewan family $480 next year.

Minister of Finance and Deputy Premier Jim Reiter said earlier in the week that he would be reaching out to his federal counterparts to help ensure the tax measures are quickly instituted come Jan. 1, 2025.

On Thursday, Premier Scott Moe said he was unaware if Reiter has received an answer to the request.

“We would ask them to fast track to change the formulary for employers so that Saskatchewan residents can start receiving, on a monthly basis, the financial advantages that are in [the act],” Moe explained.

Opposition NDP Leader Carla Beck said her party supported the legislation because Saskatchewan residents desperately need cost-of-living relief.

Beck and her MLAs have consistently said the government’s measures stop too short – and have called for the suspension of the provincial gas tax and the removal of the Provincial Sales Tax (PST) on ready-to-eat grocery items.

The Sask. Party has moved quickly in introducing its priority bills and amendments during the short sitting.

Other pieces of legislation introduced during this week included:

• Amendments to The Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN) Act
• Amendments to The Workers' Compensation Act, 2013
• And amendments to The Saskatchewan Employment Act

NDP calls for investigation fail

The Saskatchewan NDP’s repeated attempts to begin an investigation into high food prices in northern Saskatchewan and to compel former Sask. Party MLA Gary Grewal to appear before a legislative committee were again unsuccessful.

The opposition attempted to bring both issues forward during proceedings Thursday, utilizing emergency motions. However, both motions, divided among party lines, failed.

On Wednesday, the NDP attempted to bring the matters up at two separate committees. The opposition alleges that the government blocked their attempts to introduce the matters.

Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck speaks at the APAS AGM on Dec. 3 2024. (Donovan Maess/CTV News)

Cumberland MLA Jordan McPhail shared his frustrations on Wednesday with the government’s alleged refusal to hear the issues out.

“We let them know that we were bringing a motion forward to committee,” he explained. “Through that process, in the committees this morning, they blocked us bringing that forward.”

The government maintained that the NDP was not blocked in making any motion during the committee sittings earlier in the week.

“I understand that the NDP are leveling accusations. If you watch the transcript of the meeting, nobody was blocked. There was nothing on the agenda, and quite frankly, the member from the NDP this afternoon was called out for that,” Minister of Justice and Attorney General Tim McLeod told reporters following Question Period on Wednesday.

“If they're going to level accusations, they need to be based in fact and if you review the transcript of the meeting, the committee meeting that he's alleging, nothing like that transpired.”

The issue of grocery prices in northern Saskatchewan came to the forefront after more than two dozen cases of scurvy were discovered by a doctor in La Ronge, Sask.

“People are not able to afford groceries. They're getting diagnosed with scurvy. This is not a hypothetical. This is what's actually happening and it's really frustrating to hear a minister that does not take this seriously, that is trying to silence northern voices and my constituents’ voice here today at the legislature,” McPhail added, referring to McLeod’s comments.

“As a father myself of two growing girls, I know the challenges it takes to put as much healthy food into that grocery carts, and I know that it's going to take a government that takes those food security issues seriously to make sure that all families in northern Saskatchewan have that same access to affordable groceries."

The opposition has long called for more attention to the case of Gary Grewal, the former Sask. Party backbencher whose hotel received over $700,000 from the ministry of social services by providing rooms to those on social assistance.

The province’s Conflict of Interest Commissioner found that Grewal violated rules for elected officials and tasked the assembly with determining a proper penalty.

• Former Sask Party MLA Gary Grewal defends conduct, disagrees with commissioners report

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Moe pointed to the fact that Grewal is no longer an MLA and therefore is now outside the purview of the assembly.

“I would say that in this case, this individual didn't run for our party … he's a private citizen now, and I don't know the last time, under any government, that a private citizen has been summoned to appear before, whether it be a committee or the legislature itself,” he said.

Speaking to reporters following Moe, Beck disagreed with the premier’s sentiments and suggested it sets a bad example.

“The message we heard from the government today was that an MLA can break the law, and as long as they don't run again, there is no penalty,” she said.

"What message does that send to the people of this province? … just because there, there is no precedent, perhaps, doesn't mean that something shouldn't be done in this case, and I think that's what we'll continue to press for."