REGINA — Opposition New Democrats failed to bring forward their wildfire management strategy legislation for immediate second reading in the legislature.
The bill from Leroy Laliberte, Bill 609, would require the Ministry of Public Safety to create a provincial wildfire management strategy, maintain ongoing consultation and provide monthly reporting.
The Sask. Party government has contended it already has a wildfire strategy in place and, as expected, was not in a mood to accommodate the NDP.
On Monday, Laliberte moved that the Assembly immediately consider second reading of the bill, but that required unanimous consent, and the Sask. Party majority said no.
There was also an exchange in question period between Laliberte and Michael Weger, minister of community safety. During question period, Weger pushed back against recent NDP claims that the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency was reducing its fleet for 2026.
He pointed to the NDP news release that claimed that “without any warning, last October the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency website changed the number of Convair 580A land-based air tankers from four to three.”
The implication was that the SPSA had reduced its fleet of air tankers. Weger said those Convair 580A air tankers were being replaced by new aircraft.
“What the opposition must have missed was the press release from April 23, 2024, exactly two years earlier, with the headline ‘SPSA to renew its land-based air tanker fleet,’” said Weger in question period.
“In that press release, Mr. Speaker, the quote reads, ‘The planes will replace the current fleet of land-based air tanker aircraft, which consists of four Convair 580 airplanes.’ So I’d ask the member opposite if he would share the accurate information with his constituents, Mr. Speaker.”
At one point, Weger also said it was “clear that the opposition does have a plan. They have a plan to spread misinformation, Mr. Speaker.” That drew a rebuke from Speaker Todd Goudy, and Weger apologized and withdrew the remark.
After question period, both Laliberte and Jordan McPhail, MLA for Cumberland, voiced their frustration with the government over the day’s events.
“The Minister wanted to quote the news release that the government put out in 2023,” McPhail said.
“Well, I'll remind the Minister that 2023 was before this government had the worst wildfire response in this province's history. You would think after the wildfire response in 2025 that they would think that they need more additional planes, not less. So the Minister can come out here and explain to the people of Northern Saskatchewan why in 2023 they stand by the decision that they made to replace the fleet. Why they won't come out here and say that they're going to add more planes to the fleet, not take them away. The people in the North deserve better than what that Minister just said in the House today.”
Laliberte expressed disappointment that second reading did not proceed for his bill and again raised concerns that the SPSA fleet would be short of water bombers.
“We're again not going to have the water bombers needed for this summer,” said Laliberte. “Obviously we're now started in that wildfire season. Looking like we're going to have those water bombers again grounded. We won't have them ready up until July and August, which is disheartening. And so this government again is completely ignoring the people in northern Saskatchewan.”
Speaking to reporters last Thursday, Weger acknowledged that there are “two CL-215s that are going through maintenance, but it is expected when those are due to be rolled into the process that they will be available.”
