GOVERNMENT MOVES TO EXTEND SITTING HOURS OF LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

Extra Hours Needed to Ensure Enough Time to Debate Government Agenda

Government House Leader Rod Gantefoer today introduced a motion to extend the sitting hours of the Legislative Assembly to up to 13 hours a day, from 10 am to midnight with a one-hour break from 5 to 6 pm.

Gantefoer said the longer hours are needed to ensure the government's "Ready for Growth" agenda moves forward while at the same time ensuring the Official Opposition is provided sufficient time to debate government's budget estimates and proposed legislation.

"Under the new rules of the Assembly, we need to ensure the Opposition has up to 225 hours to debate the budget estimates and government bills between now and the last day of the spring sitting, which is May 15," Gantefoer said. "That simply would not be possible under the normal sitting hours of the Assembly.

"Our government has a mandate to move forward with the agenda voters supported in last fall's election, but we also have a responsibility to ensure the Opposition has sufficient time to debate and express its concerns," Gantefoer said. "We can achieve both of these objectives by sitting longer hours each day."

Under the rules of the Assembly, the government is required to allow up to 75 hours of Opposition questioning in budget estimates, five hours of debate on each of the six budget-related bills and 20 hours of debate on each of the six "specified" bills - the government's priority legislation that was introduced in December. On top of those 225 hours, additional time must be provided to debate other bills introduced by the government this spring.

Gantefoer said government MLAs are looking forward to putting in the longer hours to ensure the government's "Ready for Growth" agenda moves forward.

"No one in our government is opposed to working longer hours and frankly, I don't think anyone in Saskatchewan will be too upset to hear MLAs are working longer hours either," Gantefoer said.

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For more information, contact:

Kathy Young
Executive Council
Regina
Phone: 306-787-0425
Email: kathy.young@gov.sk.ca
Cell: 306-526-8927