Jordan McPhail is the NDP MLA for Cumberland in Northern Saskatchewan. (Submitted photo/Jordan McPhail)

By Derek Cornet

reaction

McPhail says Throne Speech doesn’t address northern challenges

Oct 22, 2025 | 4:27 PM

Cumberland NDP MLA Jordan McPhail doesn’t believe this afternoon’s Throne Speech recognizes the challenges faced by residents of Northern Saskatchewan.

“What we have seen is they have not recognized any of the hardships they’ve faced,” he said.

“We hear time and time again the cost of living is extremely high in Northern Saskatchewan. We’ve seen the worst fires in a decade, half of the waterbomber fleet being left on the ground, and we’ve seen no action with the Throne Speech to reconcile what they’ve done to Northern Saskatchewan this summer. We’ve seen there’s nothing in the Throne Speech that recognizes the challenges of Northern Saskatchewan and how to … rebuild the North after devastating wildfires this year.”

In regards to the wildfires this summer, the Throne Speech highlighted the $15 million to the Canadian Red Cross which worked with the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency to provide $750 to the head of a household evacuated for more than seven days, and $2,000 to the head of a household evacuated for more than 30 days.

It also highlighted $10 million to provide $500 financial assistance cheques to all evacuated residents over the age of 18, as well as doubling the daily amount provided to evacuated residents to $40 per day for the head of a household and $20 per day for other members of the household.

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“The government should not be making six per cent PST revenues on the rebuild of Northern Saskatchewan,” McPhail noted, adding the province should remove taxes on construction.

“The government should not be profiting on the disaster in Northern Saskatchewan. We’ve seen 200 homes lost in places like Denare Beach; entire communities being wiped off the map like East Trout Lake.”

The Throne Speech focused heavily on addictions with a provision to force some drug-addicted people into treatment, as well as upcoming legislation to get tougher on those supplying and trafficking drugs through The Compassionate Intervention Act and The Response to Illicit Drugs Act, respectively.

The addiction issue in Saskatchewan is also connected to homelessness, and the government intends to renew and expand its Provincial Approach to Homelessness, which it claims will increase support through outreach services, enhancing public safety and increasing the supply of supportive housing.

Along with municipal partners, the provincial government intends to continue to push the federal government to introduce meaningful bail reform, along with hire 180 new RCMP officers, 100 new municipal police officers, and 70 officers within the Saskatchewan Marshals Service.

The province intends to introduce The Cyberstalking and Coercive Control Act, which will amend the definition of interpersonal violence to include coercive or controlling behaviour, and online stalking and harassment, as well as introduce The Change of Name Act to prevent people convicted of serious crimes from changing their names.

With Saskatchewan’s population continuing to grow, the demands for more schools have been ever-present in the province, with 115 schools built, replaced or renovated since 2008.

The province said it will introduce the Building Schools Faster Act, which “will require municipalities to acquire and service sufficient land for the construction of new schools where municipal reserve space is not able to cover the land needs of new schools. A defined cost contribution for the joint purchase of land by the province and municipalities will be developed.”

The provincial government noted Saskatchewan has the strongest economy in Canada and leads the country in capital investment growth. In addition, it was stated Saskatchewan remains the most affordable place to live in the nation with the lowest rental rates amongst the provinces.

“This is a government that is out of steam, out of gas. They have no idea how to lead in the province,” McPhail said.

“They are not responding to the challenges, whether it be health care, education, northern affairs, forestry. They had a real opportunity today to show the people of Saskatchewan they have heard them loud and clear, they have heard the people of the North loud and clear, and they need to add some resources back into Northern Saskatchewan after 18 years of underfunding almost every single ministry and agency across the province.”

Read the entire Throne Speech online here.

– with files from CKOM

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com