Throne Speech Debate (27 October 2025)

From Hansard (27 October 2025)

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Throne Speech Debate

Megan Patterson: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Now, as the MLA from Last Mountain-Touchwood said at one time, “now for something totally different.”

It is a great privilege to rise in this Chamber and respond to the Speech from the Throne. I want to begin by saying how deeply honoured I am to serve the people of Moose Jaw and the province of Saskatchewan.

First and foremost, I want to thank my family for their love and support, which allows me to do this important work. I want to thank my constituency assistants, Denise Maki and Carol Acton, for their ability to connect with constituents and to keep me organized. I would also like to thank the staff here at the legislature for all they do behind the scenes, and of course to my colleagues for all their support. It is truly an honour to work every day to improve the lives of the people of Moose Jaw and our beautiful province.

Before I respond directly to the Throne Speech, I’d like to reflect on the last year. This year has been one of growth and transition for me. Coming from the business world and post-secondary, where I taught professionalism and ethics, I’ve both been surprised and sometimes disappointed at the behaviour and allegations we’ve seen in this Chamber. I want to sincerely thank you, Mr. Speaker, for your ongoing efforts to improve the tone and decorum within this Assembly. I believe we can still do better. We must all reflect on the examples that we set both here and online for the students that sit in this Assembly and for our province.

As elected representatives we are called to be servant leaders to put the needs of our province above our own. We must remember at the end of the day every one of us here shares the same goal: to make life better for the people of Saskatchewan. A more collaborative, respectful approach would enable us to better serve the constituents we represent and maintain a strong, growing province.

Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege though for me to sit on this side of the Assembly with the government focused on three key priorities: keeping our economy strong, our communities safe, and our future secure.

A strong economy gives us the ability to respond to challenges such as the devastating wildfires that impacted northern Saskatchewan this summer. My heart goes out to all those affected. I want to take a second to commend my colleague, the Minister of Public Safety, for his strength and leadership during this crisis. Thank you to our public service, the community leaders, firefighters, pilots, volunteers, and emergency responders who worked tirelessly through these fires to keep people safe.

Due to our strong economy and strong leadership, our government was able to respond by providing 15 million to the Canadian Red Cross for direct support to residents, 10 million for temporary housing, 20 million for community cleanup. And you have our commitment to continue to work with you to rebuild your lives in any way needed.

Mr. Speaker, a strong economy is the backbone of our province. Right now Saskatchewan’s economy is not only strong, it is the strongest in the nation. More people are working than ever before. We’ve led the country in year-over-year job growth. There are more women, more young people, and more First Nations and Métis people working than ever before. We have one of the lowest unemployment rates in Canada. And despite global uncertainty, our economy remains relatively resilient, thanks to this government’s strategic thinking.

Diversification has been key. Our government’s foresight and long-term plan to expand export markets is paying off. We now trade with 160 markets around the world and the value of our exports has more than doubled since 2007, from 20 billion to over 50 billion annually.

We continue to see record investment and growth. Saskatchewan’s real GDP [gross domestic product] is at an alltime high of 80.5 billion, and this is up 2.6 from 2024.

We continue to lead the country in capital investment growth. Capital investment in Saskatchewan reached $16 billion, a 10 per cent increase over 2024, leading the nation. In Moose Jaw, we have seen exciting local investments including the new pulse flour mill by Simpson Seeds. This family-owned, homegrown business is now the largest independently owned pulse processor and exporter in Saskatchewan. Supported by our government’s incentive programs, this project creates more jobs for our economy and adds more value here at home.

Mr. Speaker, last week was Small Business Week, an important time to recognize that small businesses are the heart of our province and the heartbeat of our communities. In Moose Jaw, tourism is a key economic driver, generating roughly 134 million in economic spinoff last year alone.

The Tunnels of Moose Jaw welcomed over 95,000 visitors, making it the most visited tourist attraction in the province. Since opening in 2000, they’ve welcomed more than 2.3 million guests from around the world. If you don’t know the story behind our notorious city, you better plan a trip to Moose Jaw and call me when you get there.

I want to highlight three strong, successful female business owners in Moose Jaw who all shared inspiring stories at the WESK [Women Entrepreneurs Saskatchewan] Business Women of Moose Jaw event recently: Kelly Gosselin, the owner of High Regard Catering & Kitchen; Julie Howe, president of Bar Over HC Livestock; and Elyce Simpson, president and CEO [chief executive officer] of Simpson Seeds. It was an incredible evening of authenticity and inspiration, catered by none other than High Regard Catering.

The downtown Moose Jaw business association has been a vital force to nurturing our local business community, hosting tourist events such as the Little Chicago Show ‘n’ Shine, Greek night, and the Christmas In October which brought vibrancy to our downtown last weekend.

The recent launch of the Helping Hands initiative reflects a deep commitment to community renewal, not only beautifying downtown Moose Jaw but also providing hope and purpose to those on their path to recovery. Volunteers, empowered by honorariums and expectations, actively contribute by sweeping, collecting litter, and picking up broken glass and debris.

