Sask. government, NDP agree on three-week legislative sitting to begin June 15

The Saskatchewan government and Opposition NDP have come to an agreement to resume the legislative sitting for three weeks beginning on June 15.

The abbreviated sitting will include 14 days in the legislature from June 15 to July 3, Monday through Friday with the exception of July 1. The budget vote is slated for July 2.

For the last several weeks the NDP has pressed the government to recall MLAs to the assembly. The parties recently have been going back and forth on terms of a return through their respective House leaders.

On Tuesday, they mutually announced the terms of the return, which will include 60 hours of scrutiny of budget estimates in legislative committees.

In the assembly itself, the government will be allowed 10 caucus members, while the opposition is permitted to have five.

The joint release from the two parties said the budget would be a priority for the sitting, but that other legislative business could be conducted, time permitting.

Saskatchewan is one of only two provinces to have not resumed its legislature for at least an emergency debate or to pass legislation.

Last week, the NDP said it preferred a 28-day sitting but would settle for 14 days, each with a question period. It said the government proposed eight sitting days with three question period days.

'Pandemic deficit'

Premier Scott Moe said the government would have introduced a balanced budget on March 18, but the updated version will look different.

"What we are going to experience this year is a pandemic deficit. We will have a deficit this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That deficit will be largely attributed to a lowering of the revenues and that has been indicated and communicated by our minister of finance already," Moe said.

Moe said the modified legislature schedule is a "positive" for the people of the province.

"This will be by far the most extensive scrutiny of any budget in any house in this nation since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic."

Opposition Leader Ryan Meili called the deal an "important victory for democracy."

"We look forward to returning to the legislature to push for an economic recovery plan that puts people first. And we'll continue to push for accountability and answers to the government's handling of COVID-19 and its economic fall-out," Meili said in a statement.