REGINA, SASK – Saskatchewan’s Opposition NDP announced plans on Tuesday to introduce legislation aimed at amending referendum and plebiscite rules to prevent discussions about the province’s potential separation from Canada. The proposed bill, titled The Referendum and Plebiscite (Keep Saskatchewan in Canada) Amendment Act, is scheduled for introduction in the legislature today.
Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck stated that the legislation is intended to “hold Premier Scott Moe’s feet to the fire” concerning talks of separation. However, Premier Moe criticized the move, insisting the NDP wants to silence the public. “They want to take away that voice. That’s wrong,” Moe told reporters.
Under current Saskatchewan law, citizens can initiate plebiscites through petitions signed by at least 15% of eligible voters. The government can also direct a plebiscite if it believes there is sufficient public interest. Referendums are ordered by the government and are binding if more than 60% of ballots are cast in the same way on a question, provided that at least 50% of eligible electors vote.
Premier Moe emphasized that while his government is not interested in separating from Canada, it is also not satisfied with Ottawa’s treatment of the province. “The Government of Saskatchewan is not interested in separation, and the Government of Saskatchewan certainly isn’t interested in the status quo,” Moe stated. He further accused the NDP of introducing the topic of separation into legislative discussions: “All of the suggestions, conversation around separation on the floor of this Assembly is coming from the members opposite.”
Unified Grassroots: “Our petition is legal, democratic and grounded in the right of the people to be heard.”
The NDP has also criticized government legislators David Chan and Jamie Martens, alleging their association with the Unified Grassroots Facebook group, which has initiated an online petition calling for Saskatchewan to negotiate new terms with Ottawa or consider separation. Premier Moe responded by stating that he has no issue with Chan and Martens being part of the group, noting that many members are expressing frustration rather than advocating for separation. “Many of those individuals aren’t separatists in any way,” he said. “They’re just feeling a degree of frustration with the feeling of not being listened to by the federal government.”
Unified Grassroots defended its petition, stating, “Our petition is legal, democratic and grounded in the right of the people to be heard. It does not demand separation – it demands a conversation.”
Premier Moe reiterated his commitment to allowing citizens to express their views through democratic means: “The important thing is that citizens do have an avenue to have their voice heard,” he said. “If those particular benchmarks are met in this province, the citizens of this province will have their voice heard.”
The proposed NDP legislation has sparked debate about the balance between maintaining national unity and respecting democratic processes. As the bill is introduced today, legislators and citizens alike will be watching closely to see how this issue unfolds.
