Latest news with #JimReiter
CBC
16-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Sask. Legislature grapples with western separatism, tariffs in spring sitting
Social Sharing A legislative sitting that began in March with a focus on the threat of tariffs ended on Thursday with discussions about Saskatchewan's future in Canada. The whiplash pace of the eight-week sitting reflects the break-neck pace of developments throughout Canada. Saskatchewan's spring sitting opened on March 19, with Finance Minister Jim Reiter tabling the government's annual budget that day. It was a rare move. Sittings normally open with a few weeks of business before the budget is tabled. The Official Opposition immediately criticized the decision, saying it was proof that the government was uninterested in accountability. WATCH | Is Saskatchewan open to working with the new federal government? Is Saskatchewan open to working with the new federal government? | Power & Politics 2 hours ago Duration 16:56 The Saskatchewan NDP's dissatisfaction grew once it became clear that Reiter's budget projected a slim surplus of $12.1 million and had no contingencies to deal with the threat of tariffs from the United States and China. NDP finance critic Trent Wotherspoon tore into the budget in March. As the sitting continued, so too did Wotherspoon's attacks. He pointed to the falling price of oil and the province's decision to end its Output-Based Performance Standards (OBPS) program, which taxes large industrial emitters as a reason for to disbelieve the budget's surplus. "This was a budget that really was off track from the get go, and certainly didn't step up as well to the challenges and pressures that people are facing," Wotherspoon said. Although the NDP has used a larger caucus to try to get answers from the government, the Opposition has been frustrated by a Sask. Party government that has used its majority to not give an inch. Private member's bills from the Opposition did not receive a vote, while efforts in committees were voted down by government MLAs. The NDP attempted a variety of stunts this sitting. First, MLAs attempted to to wear Team Canada jerseys into the legislature. That quickly failed. Wotherspoon later put a physical copy of the provincial budget through a shredder, saying it emphasized how the budget wasn't worth the paper it was printed on. Premier Scott Moe and Reiter have emphasized that their decision to project a surplus would give the province the financial freedom to act as necessary. Western separatism The focus in the legislature quickly shifted after federal Liberal Leader Mark Carney earned a minority government. The familiar threat of western separation became the main topic in Alberta and Saskatchewan. WATCH | What would it take for Saskatchewan to separate from Canada? What would it take for Saskatchewan to separate from Canada? 2 hours ago Duration 3:34 Moe told media on Thursday that he's made himself clear: secession and separation are not an option. "I truly believe there is an opportunity for Saskatchewan to grow and prosper within a united Canada. It's in the very fabric of the party that I lead," Moe said. "I think it's very much at the core of what, if not the majority, virtually all of Saskatchewan people believe as well." That did not stop NDP Leader Carla Beck from repeatedly calling the premier's commitment to Canada into question. Despite her best efforts, Beck was unsuccessful in getting her Keep Saskatchewan in Canada Act passed. The act would have amended Saskatchewan's Referendum and Plebiscite Act to exclude separation referendums from the list of referendums that the premier or legislative assembly would be legally allowed to call. It would have also raise the threshold for successful citizen petitions on separation referendums, requiring signatures from 30 per cent of eligible voters instead of 15 per cent. WATCH | What the Sask. government wants from Prime Minister Mark Carney: What the Sask. government wants from Prime Minister Mark Carney 7 hours ago Duration 1:45 On Thursday, Beck said the embers of western separatism are burning in Saskatchewan and the act would've been a way of putting an end to those efforts. "Scott Moe is holding a big bucket of water right now. He could douse those flames, make it clear today, but instead he seems to be more interested in placating those who want to burn the house down," Beck said. The act died on the order paper without even receiving a second reading. Saskatchewan Party MLAs voted down every effort, after Moe described the bill as silencing the voices of the province's people. As the province's politicians head home for the summer, Moe already has his next political move laid out. Moe posted 10 changes the federal government"must make" to reset Ottawa's relationship with Saskatchewan. It's a list Moe promised to bring up when he meets with Prime Minister Mark Carney and Canada's other premiers next month in Saskatoon.
