The Saskatchewan government is looking at changing how health care and education are run in a bid to improve service and save money.
Everything will be on the table as the province considers how to better deliver programs more efficiently, Premier Brad Wall said Tuesday.
"One, improve service, good service, quality service for Saskatchewan taxpayers, … but also the cost piece, perhaps delivering them in a more efficient way," he said.
"Do we have the right number of health regions? Do we have the right governance ratio even in education? What about the structure of postsecondary education?"
The "government-wide exercise of transformational change" was mentioned in the Throne Speech delivered by Lieutenant-Governor Vaughn Schofield.
Mr. Wall said that could mean looking at one super-sized health region, similar to the model in Alberta.
There are currently 12 health regions in Saskatchewan, plus the Athabasca Health Authority in the far north, which is not a regional health authority.
The speech talks about reducing health region administration costs by $7.5-million a year and redirecting that money to front-line seniors' care.
The Premier said the government wants to spend the next year talking with stakeholders and to not expect specific changes in its next budget.
Mr. Wall said he'll also urge urban and rural municipalities to look at their numbers, but he won't force change.
"We won't be coming with a stick, rather a carrot in this case," he said.
The rest of the throne speech largely reiterates promises made by the Saskatchewan Party during the recent election campaign, including $70-million over three years to fix highways.
Opposition NDP Leader Trent Wotherspoon wanted to see more.
"I think this throne speech doesn't have a whole bunch to it at all," Mr. Wotherspoon said.
"It's a lot of small items, or actually not even that many small items, and I think represents small thinking at a time where we should be working to build a bright future for Saskatchewan people."
Mr. Wotherspoon also criticized the fact that it will be nearly two months after the April 4 election before a budget is tabled.
The budget is to be tabled June 1.
The first bill of the new legislative session will allow the government to sell 40 of the 75 provincially owned liquor stores.
The speech also outlines plans for an all-party legislative committee to look at ways to increase Saskatchewan's "dubious record" on organ donations.
One option could be where people would have to opt out of being an organ donor.
"For whatever reason, we are, as a population not as engaged in organ donations as we, I think, could be," Mr. Wall said.