Drugs, inter-governmental relations and wildfires dominate Sask. fall sitting

Saskatchewan's come posing ended with a victorious premiere george c. Scott Moe touting his government's economic record and plans to tackle the drug crisis.

Over the seven-week sitting, the provincial government introduced legislation expanding the power of its existing Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN) units, providing an avenue for those affected by drug trafficking to file civil lawsuits and following through on its long-promised legislation to implement involuntary treatment for people with addictions.

On Friday, Moe also touted his government's commitment to hire more police officers for municipal forces, RCMP and the Saskatchewan Marshals Service.

While Moe celebrated his government's decision making, he also made it clear he believes the province needs to do more to address community safety.

Provincial ministers have repeatedly called the government's 2023 Action Plan for Mental Health and Addictions "ambitious." On Friday, Moe conceded that the province's currently planned expansion of its treatment beds may not be enough.

"Our original target was 150 [treatment beds]. I don't think 500 is going to be enough," Moe said. "I think we are going to need more than 500 recovery beds in order for everyone to have the opportunity to enter that recovery journey."

Moe also spent a significant amount of time highlighting the changing relationship between his government and Ottawa.

To say Moe and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did not get along would be an understatement. Moe's government often battled the federal government in court, and in the media, over legislation and policy decisions.

"The last 10 years, our relationship with the federal government has been quite different," Moe said.

Now, with Prime Minister Mark Carney in control, Moe said the province's relationship is better than ever.

Moe made three public trips to Washington in 2025, as the trading relationship between Canada and the United States became increasingly strained.

The premier's most recent trip in November was directly co-ordinated with the federal government, something Moe said would have been practically unimaginable under Trudeau's government.

Moe said the province is "very much aligned" with the federal government's efforts.

"We're in a situation where if the prime minister wins in those negotiations and gets Canada to a good place, that's good for Saskatchewan," Moe told media.

The sitting has not been all good news for the provincial government.

Moe and Tim McLeod, Saskatchewan's minister of corrections, policing and public safety, have repeatedly come under fire for the province's response to this summer's wildfire season.

More than 200 homes were destroyed in the northern village of Denare Beach in June.

During the fall sitting, Moe rose and made an emotional apology to the village's residents, acknowledging he should have visited the community sooner.

Sask. Premier apologizes for not visiting fire-ravaged Denare Beach sooner

While that apology was accepted by some residents, it did not stop them from voicing their displeasure in the support offered by the government and its general response to the wildfire season.

The government has commissioned a third-party review into the fire response, but it's a far cry from the public inquiry that the Denare Beach village council and the NDP have called far.

Some Denare residents have called for McLeod to resign, but the public safety minister has said he will not.

The NDP spent much of the session introducing private member's bills, which are all but doomed to fail because of the government's opposition.

That includes a push for rent control, a wildfire strategy bill and a review of any future legislation with the notwithstanding clause.

The NDP's efforts were not without success. The push for answers on the wildfire response has been received positively by people in Denare Beach.

Jared Clarke's call for the province to proactively report hospital closures was pre-empted when Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill announced a new policy to do just that.

NDP Leader Carla Beck, missed a large portion of the sitting due to illness, but is set to be available next week for the annual year-end interviews with the media.

Reporter

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