CBC
06-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
'We're not interested in separation': Sask. government responds to sovereignty petition
Social Sharing A petition calling for a provincial referendum on Saskatchewan's sovereignty has garnered nearly 2,000 signatures in three days, prompting responses from both the provincial government and the Opposition NDP. The petition, launched by advocacy group Unified Grassroots on May 2, aims to "empower the provincial government to negotiate new terms for Saskatchewan's relationship whether as part of Canada or as an independent nation." If successful, the petition could kick-start a process to launch a plebiscite vote within 12 months of submission to the government. In order to be submitted, it must accumulate signatures from 15 per cent of eligible voters, or about 125,000 signatures. The result of the vote, even if it were to favour separation, would not be legally binding. WATCH | The history of western separation in Canada: The history of western separation in Canada 8 hours ago Duration 3:28 On Monday, both the provincial government and Saskatchewan NDP said they do not support separation from Canada. During question period on Monday afternoon, Saskatchewan Finance Minister Jim Reiter stated several times that the provincial government does not support leaving Canada, but would follow the legislation on plebiscites. "I'm a proud Canadian, all members of this side of the house are," Reiter said. "We're not interested in separation.… We're also not interested in muzzling the voices of people who want to use freedom of speech." NDP jobs and economy critic Aleana Young said earlier on Monday that Premier Scott Moe could easily put separatism calls to rest and is choosing not to. "I have three calls for Premier Moe today: one, condemn [Alberta Premier] Danielle Smith, two, condemn Unified Grassroots, and three, be straight with the people of Saskatchewan and say out loud, clearly and unequivocally, that you would vote to stay as part of Canada," she said. "This is a premier who is all too happy to get along, to go along with the fringe elements of his own base." The provincial government reiterated its stance in a later statement. "The Government of Saskatchewan does not support separating from Canada, however we also don't support the status quo," it said. "We believe in a strong and united Saskatchewan, within a strong and united Canada, and the role Saskatchewan can play in making Canada an energy superpower." A public vote to separate from Canada can also happen through a government-initiated referendum. According to Saskatchewan's Referendum and Plebiscite Act, a government-led referendum would be legally binding if more than 60 per cent of voters vote for a single result and at least 50 per cent of eligible voters had cast a ballot. That process would bring several challenges. The House of Commons would have the power to edit or cancel the question if it felt the wording would not clearly capture the will of the people. The federal government would also have to consult with all political parties in the province on the issue.
CBC
02-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Sask. reduces settlement support funding as number of new Ukrainian refugees ebbs
The Saskatchewan government has reduced funding for the Ukrainian Canadian Congress - Saskatchewan Provincial Council (UCC-SPC), which offers settlement services for displaced Ukrainians. The reduction, effective May 1, was part of the provincial budget tabled earlier this year. The province says it reflects a return to normal funding levels after a bump to help deal with the large influx of Ukrainians in the earlier years of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. "This is a reduction recognizing that fewer people are using the services," Saskatchewan Minister of Immigration and Career Training Jim Reiter said. "But the services are still in place. The Ukrainian refugees are also welcome to use all the settlement services that other groups use as well." Funding for UCC-SPC has gone down by $500,000, but Reiter emphasized that no services have been eliminated. Effective Wednesday, UCC-SCP laid off five full-time and one part-time staff member in Regina and Saskatoon due to the cut. "Although the number of arrivals to Saskatchewan has declined over the past year, this decision was a surprise," said Elena Krueger, president of UCC-SPC. She said the organization has been delivering necessary settlement services to people who have sought refuge in Saskatchewan since the start of the war. "UCC Saskatchewan is grateful to the Government of Saskatchewan for its support for displaced Ukrainians over the past three years," Krueger said. "It is, however, disappointing that, at a time when Russia continues to bomb Ukraine on a daily basis and Ukrainian men, women and children are being killed, the funding for needed settlement supports for those who have fled the war is being cut." NDP MLA for Saskatoon Churchill-Wildwood Keith Jorgenson criticized the reduction this week, saying it was bad both morally and economically. "Putin's war rages on and Scott Moe himself said in March his government stood with Ukraine and would welcome in more people displaced by this devastating invasion — but clearly his actions tell an entirely different story," Jorgenson said. WATCH | Sask. NDP questions reduced spending for displaced Ukrainians in the