Legislative Report
1 April 2021

Response to Supreme Court Ruling on Carbon Tax

The Supreme Court of Canada recently determined that Prime Minister Trudeau has the legal right to impose a carbon tax – but that doesn’t mean that he should, and it doesn’t make his carbon tax any less punitive for Saskatchewan people.

The Supreme Court ruling does not change our government’s core conviction that the federal carbon tax is bad environmental policy, bad economic policy, and simply wrong.

From the very beginning, Saskatchewan people have seen the federal carbon tax for what it is – a blunt, ineffective instrument that kills jobs, threatens competitiveness and penalizes essential daily activities. Our government will continue to make every effort to protect Saskatchewan families, workers, and businesses from the negative consequences of this tax.

We're going to bring in our own plan without a punishing tax that addresses climate change, and we're going to keep building on our own record: tax breaks, lower utility rates, better health care, better education, and a strong recovery from the global pandemic.

SGI and SaskPower Issuing Rebates to Customers

This has been a difficult year financially for many as Saskatchewan people have experienced a variety of economic impacts. To alleviate some of these challenges and help rebuild economic security, our government is implementing rebates through the Crown utilities.

Rebates include $285 million for automobile owners from the Saskatchewan Auto Fund Rate Stabilization Reserve as a result of strong investment earnings and fewer accident payouts.  SGI customers will receive rebate cheques for approximately 26 per cent of their annual premium.

In addition, all SaskPower customers are seeing a 10 per cent reduction on their bills for a 12-month period, which started in December.

Let’s Stick It To COVID!

Saskatchewan's COVID-19 vaccination efforts have been the most effective in the nation because Saskatchewan people know that the best thing that we can do to protect ourselves, others, and to get back to doing the things we love is by getting vaccinated.

The Government of Saskatchewan recently launched a province-wide, multi-media campaign encouraging residents to “stick it to COVID” by getting vaccinated. The Stick It To COVID campaign features real Saskatchewan people sharing their stories of why they are getting vaccinated and will roll out across the province over the coming days and weeks.

This first ad contains a powerful message reminding us of the things that we have missed doing this past year but, more importantly, all the things we can look forward to doing again once enough Saskatchewan people are vaccinated. The ad is narrated by a Regina ER Nurse who has worked on the frontlines throughout the pandemic and was one of the first people in the province to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Part two of the campaign will feature seven 30-second advertisements featuring 11 Saskatchewan people. The seven supporting advertisements will provide a personal insight into what the COVID-19 vaccine represents to each of them.

These messages are a reminder that when we get vaccinated, we aren't just doing it for ourselves, we are doing it to protect those around us, which is what we do in this province. We look after one another.

We all have a reason to get immunized, and I encourage everyone to watch the videos and reflect on who they will be keeping safe by getting the vaccine. Thank you to all those that participated in the campaign by sharing their inspiring stories.

You can learn more about how to book your COVID-19 vaccine by visiting www.stickittoCOVID.ca.