Sask. legislature grapples with western separatism, tariffs in spring sitting

Alexander Quon · CBC News

· Posted: May 15, 2025 7:23 PM EDT | Last Updated: 6 minutes ago

A legislative sitting that began successful March with a absorption connected the menace of tariffs ended connected Thursday with discussions astir Saskatchewan's aboriginal successful Canada.

The whiplash gait of the eight-week sitting reflects the break-neck gait of developments passim Canada.

Saskatchewan's outpouring sitting opened connected March 19, with Finance Minister Jim Reiter tabling the government's yearly fund that day.

It was a uncommon move. Sittings usually unfastened with a fewer weeks of concern earlier the fund is tabled.

The Official Opposition instantly criticized the decision, saying it was impervious that the authorities was uninterested successful accountability.

WATCH | Is Saskatchewan unfastened to moving with the caller national government? 

The Saskatchewan NDP's dissatisfaction grew erstwhile it became wide that Reiter's budget projected a slim surplus of $12.1 cardinal and had nary contingencies to woody with the menace of tariffs from the United States and China.

NDP finance critic Trent Wotherspoon tore into the fund successful March.

As the sitting continued, truthful excessively did Wotherspoon's attacks. He pointed to the falling terms of oil and the province's determination to extremity its Output-Based Performance Standards (OBPS) program, which taxes ample concern emitters arsenic a crushed for to disbelieve the budget's surplus.

"This was a fund that truly was disconnected way from the get go, and surely didn't measurement up arsenic good to the challenges and pressures that radical are facing," Wotherspoon said.

Although the NDP has utilized a larger caucus to effort to get answers from the government, the Opposition has been frustrated by a Sask. Party authorities that has utilized its bulk to not springiness an inch.

Private subordinate bills from the Opposition did not person a vote, portion efforts successful committees were voted down by authorities MLAs.

The NDP attempted a assortment of stunts this sitting. First, MLAs attempted to to wear Team Canada jerseys into the legislature. That quickly failed.

Wotherspoon later enactment a carnal transcript of the provincial fund done a shredder, saying it emphasized however the fund wasn't worthy the insubstantial it was printed on.

Premier Scott Moe and Reiter have emphasized that their determination to task a surplus would springiness the state the fiscal state to enactment arsenic necessary.

Western separatism

The absorption successful the legislature rapidly shifted aft national Liberal Leader Mark Carney earned a number government.

The acquainted menace of occidental separation became the main taxable successful Alberta and Saskatchewan.

WATCH | What would it instrumentality for Saskatchewan to abstracted from Canada? 

Moe told media connected Thursday that he's made himself clear: secession and separation are not an option.

"I genuinely judge determination is an accidental for Saskatchewan to turn and prosper wrong a agreed Canada. It's successful the very cloth of the enactment that I lead," Moe said.

"I deliberation it's precise overmuch astatine the core of what, if not the majority, virtually each of Saskatchewan radical judge arsenic well."

That did not halt NDP Leader Carla Beck from repeatedly calling the premier's committedness to Canada into question.

Despite her champion efforts, Beck was unsuccessful successful getting her Keep Saskatchewan successful Canada Act passed. The enactment would person amended Saskatchewan's Referendum and Plebiscite Act to exclude separation referendums from the database of referendums that the premier oregon legislative assembly would beryllium legally allowed to call.

It would have also rise the threshold for palmy national petitions connected separation referendums, requiring signatures from 30 per cent of eligible voters alternatively of 15 per cent.

WATCH | What the Sask. authorities wants from Prime Minister Mark Carney: 

On Thursday, Beck said the embers of occidental separatism are burning successful Saskatchewan and the enactment would've been a mode of putting an extremity to those efforts.

"Scott Moe is holding a large bucket of h2o close now. He could douse those flames, marque it wide today, but alternatively helium seems to beryllium much funny successful placating those who privation to pain the location down," Beck said.

The enactment died connected the bid insubstantial without adjacent receiving a 2nd reading. Saskatchewan Party MLAs voted down each effort, aft Moe described the measure arsenic silencing the voices of the province's people.

As the province's politicians caput location for the summer, Moe already has his adjacent governmental determination laid out.

Moe posted 10 changes the national authorities "must make" to reset Ottawa's narration with Saskatchewan.

It's a database Moe promised to bring up erstwhile helium meets with Prime Minister Mark Carney and Canada's different premiers adjacent period successful Saskatoon.