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The Saskatchewan Legislature returned Monday with a focus on health care from both sides of the aisle.
The official Opposition kicked off the day by targeting the salaries of Saskatchewan Health Authority board members.
Meara Conway, the Saskatchewan NDP’s health critic, highlighted how compensation for executive leaders at the SHA shot up nearly $300,000 in 2025, according to the authority’s annual report.
Meanwhile, some health-care workers have gone years without a contract, Conway said.
“I think it’s incumbent upon the health minister to justify these pay raises. What metrics is he using? And look these frontline health-care workers in the eyes and tell them why they’re not deserving of a fraction of this,” Conway said.
Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill did not attend question period on Monday. Minister of Rural and Remote Health Lori Carr said the NDP was “misrepresenting” the figures.
Carr defended the increases to executive compensation, saying they are the result of changes in reporting unused vacation, reporting of a full fiscal year of employment and severance pay.
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As the Saskatchewan Legislature started its spring session Monday, the focus of both political parties appeared to be on health care.
“There’s also the regular increases that happen, which are right in line with what our regular union members get when the band lifts go on,” Carr said.
Conway said the provincial government is awarding its political allies, pointing to the employment of Jim Billington as the vice-president of the SHA’s community engagement and communications.
Billington was previously Premier Scott Moe’s press secretary and an employee of the executive council.
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Carr denied any favouritism.
“The people hired to work in the Saskatchewan Health Authority are hired on their merits,” Carr said.
Carr confirmed that negotiations with health-care unions on expired contracts are ongoing and remain active.
Nurse practitioners
The provincial government highlighted its success in expanding primary care in the province through its use of nurse practitioners.
As of February, the Ministry of Health has signed 23 contracts with nurse practitioners.
According to the government, those deals mean 18,000 patients will have primary care instead of having to rely on private-pay services.
Saskatchewan Minister of Rural and Remote Health Lori Carr. (CBC)
Carr said it would be ideal to have a doctor in every community but the provincial government is taking an “all-of-the-above” approach for health care.
“Just ensuring there are as many access points of contact as possible, closest to home for patients so they can get the care they need,” Carr said.
The recruitment of more nurse practitioners is underway with a second round of hiring happening this month.
Conway said it should not have taken this long for the government to recognize the benefits of nurse practitioners providing primary care. She said the model has been employed for decades in other locations.
“So, slow clap for this government. They are finally recognizing the value of nurse practitioners, but we need to be seeing this at scale,” Conway said.