Throne Speech Debate (28 October 2025)

From Hansard (28 October 2025)

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Throne Speech Debate

Blaine McLeod: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you for your service here in the legislature. I appreciate your wisdom and guidance over the two years that we’ve been involved here.

It has been just over two years that I’ve had the privilege to drive up to this amazing building knowing that I have the honour and the challenge of helping to chart the course of this government. I will never, I will never tire of walking up the 30 steps to the floor of the rotunda and stopping to take in the beauty of the place, and acknowledging those that have gone before and had the vision to help make what we have today. And then I take a walk down to my office and I clean out the maple bugs that are trying to find their way in and take over the place as well.

In a lot of ways, there has been some significant transitions that have taken place in my life over the last two years. With my election in August of ’23, I anticipated that I would be busy, but somehow thought I would find some time to be able to help out on our dairy farm every now and then. Those days have been few and far between, Mr. Speaker, and I think many find themselves in that same position.

But I want to say that in that transition, I need to send a very heartfelt thanks for our oldest son, Michael, for how well he has fulfilled his role in managing our farm. Now he’s just close to completed his very first major infrastructure project. And our farm will soon be using a well-designed, well-built commodity shed with increased storage capacity for all the ingredients required to feed 350 hungry dairy cows. Now you might think of it, Mr. Speaker, as a very large pantry and kitchen where we process all the ingredients and mix a balanced ration for every animal on the farm.

I’m super proud of all the planning and the effort that was put in. Great effort all around. And lots of thanks to the contractors, the trades, and especially the local cement plant operator. KC, thanks for all the pictures of everything that you did, and please know that your retirement should be a little more secure as a result of what Michael did.

So my transition from day-to-day engagement in dairying is changing to day-to-day constituency events, day-to-day meetings, RM meetings, planning for session, and keeping all the questions and concerns answered, and in the process helping people move forward in their lives. Michael, thank you for making that possible. And special thanks as well to your family, especially Chelsea, your wonderful wife, who has stood with you every step of the way.

Of course Michael has had great help from a host of dedicated people, including his brother Mark, who helps out while also managing an active and growing family of four boys, freeing up his wife, Stephanie, to focus on her demanding job as a schoolteacher. We also have a very talented and capable staff who daily keep things running. There is never a day off on the dairy farm, much like the always-on role we have as MLAs.

Now, Mr. Speaker, we have also had some transition in our office with the resignation of the very capable help of Brandy, one of my CAs, who has walked this political journey with me from the very beginning. With a household of four boys who are all engaged in sports, it became clear and evident that she would need to step back for a time. So this fall I was able to hire another close friend, Kathy, to pick up the hours we needed. So welcome to the team, Kathy. I hope you’re listening. Kelly continues to keep our financial side in good order and continues with us in the office. And I’m grateful to both of them for stepping up and filling the void.

Brandy Mae, I express my heartfelt appreciation for the two and a half years of support and encouragement. She tells me that she has resigned, but in her own words, you know where to find me. And, Brandy, I will be calling. I have complete confidence in our office team, and I look forward to doing great things together.

Now, Mr. Speaker, my life is made complete with the gift God has given me with my lovely wife of just over 44 years, celebrated earlier this month. October is a big month for me. It’s our anniversary and my wife’s birthday all wrapped up within two weeks. Marlie, you are dearly loved and truly are my source of strength and completeness.

Now add to that the blessing of 10 grandchildren and I do feel that I’m blessed beyond my capacity to really fully comprehend. It’s been a special treat to share this political journey with family. This summer has been full — last summer as well — full of parades and community events. And one of our grandsons continues to have a perfect track record in parade attendance.

Also a special treat this year was having our oldest granddaughter drive the parade truck with her recent learner’s licence in hand. Of course grandma had to be seated with her, and they both did a great job piloting that vehicle. She had to do a good job — RCMP leading in front, community safety officer behind. You did a great job, Jordynn.

Our constituency expanded with redistribution, and many miles were put on travelling to all corners from Lumsden to Stewart Valley, Central Butte, and everywhere in between.

