Notes from the Gallery: MLB, ‘ChatNDP’, and a legislation spree

MLAs are back at work in the legislative building and dove right in during the first full week of the fall sitting:

On Tuesday, Darryl Harrison gave a member’s statement about Saskie Carter Beck being drafted in Major League Baseball higher than any other person from the province before him, but didn’t make any mention of the fact he’s the nephew of a woman right across the aisle, Carla Beck. The statement got appropriately drew loud applause from both sides of the assembly.

Chris Beaudry became possibly the first MLA to quote Sammy Hagar on the floor of the Sask. Assembly, by just about singing to his wife, Richelle, in the gallery on their 20th wedding anniversary “Honey, you’ve got to hear me say that I just can’t stop loving you.”

Premier Scott Moe coined “ChatNDP” during his answers in question period, and his party is keeping it alive. The Sask. Party and NDP have been going back and forth this sitting on whether the NDP’s new health-care plan was written using artificial intelligence — the Sask. Party claims it’s found AI prompts in the document; the NDP scoffs at the idea.

Whoops, they did it again.

The ChatNDP’s AI-written health care plan says Finland’s health data system manages 4 billion patients. (The entire population of Finland is under 6 million).

No wonder no one takes the NDP seriously. pic.twitter.com/RziYkdR6sO

— Scott Moe (@PremierScottMoe) November 5, 2026

That line in the NDP’s plan did say “billion” previously, but has since been updated to “million”.

The provincial government continued its tendency to celebrate unfinished projects — the new joint-use school in Harbour Landing is now 70 per cent complete, adding to the announcements last week that the Grenfell Long Term Care Home is 50 per cent finished, and the Regina Long Term Care Home is 30 per cent complete. If you want to read about the long and winding road to getting the school built, check out my in-depth reporting from 2023 — Part 1: A Perfect Storm, Part 2: Generally a Mess.

The Sask. Party isn’t wasting any time, introducing eight pieces of legislation just this week:

The Protection From Human Trafficking Amendment Act — adding more reporting requirements for suspected human trafficking
The Pooled Registered Pension Plans (Saskatchewan) Amendment Act — making changes to respond to federal changes around variable payment life annuities
The Coroners Amendment Act — clarifying the powers of a coroner and when a death needs to be reported, and establishing a one-year limit on families being able to request an inquest
The Enforcement of Maintenance Orders Amendment Act — strengthening powers to collect child and spousal support
The Legal Profession Amendment Act and
The Legal Profession Consequential Amendment Act — strengthening the regulation of non-lawyers who offer legal services
The Opioid Damages Amendment Act — allowing the province to go after opioid manufacturers and prescribers for harms done by the drug, allowing the province to join certain national lawsuits. The province already has similar legislation, but the premier claims this strengthens it.
The Personal Care Homes (Safer Homes for Seniors) Amendment Act — to strengthen oversight of personal care homes, including allowing the government to levy fines over problems.

The NDP also reintroduced six pieces of legislation that it brought in last session which died on the order paper:

The Restricting Property Controls for Grocery Stores and Supermarkets Act,
The Rent Control Act,
The Saskatchewan Medical Care Insurance (Banning Private Fees) Amendment Act,
The Provincial Health Authority (Banning Parking Fees for Cancer Patients) Amendment Act,
The Consumer Protection and Business Practices (Banning Unfair A.I. Pricing) Amendment Act, — all pretty self-explanatory
The Provincial Sales Tax Amendment Act — would remove the PST on a number of things it had been expanded to, including children’s clothing.