Saskatchewan MLAs return to Legislature Oct. 13, without throne speech

Provincial politicians will return to the Saskatchewan Legislature shortly after Thanksgiving on Oct. 13, Premier Brad Wall announced today.

The 25-day session will allow the government to debate and pass some priority bills before the spring election. According to Wall, that includes a bill to allow for private MRIs in the province.

"There's been a lot of support for having this option in the province. And so there's been the chance for the public to weigh in on either side, the chance for the opposition to weigh in in the last sitting, [and] a full debate perhaps this fall. And so it would be our hope that we could conclude the debate and pass the bill," Wall said. 

There will not be a speech from the throne.

In a press release issued mid-afternoon on Monday, NDP deputy leader Trent Wotherspoon said not holding a throne speech shows that "the Sask. Party government is running out of steam and running out of ideas."

"We're also seeing more and more just how much they've changed — they'd rather not listen to people or focus on what matters most to people," he said. 

Wall said his party is "committed to have the same number of Question Periods. That's something that's important to the opposition and I understand that. It was important to us. In fact, they'll get an extra day of Question Period because there'll be no throne speech."

He said a throne speech just before people vote would be redundant.

The release from the NDP stated that the party intends to use the 25-day-sitting to focus on issues such as crowded classrooms in schools, wait times for emergency rooms and specialists and what it calls "the ongoing seniors care crisis."

The provincial election is scheduled for April 4, 2016.

Items and bills on both parties' agendas

Wall said there are a number of items on the government's agenda, including:

• Legislation allowing additional private MRI scans.
• New rules dealing with foreign farm ownership.
• Amending essential services legislation to put it in compliance with Supreme Court ruling.
• Possible changes to liquor retailing, with previously identified options ranging from the status quo to widespread sales of government-owned stores.
• Legislation stemming from the inquiry into conflict of interest allegations in Sherwood RM. 

The Opposition also plans to pursue some private member's bills, among which is an anti-bullying bill that gives students in public schools to form gender sexuality alliances, also know as gay-straight alliances (GSAs)

The NDP's other bills include:

• The Buy Local Day Act
• A government procurement policy to give local companies "an even playing field to bid on government contracts"
• Creating minimum standards of care and staffing ratios in seniors care and long term care
• Making the full price of P3s public, along with other accountability measures
• Setting targets for green jobs and energy.