Safety, compassion and tailgating highlight Saskatchewan Throne Speech

A new legislative session began in Saskatchewan on Wednesday afternoon with the reading of the Speech from the Throne.

In the speech, the Saskatchewan Party government laid out its agenda for the year ahead and the bills it intends to introduce this fall for debate in the spring. Some of those plans have already been announced or hinted at by Premier Scott Moe, including The Compassionate Intervention Act, which seeks to force some drug-addicted people into treatment.

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“There are some people with addictions problems who are simply unable to seek the treatment they need on their own,” the government noted in the Throne Speech.

“Individuals whose addiction is creating a threat to themselves, and others will be required to enter an addiction treatment program, ensuring they get the help they need while keeping our communities safe and secure. Giving someone struggling with addiction, more drugs is not the answer.”

The drug trade in the province is also a focus for the upcoming session, as the government looks to get tougher on those supplying and trafficking drugs. The provincial government said it will introduce a bill targeting those who profit from the drug trade through The Response to Illicit Drugs (RID) Act.

“The details specific to the that legislation will come as it is introduced,” Moe told reporters on Wednesday.

“But this would be really the second focus that we have when it comes to addressing some of the drug-fueled criminal behavior that we’re seeing, not just in Saskatchewan but across Canada. First is to open up the recovery opportunities and all the access points to that. Second is enforcement, in particular for those that are bringing these poisonous drugs into our community.”

The addiction issue in Saskatchewan is also connected to homelessness, and the government intends to renew and expand its Provincial Approach to Homelessness, which it claims will increase support through outreach services, enhancing public safety and increasing the supply of supportive housing.

Safety

Along with municipal partners, the provincial government intends to continue to push the federal government to introduce meaningful bail reform, citing comments from North Battleford Mayor Kelli Hawtin, who sent a letter to Ottawa this summer calling for changes.

“We really want those violent repeat offenders dealt with and taken off our streets and out of our communities,” the letter read. “We’re not asking for more people in prison. We’re asking for the right people to be in prison.”

The Throne Speech highlighted issues around interpersonal violence stating, that violence and threats are no longer restricted to personal interactions.

“With greater frequency, we are seeing instances of abuse, intimidation and stalking online,” the government noted.

To that end, the province said it will introduce The Cyberstalking and Coercive Control Act, which will “amend the definition of interpersonal violence to include coercive or controlling behavior, and online stalking and harassment.”

There are further measures connected to safety in the speech, including the new Interjurisdictional Support Orders Act to ensure a support order issued in Saskatchewan stands regardless of whether a parent moves to another province.

“No child should be left wanting because a parent won’t pay legally required support,” the government said. “Moving out of province should not allow someone to move away from their responsibilities.”

The government said it will also introduce The Change of Name Act, to prevent people convicted of serious crimes from changing their names.

“Whether it be bills related to poisonous drugs that are coming into our community, or whether it be bills related to interpersonal violence, it’s about supporting people that, at times, often due to no error of their own, have found themselves in a very dangerous and precarious situation in their life,” Moe explained.

“And if this government is going to stand here and talk about how important it is to continue to strengthen our Saskatchewan economy, I think it’s incumbent on us to talk about what we’ve heard from the people we represent – families across this province – and how we’re going to ensure that there are supports in place, in this case for individuals that are in a, maybe a domestic violence situation, which all too often are women.”

The final legislative measure under the safety umbrella is an amendment to the Saskatchewan Firearms Act. Calling the federal government’s gun payback program “ill-conceived” the act will, the government said, “protect Saskatchewan gun owners from financial liability resulting from federal firearm prohibitions and preserve their right to receive fair compensation.”

Tailgating and other measures

With Saskatchewan’s population continuing to grow, the demands for more schools have been ever-present in the province, with 115 schools have being built, replaced or renovated since 2008.

The province said it will introduce the Building Schools Faster Act, which “will require municipalities to acquire and service sufficient land for the construction of new schools where municipal reserve space is not able to cover the land needs of new schools. A defined cost contribution for the joint purchase of land by the province and municipalities will be developed.”

And the government is making official The Tailgating Act, which will almost certainly result in some big parties ahead of Saskatchewan Roughriders games in the future.

“It was the Roughriders organization that asked, you know, could we look at some enabling regulations there in this space. And we thought ‘Why not?’ so we piloted it,” Moe said.

“We may get a request from other football organizations as well.”

NDP says speech ignores tariff issue

The Opposition New Democratic Party said the Throne Speech overlooked what it sees as one of the most pressing issues in Saskatchewan: tariffs, especially those imposed by China on canola products.

The Throne Speech does include a mention of the Internal Trade Promotion Act, a measure designed to encourage freer trade within Canada by reducing barriers to goods and services. Details are still to come, but NDP leader Carla Beck said she thinks more is needed.

“What is so complex about the fact that we are not sending shipments of canola to China, that we have producers with crops in the bin right now who are very worried about what they’re going to do to pay their mortgages, pay their loans, and they’re looking towards next year with even more trepidation?” Beck asked, speaking to reporters on Wednesday.

When it comes to addictions, Beck said the issue is growing.

“We watched a government slow walk, asleep at the wheel, as the addictions crisis in this province continued to increase,” Beck said.

“We did not see the resources available. We saw many of those who have experience, who have the expertise, be ignored by this government. So, you know, I think we have to look at this issue with an eye towards keeping people alive in this province, ensuring that people have the treatment that they need and to effectively start to roll back what has become a crisis in community after community.”

The full text of the speech can be read below.