Sask NDP Leader Carla Beck is urging Premier Scott Moe to make good on his promise of a “free vote” for her Keep Saskatchewan in Canada Act before the spring sitting ends this week.The private member’s bill would double the number of signatures needed to trigger a citizen-initiated referendum on leaving Canada. Currently, about 125,000 names or roughly 15% of registered voters can prompt a province‑wide plebiscite. Beck’s bill pushes that threshold to 250,000 and removes the cabinet’s power to call such a vote on its own.“Even the hint of a separation vote will scare off capital spending, push head offices away, and cost jobs,” Beck told reporters today. “We watched it happen in Quebec. I don’t want that here, not now, not ever.”.Beck’s warning comes as two grassroots petitions circulate online calling for an independence referendum and as neighbouring Alberta debates its own possible independence referendum.One petition is backed by Unified Grassroots, a group that campaigned for several Sask Party MLAs and calls Yorkton MLA David Chan “one of us,” which Chan has not addressed.During question period last week, Moe said government members could vote as they wished on the NDP bill. Beck says time is running out. “The clock is ticking, Premier,” said Beck. “Leaders lead. Let the assembly vote today for our economy, for our country, for our future.”.Sask Party government fired back in a written statement, accusing the opposition of trying to “take the voice away from hundreds of thousands of Saskatchewan people.” The government argued the current signature bar is already high and pointed out that no referendum is planned. “We will not silence the voice of Saskatchewan people as the NDP wants to do,” the statement read.The spring sitting is scheduled to end on May 15, leaving little room for last minute debates and amendments to the bill.