province: Sask. NDP questions reduced spending for displaced Ukrainians in the province 2 hours ago Duration 2:53 The provincial government is reducing funding to the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) by half a million dollars because the number of displaced Ukrainians arriving in Saskatchewan has dwindled. The UCC says the cuts led to six staff being laid off. NDP MLA Keith Jorgensen calls the cuts horrific, cold and callous. Jorgenson said many people still need support, even if there are fewer new arrivals. "My comparison is that when my wife and I stopped having kids, we strangely continued to buy groceries," he said. "Merely because the people have stopped arriving it doesn't mean that the work of settling them, and supporting them has stopped." On April 30, the NDP introduced legislation to permanently recognize September as Ukrainian Heritage Month. The Sask. Party has yet to indicate publicly if it will support the bill.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Saskatchewan the only province to see employment growth in March
Saskatchewan was the only province in Canada to see employment increase in March, according to new data from Statistics Canada. Employment in the province rose by 6,600 or 1 per cent last month, the second increase in four months. By contrast, Alberta and Ontario saw employment shrink by 0.6 per cent and 0.3 per cent respectively. Other provinces saw very little change in employment rates from February. WATCH| Sask. Premier Scott Moe returns from European trade mission The news was welcomed by Jim Reiter, the province's deputy premier and minister of immigration and career training. "Saskatchewan continues to have one of the strongest labour markets in Canada," Reiter said in a news release. Premier Scott Moe shared a post on social media welcoming the employment numbers. "In the middle of all the turmoil caused by U.S. and Chinese tariffs, Saskatchewan's strong and steady economy continues to create thousands of new jobs," Moe said. Nationally, employment fell by 33,000 or 0.2 per cent as the unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage points to 6.7 per cent. Saskatchewan also posted a year-over-year increase in employment: 19,000 or 3.1 per cent, according to Statistics Canada. Unemployment in Saskatchewan fell by half a percentage point to 4.9 per cent in March, the lowest among all provinces.
CBC
27-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Sask. reboots foreign worker nominee program with focus on health care, ag and trades
Social Sharing The province is rebooting its Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) with stricter criteria, ending a five-week pause in applications that started after Ottawa slashed the number of available spots for foreign workers in the province. SINP is meant to address labour shortages by having immigrants fill vacant positions. The rebooted SINP moves nominees in three sectors to the front of the line and reworks rules to deal with the federal government's new, lower nominee allocations for provinces, according to a news release from the Ministry of Immigration and Career Training. The province said it is prioritizing applications from workers in health care, agriculture and skilled trades. Saskatchewan's allocation for 2025 is 3,625, the lowest level since 2009, the province said. The federal government also now requires that 75 per cent of all nominees are already living in Canada as temporary residents. Ottawa's new immigration plan for 2025-27 cut immigration levels to provide "well-managed, sustainable growth" in the face of national challenges around housing, infrastructure and social service, an Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada spokesperson said last month. The province is "disappointed with the federal government's decision" to slash nominee allotments by 50 per cent, but said "the changes announced today will ensure that our reduced number of nominations is used effectively and in a way that prioritizes building our economy," said Immigration and Career Training Minister Jim Reiter in the news release. New SINP rules include: The province will prioritize overseas candidates working in health care, agriculture and trades. For all other jobs, applicants must already be temporary Canadian residents on a valid visa. A 25 per cent cap on nominations in the hospitality, food services, retail trade and trucking sectors. The province no longer takes nominations for spas, salons and pet care services (veterinarians remain eligible). The categories for entrepreneur, international graduate entrepreneur and farmer owner/operator are closed. The retooled SINP means the province will return applications for the Saskatchewan Express Entry and Occupations In-Demand sub-categories. Candidates who get their applications returned can request a fee refund. More than 90 per cent of the province's economic immigration happens through the SINP, according to the Immigration and Career Training ministry. What is SINP? Employers are allowed to hire foreign nationals through the program once they're able to prove they can't find anyone else in the province to fill a position. Once a business is qualified, they are provided with a job approval form allowing them to hire a foreign national via SINP. That person must then work full-time for that employer for at least six months to qualify for the program and stay in the country.
