Legislature recalled early for pronoun law, rally expected

MLAs are expected to reconvene at the legislative building again Tuesday, two weeks early, so the government can push through its sex ed and pronoun policies.

Almost two weeks ago, a judge ruled that a paused would have to be put on the implementation of the policy which said children under 16 years of age would have to have their parents’ permission to change their name and/or gender at school.

Just hours after that ruling came down, Premier Scott Moe announced he would be bringing back the legislative assembly early so he could pass the policies into law and use the notwithstanding clause to push aside the judge’s ruling, saying his government would use whatever tools are at its disposal.

The Opposition Sask. NDP are opposed to the government’s pronoun policy and will be opposing the legislation.

Government will be able to get right to work on Tuesday, instead of having to deal with putting together and giving a Speech from the Throne early because the first two weeks won’t be a new session of the government, they’ll technically be part of the last session and spring sitting.

The Speech from the Throne, where government lays out its priorities for the session, is still set for Oct. 25.

The pronoun and school legislation is expected to be the only thing tackled in the two weeks.

Kent Peterson, secretary treasurer of the Saskatchewan Federal of Labour, speaks about plans for a rally in front of the legislative building ahead of the Assembly reconvening Tuesday. Oct. 6, 2023 (Lisa Schick/980 CJME)

Saskatchewan Federation of Labour joins protest

The use of the clause has unified many groups, including the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (SFL) which will attend Tuesday’s protest

“Based on the coalition of the people fighting back against the use of the notwithstanding clause, it’s very clear that Scott Moe has no idea what he started,” said president Kent Peterson.

“Scott Moe threatening to invoke the notwithstanding clause is a desperate and cheap political gambit to prevent members of his own caucus from crossing the floor and sitting with Nadine Wilson and the Saskatchewan United Party; that’s what this is about.”

Pederson adds the policy threatens the rights of all Saskatchewan people and the SFL along with its allies are coming together to do whatever is necessary to stop it.

with files from CJME’s Roman Hayter