Saskatchewan NDP to introduce anti-separation bill that aims to amend rules

NDP Leader Carla Beck and Sask Party Leader Scott Moe speaking to reporters after the leaders debate on Oct. 16, 2024. (David Prisciak/CTV News)

Saskatchewan’s Opposition NDP is planning to introduce legislation to amend referendum and plebiscite rules in an effort to hold Premier Scott Moe’s feet to the fire around talks of separation.

NDP Leader Carla Beck’s bill, The Referendum and Plebiscite (Keep Saskatchewan in Canada) Amendment Act, will be put to legislators Wednesday. The Opposition could not provide details as the legislation was not yet before the assembly.

The bill comes as New Democrats accuse Moe’s Saskatchewan Party government of pandering to separatist sentiments following Prime Minister Mark Carney’s election win for the Liberals.

“This separatist push is damaging to our economy, especially at a time when we see broad consensus for nation-building projects,” NDP jobs critic Aleana Young said Tuesday.

“This is a time when we should be building Canada up, not tearing everything down.”

Moe has said the province is not interested in separating from Canada but wouldn’t stop a public vote on the issue if it came forward. He accused the NDP of wanting to silence the public through Beck’s proposed legislation.

“They want to take away that voice. That’s wrong,” Moe told reporters.

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Saskatchewan law allows public votes to come forward through plebiscites or referendums.

The public can initiate plebiscites through a petition, provided 15 per cent of eligible voters sign. The province can also direct a plebiscite if it believes there is enough public interest and legislators can initiate a vote should they get a motion passed in the assembly.

Referendums are ordered by government. The result is binding if more than 60 per cent of ballots are cast in the same way on a question. No referendum is binding unless at least 50 per cent of eligible electors vote, the law says.

Elections Saskatchewan’s website says plebiscites are not binding.

Also Tuesday, New Democrats took aim at government legislators David Chan and Jamie Martens by sharing website screenshots that appear to show they are members of the Unified Grassroots Facebook group.

Unified Grassroots recently initiated an online petition calling on Saskatchewan to negotiate new terms with Ottawa or look at separating.

Moe said he has no issue with Chan and Martens being part of the Facebook group.

He said he may have spoken with Unified Grassroots members recently, but wouldn’t know if they identified as belonging to the group. He added some in his caucus have spoken to group members.

“Many of those individuals aren’t separatists in any way,” he said. “They’re just feeling a degree of frustration with the feeling of not being listened to by the federal government.”

The Saskatchewan Party Caucus, in an email, said Chan and Martens are not members of Unified Grassroots.

“The NDP wants to silence anyone they disagree with,” the statement said. “The Saskatchewan Party and our candidates are supported by a broad cross-section of voters who hold many different views and belong to many different organizations.”

Chan and Martens were not made available to speak with reporters.

Unified Grassroots accused the NDP of discrediting their group.

“Our petition is legal, democratic and grounded in the right of the people to be heard. It does not demand separation -- it demands a conversation,” it said in a statement.

-This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 6, 2025.