Legislative Report
March 2, 2023

MLAs Return to Regina for Spring Session

Our government will be heading back to Regina early this month for the spring session of the Legislature. Members of the Legislative Assembly have been in their communities, meeting with constituents and learning about the things that matter most to Saskatchewan people. Our government will move forward on priorities for growth during this sitting of the Legislature.

Our province leads the nation in a number of key economic indicators. Statistics Canada reported in January we had the highest rate of growth in wholesale trade among the provinces, increasing 24.1 per cent year-over-year. Manufacturing sales were up by 25.5 per cent, the second-highest growth rate among provinces.

Saskatchewan posted a third consecutive year of record agri-food exports in 2022, totaling $18.4 billion. Last year, for the first time, exports to Mexico exceeded a total of $1 billion. This record further highlights strong agricultural capacities, with canola seed, canola oil and non-durum wheat making up the top three exports. The trade office our government opened in Mexico City last year, along with seven others throughout the world, continue to help drive Saskatchewan exports in the international market. We plan to open another trade office in Germany later this year.

Our strong economy is supported by our growing population. Saskatchewan reached the milestone of 1.2 million people in early December of 2022 and has since grown by another 10,000 people. That’s the fastest our province has grown in over 100 years. We saw 16,400 new jobs in the province from January 2022 to January 2023. The unemployment rate was 4.3 per cent and is below the national average of 5.0 per cent. We also saw a record-high provincial labour force in January, with 606,300 Saskatchewan people working.

Our government is committed to protecting this economic prosperity and allowing for continued growth. In recent years, the current federal government has proposed several harmful policies that infringe on provincial jurisdiction over natural resources. These policies disproportionately impact the economics of western Canadian provinces. Along with an increase to the carbon tax, the federal government has proposed standards and caps for fuel, fertilizer, oil and gas emissions, and electricity. It is estimated that these policies could cost our economy $111 billion by 2035.

Our government’s objective is to protect Saskatchewan’s economy, now and into the future, so we can continue doing what the province does best: providing the food, fuel and fertilizer the world needs. That’s why we introduced the Saskatchewan First Act during the fall sitting. The Act will protect our jurisdiction over natural resources to the benefit of everyone living in this province. It’s time to draw the line and reassert the rights that belong to us - Saskatchewan people own the resources and we should benefit when the prices are high. Our government expects to pass the Saskatchewan First Act this spring.

As we prepare for the spring session of the Legislature and the presentation of the provincial budget, our government remains focused on protecting and driving Saskatchewan’s economy. That’s growth that works for everyone.