Sask. provincial parties eye priorities for fall legislative session

Politicians are preparing for the fall sitting of the Saskatchewan legislature.

The Saskatchewan NDP plans to address issues in health care, while the premier is focused on economic growth.

“We have to protect what we have already built,” Premier Scott Moe told CTV News.

“There are forces that look to undo some of the success that Saskatchewan has experienced. And so most certainly, as we look to the fall session, we will be discussing that continuing building of our province.”

Opposition leader Carla Beck said she’s hearing consistent messaging at doorsteps.

“What I’m hearing from a lot of people, regardless of political ideology, [is] that there's a lot of room for leaders to step up and be focused on solving problems — instead of causing division,” Beck said.

The Saskatchewan NDP leader said her team is putting healthcare and cost of living at the top of the agenda during this upcoming session.

Beck said she’s focused on addressing Saskatchewan’s doctor shortage and reducing surgery wait times.

Earlier this month at a premier’s dinner in Regina, Moe said the government plans to introduce legislation to protect parental rights in the classroom — doubling down on the controversial pronoun policy announced in August.

“Given the importance of parents’ involvement in their child’s life and specifically in this case their child’s education, we are very serious. Serious enough to introduce legislation to protect parental rights when we return to the legislature,” Moe said, during the dinner on Sep. 7.

Saskatchewan NDP MLAs are meeting throughout this week to discuss strategy ahead of the fall sitting, which begins Oct. 25.