Opposition motion to declare Saskatchewan will “always remain part of Canada” stalls after heated 75-minute exchange in the legislature.
REGINA – A tense and politically charged debate erupted in the Saskatchewan legislature Thursday as the provincial NDP attempted to shut down any further discussion of provincial sovereignty – a move critics argue strips Saskatchewan residents of meaningful choices about their autonomy and their future.
The motion, brought forward by Sask NDP MLA Aleana Young, called on the legislature to affirm that Saskatchewan “will always remain part of Canada.” But the proposal sparked a 75-minute exchange that revealed deep rifts over whether even discussing independence should be off the table.
“The fact that we even have to discuss anti-Canada separatism speaks volumes,” Young said during the debate.
Young accused Premier Scott Moe of sidestepping opportunities to clearly reject the idea of separation and of following Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s lead on provincial autonomy measures — including a stand-alone tax agency and a provincial police force. She also raised concerns about Moe’s appearance at a conference featuring Reform Party founder Preston Manning, who recently wrote that Liberal leadership hopeful Mark Carney could be remembered as “the last prime minister of a united Canada.”
Young warned that even entertaining a referendum could have international implications.
“A referendum or even just talk of separation is exactly what Donald Trump wants so he can pick us off one by one,” she said.
But Premier Moe dismissed the motion as a false dichotomy, arguing that rejecting Ottawa’s treatment of the province doesn’t equate to wanting separation.
“The NDP is presenting a false choice between separation and the status quo,” Moe said.
“I’m not interested in separation, but I’m also not interested in the status quo of Saskatchewan being mistreated by the federal government, with the full support of the NDP. In the federal election, Saskatchewan people voted for change and I will be working on behalf of Saskatchewan to achieve that change.”
None of the Saskatchewan Party government members indicated whether they would ultimately support or reject the motion. The debate ended without a vote after the scheduled time expired.
While the motion itself remains unresolved, its introduction has reignited a high-stakes conversation in Saskatchewan over national unity, provincial autonomy, and the right of residents to explore political options outside the current federal framework. Many in Western Canada – and more in the rest of Canada following Mark Carney’s election victory – are disgruntled with Ottawa, along with its tendency to trample over provincial jurisdiction and individual rights.
