Saskatchewan throne speech lists bills on seniors care and AI

Lieutenant Governor Bernadette McIntyre read the throne speech in the Legislative Assembly on Oct. 27, setting out the Saskatchewan government’s legislative agenda, according to a government news release. The speech lists bills the government plans to introduce. None has passed, and none is law.

The Safer Homes for Seniors Act would add oversight, transparency and accountability to personal care homes. The Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) Additional Safeguards Act would bar MAID for certain people, including anyone under 18 and anyone whose only underlying medical condition is a mental illness. The Prevention of Deceptive AI Act would ban the misuse of AI-generated voices and images in elections, consumer transactions and privacy matters.

Other planned measures include an Opioids Damages Act, aimed at recovering health care costs from opioid manufacturers, wholesalers and consultants, and a Protection from Human Trafficking Act. That bill would require hospitality businesses and ridesharing platforms to tell police when they learn of a possible victim.

Premier Scott Moe said the agenda is meant to keep the economy strong while the province works on affordability, health care and community safety. He said more than 60 major projects worth more than $100 billion are under way in Saskatchewan.

Moe also said that under current rules, a family of four owes no provincial income tax on its first $65,000 of income, the release says. He said the government intends to raise that threshold again in the spring budget.