The Sask. Party blocked full passage Monday of a bill that would require public notification of emergency room closures within one hour – just days after Premier Scott Moe and several of his MLAs voted in favour of it.
Bill 606, The Provincial Health Authority (ER Closure Right-to-Know) Amendment Act, was introduced by NDP Rural and Remote Health Shadow Minister Jared Clarke. It passed second reading last Thursday with support from both sides of the legislature.
It did not advance through committee or third reading Monday.
What the bill would do
The legislation would require the Saskatchewan Health Authority to publicly report any emergency room closure within one hour of a shutdown – through a website or other electronic means.
Currently, the SHA says it posts closures once per day.
NDP analysis found emergency rooms open and close multiple times within a single reporting period. Clarke also said information obtained by the caucus indicates a real-time closure tracker exists internally within the SHA – but is not accessible to the public.
“We know information on whether an emergency room is open or not can be the difference between life and death,” Clarke said.
The contradiction
Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill opposed the bill during Question Period last Thursday – then did not show up for the vote later that day.
Moe voted yes.
Monday, the NDP again called on Moe in Question Period to greenlight the bill’s immediate passage. His government did not move it forward.
NDP Leader Carla Beck called out the reversal publicly Monday.
“To be clear, Moe stood and voted for the bill at second reading on Thursday,” Beck wrote on social media. “Now, his team is stalling on making the bill law.”
What’s at stake for rural communities
The NDP says it logged hundreds of rural ER closures across Saskatchewan in 2025 alone.
Associate Shadow Health Minister Keith Jorgenson travelled to Prince Albert Monday, pointing to repeated capacity crises at Victoria Hospital and unannounced closures at nearby facilities – including one in Moe’s own Rosthern constituency.
“We know that rural healthcare is in worse shape than ever,” Jorgenson said. “The least we can do is be transparent. Information about whether an emergency room is open or closed can be the difference between life and death.”
Clarke was direct about what he believes is driving the stall.
“The only reason I can fathom as to why Scott Moe would stall passage of my legislation is that they don’t want us to see just how badly they’re failing to deliver healthcare in rural Saskatchewan,” Clarke said.
What comes next
The bill’s path forward is now unclear. For it to become law, it must still pass through committee and clear third reading.
The Sask. Party caucus and Health Minister Cockrill’s office had not responded to requests for comment by time of publication. BorderPulse will update this story when a response is received.
The NDP is gathering public input on broader healthcare changes at YourCareYourSay.ca.
“People deserve to know this critical information in the event of an emergency,” Clarke said. “They deserve to know if their local ER is open or closed.”
