On this, the last day of the legislative session in a shortened fall sitting after the provincial election, the hot topic is health care. The first topic during Question Period was the lack of frontline workers at St. Paul’s Hospital earlier this week. Official Opposition Leader Carla Beck quote a Registered Nurse who said there were just three nurses caring for 100 patients and she saw multiple staff crying today because they are at their wits’ end and the hospital isn’t safe for staff or for patients.

Premier Scott Moe replied that the lack of healthcare workers is a challenge across the country, not just in Saskatchewan, and that’s why the Sask Party government funded $100 million for the Saskatchewan Recruitment Agency, to recruit not just for Saskatoon and Regina but across the province.  Beck noted that 4,000 healthcare workers left the province last year.

Foreign ownership of farm land was another topic during Question Period. Beck pointed to the Provincial Auditor’s report earlier this week which stated the government isn’t doing enough to keep foreign entities from buying farmland, which the NDP has calling for action on, for years. She questioned, “Why is the Premier looking the other way and leaving the door open to those foreign interests who want to buy up Saskatchewan farmland?”.

Premier Moe answered that the Provincial Auditor also indicated there were no examples of illegal ownership, saying, “If someone suspects incidents where there may be a foreign ownership of farmland in this province that is in contravention to the law I would urge them to reach out to their MLA, reach out to the Ag Ministry’s office or their local Ag office, Mr. Speaker, and it will be investigated immediately.” The Provincial Auditor stated earlier this week that foreign entities purchases Saskatchewan farmland could be the reason farmland values are on the rise.