The Leader of the Official Opposition brought the Sask Party to task on the first day of the spring session of the Legislature, questioning the performance record of the government and of the Premier. Carla Beck noted that it has been five years since Scott Moe became Premier and she suggests his party has failed to deliver on the economy, health care and job creation. She says, “We have the worst in the nation – economic growth, second last growth in construction investment, flat line wages that are not keeping up with the cost of living, but according to the government everything is just fine.”

Premier Scott Moe agreed that there are challenges in Saskatchewan as there are across the country, but he notes that the 4.3 per cent unemployment rate is the third lowest in Canada, while wholesale trade and merchandise exports are leading the nation and building permits are up.

Beck also questioned why the provincial government hasn’t gotten rid of the PST on construction. Moe answered that there were 16,400 new jobs in 2022 and some of those jobs are those working in the construction industry building things like a new potash mine at Jansen and a new canola crush plant in the Regina area.

Sask Party MLA for Lumsden-Morse, Lyle Stewart, also announced he will be retiring as of Friday for health reasons. Last month, the Sask Party MLA for Regina-Coronation Park, Mark Docherty, stepped down, so there are two by-elections that will need to be scheduled within the next six months.