REGINA, SASKATCHEWAN – Saskatchewan’s New Democratic Party (NDP) introduced Bill 604, the “Keep Saskatchewan in Canada Act” on Wednesday, aiming to make it harder for voters to initiate a referendum on the province’s separation from Canada. The proposed legislation seeks to amend the current Referendum and Plebiscite Act by doubling the required number of signatures from 15% to 30% of the electorate to trigger a plebiscite. It would also prevent the government from unilaterally calling a referendum on separation.
NDP Leader Carla Beck said the bill is aimed at avoiding economic disruption, concerned that even the prospect of a referendum on separation could unsettle investors. However, critics argue that suppressing democratic mechanisms out of fear of market reaction sets a troubling precedent, and that investor uncertainty come just as easily from political instability or lack of accountability.
Premier Scott Moe criticized the bill during question period, saying that it would suppress democratic engagement. Moe said “Silencing the very voters that you vie to represent is just plain out wrong.”
The bill’s prospects appear limited, given the current composition of the Saskatchewan legislature, where Moe’s Saskatchewan Party holds 34 seats and the NDP holds 27. If he whips the vote, the bill is likely to be defeated.
The introduction of Bill 604 follows recent developments in Alberta, where Premier Danielle Smith‘s government tabled Bill 54, aiming to lower the signatures needed for citizen-initiated referendums and extend the timeline for getting those signatures. NDP energy and resources critic Sally Housser commented on the regional context, stating, “You see (Premier) Danielle Smith in Alberta trying to make it easier (to separate). We want to make it harder.”
Debate on Bill 604 is expected to happen before the current legislative session ends on May 15.