Remarkably, nearly half of the participants in this 12-week program have found employment and no longer live in government housing. This demonstrates the profound impact of community-driven initiatives and the ability of the human spirit and body to overcome challenges and the deep need for purpose.

Our local businesses give back every day. They support the hospital foundation, sponsor youth events, and contribute to countless community causes. They create jobs and generate the tax revenue that vital programs and services access across Saskatchewan.

This government understands the challenges that small businesses face, the risks that they take, the investments that they make. That’s why we maintain one of the lowest small-business tax rates and highest income thresholds in the country. We will prioritize continuing to cut red tape and regulatory burdens so entrepreneurs can continue to focus on what they do best.

Mr. Speaker, we know that despite our economic strength, many families are feeling that a dollar today does not go as far as it used to. But let us not forget the affordability crisis that we see across Canada is a direct result of federal policy, policy supported by a Liberal-NDP [New Democratic Party] coalition, which was policies of runaway spending, printing of money, devaluation of the dollar, and inflationary taxes. But despite all those challenges, Saskatchewan still remains the most affordable place to live in Canada.

Our strong economy allows us to make smart, targeted investments to help people make ends meet. These include further income tax cuts, removing another 54,000 people from paying income tax at all; enhancements to the personal care home benefit; first-time homebuyers tax credit; graduate retention program; home renovation tax credit; active families benefit; and the disability and caregiver tax credit. These aren’t one-time measures. They provide lasting relief year after year.

Every person in Saskatchewan deserves to feel safe, Mr. Speaker. This is why our government has committed to hiring 100 new police officers, 14 SCAN [safer communities and neighbourhoods] personnel, and 70 officers within the marshals service. This is in addition to funding 180 new RCMP officers. Thanks to our Minister of Justice, these officers now have more tools than ever before to keep communities safe. These new tools include the safe public spaces Act, amendments to The Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act, and The Trespass to Property Act.

I recently participated in two ride-alongs with the Moose Jaw Police Service. I was truly impressed by their professionalism, compassion, and community engagement. From crime prevention education to local initiatives that reduce theft and vandalism, their work is making a difference. The care and compassion of the Moose Jaw police force is evident. But all too common, the cause of the threat to our communities and safety are the same — it’s often illegal trafficking and drug use.

Mr. Speaker, this government knows that public safety means addressing addiction. That’s why our government is investing in 500 new recovery beds with nearly 300 already open across the province. While the criminals who traffic these deadly drugs deserve to be dealt with swiftly, our friends, family members, and loved ones who find themselves caught up in addiction deserve compassion and care. While the members opposite advocate for policies that prolong the struggle of addiction, we recognize that the longer someone suffers, the greater the harm to themselves, their families, and their communities. Their effects are often felt across our entire province.

Our government does not believe in offering another needle or pipe. There is no safe amount of illegal drug use. Instead we are committed to making recovery the easiest, most accessible choice through a fully implemented, recovery-orientated system of care.

We also know that there are some people who simply are unable to seek treatment on their own because of the impact these drugs have on their brain and decision-making ability. This is why we are introducing the compassionate care intervention Act to help the small number of individuals, whose addiction makes them a danger to themselves or others, receive the care they need to recover and re-engage with their families and society.

Mr. Speaker, our government is investing to ensure our future is secure. We are making record investments in education because learning today means success tomorrow. Our growing and strong province means there are more students, so more schools and more classrooms are needed. That is why our government is making record investments in education. We’re investing in infrastructure, specialized classrooms, and more teachers. These investments will help us ensure classrooms are manageable and students receive the attention they need to succeed. This will enable teachers to focus on teaching, and students to focus on learning.

In Moose Jaw, I’m especially proud of the opening of the Coteau Hills Elementary and Our Lady of Hope Catholic School, our city’s first joint-use school. This $68.2 million project represents a significant investment in Moose Jaw’s future, providing modern classrooms, shared spaces, and child care supports for students and families for generations to come.

To ensure our future is secure, our government is also investing in health care to ensure everyone gets the care they need. Since 2022 we have added 346 doctors and over 2,000 nurses through the most aggressive health care human resources action plan in the country. We are expanding access to care, ensuring every resident will have a primary care provider by 2028. Planning is under way for new urban care centres in Prince Albert, North Battleford, and Moose Jaw, further demonstrating this government’s commitment to bringing care closer to home.

Mr. Speaker, the people who built this province didn’t only see challenges, they saw opportunity. This government will honour their legacy by doing the same, facing challenges head on and providing even more opportunities to the people of this province. The government will continue to ensure Saskatchewan’s economy remains strong, our communities are safe, and our future is secure.

I will be supporting the motion put forward by the member from Weyburn-Bengough, seconded by the member from Carrot River Valley. I will not be supporting the amendment. God bless you, God bless Saskatchewan, and God bless the Blue Jays.

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