And now the favourite time of year for me — fall suppers in full swing. The member from Canora-Pelly, I don’t know. We’ll have to compare notes as to who gets to the most. If I had two clones, we still couldn’t attend them all, but I will get to as many as possible. And I’m still maintaining the same weight, Mr. Speaker, but I’m not sure if that will hold true for much longer.

The next transition that happened this year is that I can really no longer call myself a rookie. Those days have passed. Although in many ways it still feels that way, I can no longer claim that role. Another crop has taken up that mantle, and now that’s ended for them. Their learning curve continues and the dizziness has increased.

One thing that hasn’t changed is my commitment to ensuring good governance is provided to the people of Lumsden-Morse and the province of Saskatchewan. Thank you to our Premier for continuing to provide exceptional leadership in the midst of an upside-down, ever-changing, crazy, crazy world. Premier, your steady hand on the wheel has never been more needed, and we thank you for your energy and enthusiasm that never ceases to amaze me. I am proud to serve alongside.

Now to the 2025 Throne Speech. Strong, safe, and secure — what do those words actually mean? A quick dictionary definition reveals the following regarding the first. Strong: powerful, robust, sturdy, mighty, forceful, tough, and vigorous. Now any one of those synonyms could describe the economy of Saskatchewan. Over the last year we led the country of Canada in job growth and consistently had the lowest unemployment rate in Canada. Since 2020 we have seen approximately 40 billion in private capital investment in our province.

Here are just a few examples that hit home for me: the mining company of K+S Potash, already spoken about by the member from Arm River-Dakota. But I’m going to take a little different approach to it. Mr. Speaker, the backbone of the Saskatchewan economy has always been and will be agriculture. And one of the companies in the pursuit of agriculture and helping to make it better is K+S Potash, a company producing one of the big three resources that also drive our economy: potash, oil, and uranium.

This is a company that was chased out of our province by a failed system of nationalization that started in 1975 under the government of Allan Blakeney. Eventually 40 per cent of the potash industry was stolen from the rightful owners, and the economic decline was steep and rapid. The result was that it took 40 years for any greenfield investment in potash to return. Thankfully K+S did return and have made new significant investments — 4.1 billion was invested in the Bethune location, and the mine officially began producing in June of 2017. Imagine with me the economic impact of this investment.

But really, mister deputy deputy speaker, we don’t have to imagine anything because these are actual stats. Boring though they may be, they reflect people’s lives — 23 million hours of work building that mine that peaked at employing over 3,000 people daily. Today the company employs over 400 people, and they are continuing to reinvest.

On September 9th I attended the groundbreaking along with the Minister of Energy and Resources, the groundbreaking of the expansion of the K+S mine, a $3 billion expansion to nearly double their production capacity. Seventy new full-time jobs will be added to their workforce, and that’s not counting the construction jobs that are already under way. Again it only took 40 years to get this investment rolling. How many jobs, homes, careers, and families did we lose to out-migration during those lost-in-the-wilderness days?

Mr. Deputy Speaker, investment growth comes with setting a regulatory framework that allows companies and investors to confidently invest in their future, knowing that the secret to their success will be providing secure jobs to a motivated workforce that will be able to buy or build homes; raise families; contribute to their communities, their schools, and their hospitals; and know the future is secure.

We can never go back. The lesson has been learned and the people of Saskatchewan remember it well. That is why when there is new talk of nationalizing our oil and gas industry, the people of Saskatchewan take notice and they collectively say, never again.

Just a couple more examples of private capital investment into the province in the last few years. Foran Mining, phase 1 capital cost to bring the McIlvenna Bay copper mine to commercial production is estimated at 826 million. The mine is expected to produce 34 and a half million pounds of copper and 58.6 million pounds of zinc annually. More than 50 per cent complete, Mr. Deputy Speaker. This is with significant engagement with the First Nations people as part of the workforce, including residents of Denare Beach.

North American Helium, a very large drilling program that has built nine helium purification facilities in southwest Saskatchewan, to date an investment of 500 million.

