Sask. NDP says province wants 8-day legislature sitting, calls proposal 'utterly insufficient'

The Saskatchewan NDP says the provincial government is proposing an abbreviated eight-day legislature sitting this spring, with five days of question period. The Opposition is counter-proposing a 14-day sitting.

"This is a bare minimum. Anything less than this is really inadequate and insufficient for scrutiny," said Opposition NDP Leader Ryan Meili on Friday.

Meili said the government's latest proposal would be "an insult to our legislature, an insult to our public responsibility." 

Last week, the NDP pushed for a 28-day sitting, a budget introduction and 75 hours of study of the estimates.

Meili said the NDP is willing to drop that to 60 hours. The NDP says the government's proposal is for 40 hours.

NDP House Leader Cathy Sproule sent a letter back to her counterpart in the government Minister Jeremy Harrison on Friday morning.

She said the government's proposal for an "abbreviated session" was a "significant departure" from what the two sides agreed to when they suspended the sitting on March 18.

Sproule said she needs an explanation as to why 28 days with physical distancing was not possible and called the government's proposal for five days of question period, "utterly insufficient."

On Thursday, Premier Scott Moe said he would not put the government's option "in the public realm," but called his government's proposal "the most comprehensive opportunity for budgetary legislative scrutiny of any option that has been put forward in this nation by any province or territory since the emergency measures have come into effect."

Moe said there are no other legislative priorities for the government at this time aside from introducing and passing the budget, and debating related budget bills.

B.C., which had been out of its legislature since March 23, announced Wednesday it would return next month with fewer MLAs for an undetermined time.

Alberta announced it will go back to a regular schedule starting May 27.

As of Friday, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia are the only province's not to have MLAs sit or announce a return to sitting. 

NDP counter proposal

The NDP did not disclose the government offer in its entirety, but according to Sproule's letter the government's proposed start date is June 15.

The government does not have to come to an agreement with the opposition and could reconvene the legislature on its terms at any time.

The NDP is requesting:

• Fourteen days of sitting, each with a question period.
• Assembly attended by five opposition MLAs, 10 government MLAs, the Speaker and legislative assembly staff.
• June 15 includes a budget introduction.
• Sixty hours to study estimates in committee.
• Sitting weeks of June 15 and 29, and July 6, with a final day of July 9.

Read the NDP letter here: