University of Regina Political Scientist Jim Farney believes it is in the governments best interest to hold some sort of sitting this spring.
Since the COVID-19 concerns in Saskatchewan began, the province has not held any sort of sitting, which is the longest stretch of any provincial government in Canada.
Farney said the Sask Party and opposition NDP can set aside issues of less priority and discuss major issues virtually.
“I could imagine something where the two parties agree, ‘yes, here’s the stuff we’re just not going to fight over, we can pass it in a couple of Zoom meetings,’ and then get down to the trickier business of the budget, and maybe some of the healthcare stuff.”
Farney says the government is using special warrants to spend money which is not uncommon, but the amount being spent is something they’ll want to justify sooner rather than right before this fall’s election.
“So it’s basically signed off on by the Lieutenant Governor, but the amount of money that they’re going to be spending that way is likely going to be unprecedented,” Farney said. “I don’t think the government wants to be in a position during an election campaign where it’s going to have to explain how it spent maybe a couple of billion dollars without going through the usual process.”
Farney said some sort of sitting where questions can be answered is in the province’s best interest.
“I think it’s fair that they don’t have an adequate accounting yet of the health cost of COVID because it’s such a massive crisis, and it’s moving so quickly, but they are going to have to explain how they spent last year’s money publicly, and they are going to have to, I think, be more wholesome about the plan for the year ahead.”