And then value-added ag investments, just really quickly: Cargill, 350 million canola crush plant, 50 full-time positions when complete; Donald’s Fine Foods and North 49 Foods, a $60 million new cull sow processing plant in Moose Jaw, capacity to process 225,000 sows and employ as many as 200 people. Great to see employee vehicles now filling the once-empty parking lot in Moose Jaw.

O&T Farms’ $10 million expansion of an existing facility specializing in flax processing. I just spoke to the owner-entrepreneur last night at the STEP [Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership] reception, Tim Wiens. He’s bullish and excited to see what the future holds.

It’s with a strong and robust economy, Mr. Deputy Speaker, that we are able to provide the second element of our Throne Speech. You need a base to work from. Safe. Now here’s the dictionary definition again: free from harm or risk, unhurt, secure from threat of danger, harm, or loss — and, Mr. Deputy Speaker, I am not making this up; it was in the dictionary — successful at getting to a base in baseball without being put out. If only that would have been the case for Davis Schneider at the top of the ninth last night.

Everyone in Saskatchewan deserves to feel safe and secure in their own homes and communities. That is why our government is committed to hire 100 — this is important — 100 additional municipal officers, hire and pay the salaries in perpetuity; 14 new SCAN personnel, that’s safer communities and neighbourhoods; and standing up the Saskatchewan marshals service with 70 officers hired. And that is all in addition to our commitment to fund 180 new RCMP positions.

Along with these new officers, what’s needed is providing the necessary tools to keep families safe. Initiatives are under way to help our police forces keep drugs out of the criminals’ hands and then getting the criminals where they belong — off our streets and in jail.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, we totally recognize that some people do become ensnared in a life of addiction, so we will continue to deliver on our commitment of 500 new addictions treatment beds. Three hundred are already in place, and we are aggressively working to fulfill that commitment and more. When treatment is asked for, the space needs to be available, space that allows the necessary time required for healing and wholeness to take root.

These are not just numbers that we’re talking about. They are individual human lives that are loved and appreciated by the families that grieve their illness, their addiction, and their sickness. And so we commit to delivering for all the people of Saskatchewan, where they are and the needs that they have.

Secure. Strong, safe, secure. What does it mean to be secure? Back to the dictionary: fixed or fastened so as not to give way, become loose, or be lost. For me the concept is, no one left behind. So how do we provide security to our citizens? This to me is the essence of what good government is to do: to provide the essentials of health, education for the future, and the ability to not only survive but thrive in your personal life, always, always with the mindset that personal responsibility is essential to become all that you are meant to be.

Now, Mr. Deputy Speaker, in regards to health care, we’re ensuring the right care is available when needed. We’re making progress and totally recognize that much more needs to be done. It will not end. The recruitment strategy, increased training spaces, retention of health care workers, and the program of incentivizing have all worked together to show solid improvements.

I’d like to talk about two quick examples in my closing time. The hiring of 11 pediatric specialists this past summer gives parents confidence that their children will receive the specialized care and expertise that they need close to home. And on the opposite end of the continuum scale, the personal care home supplement has been a game changer in many, many incidents.

Mr. Speaker, the regionally owned and operated care home in Central Butte, called Iver Main, is a great example of government and private initiative working together. Just a few years back Iver Main was considering closing, with just eight residents remaining in place. Now with the personal care home supplement in place, they have 20 residents and are looking to fill the remaining four beds. More people are being cared for in their own community. And equally important — equally important — former part-time work has turned into full-time hours for the staff.

That is an all-around win. And my congratulations to the leadership in Central Butte for having the vision to move forward and repurpose what was once a hospital into a beautiful care home. Partnerships can and do work to deliver care in Saskatchewan.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, I took a look back at my very first speech in this House. I talked about the strength and determination of my grandpa, who moved to what must have seemed to be a desolate and unforgiving country at the turn of the century. He was determined to carve out a new life despite the seeming insurmountable challenges that he and his brothers faced. They saw opportunity. And it is our responsibility to continue to move forward with confidence, knowing that the future is bright and the opportunities are inviting and endless in scope.

So I will be supporting the motion moved by the member from Weyburn-Bengough and seconded by the member from Carrot River Valley, and I will not be supporting the amendment from members opposite.

May God richly bless the province of Saskatchewan. Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker.