With the provincial budget early last week, a new session of the Saskatchewan Legislature officially got underway.

It was the second budget tabled during the restrictions brought down as a result of the COVID-19 emergency in the province. But it's the third sitting (so far) that will look markedly different than the normal bustling halls of the province's seat of power.

Everett Hindley has been through all three of them, first as MLA for Swift Current, and this time with the added title of Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, Seniors, Rural and Remote Health.

But he wouldn't say that the streamlined, stripped-down version of the last three sittings are becoming "old hat". Far from it.

"It's a very different building to be in because usually, particularly on budget day it's a very busy building. It's open to the general public. There are guests seated on the floor of the chamber for budget day. We don't have that this year. It's a bare-bones staff in the building and MLAs. And even in the chamber itself, we can't have the full complement of 61 MLAs."

Little changes also point to a very different functioning government during COVID-19. Plastic barriers in front of all the desks, for example.

The timing as well, shorted and more condensed, is different than the norm, as the compacted month-long session will include Fridays, and even a Saturday, in order to fit as much work as possible into the time frame given to them.

With travel restrictions into and out of Regina however, those MLAs are remaining in Regina for the full month regardless.

"With the situation in Regina, with the variants and that fact that travel not being recommended, we'll be staying here until at least those public health orders change."

As for working during the pandemic, he says that it's a different experience outside of the legislative chamber as well. While remote working technology like teleconferencing and email have their place, dealing with committees via those technologies can prove to have their own unique challenges.

"It's a little more difficult in some ways because typically when committees sit, as minister you'd have your officials there in a room and people that have a greater level of detail at their fingertips or in a binder somewhere."

That's lacking this year. Committees are meeting online. Aides are working from home. While they remain available via text and email, and of course are meeting virtually, Hindley says that it's a different dynamic.

Hindley hopes that it's the last budget and sitting where they have to worry about such precautions, and feels like the province is well on its way towards that, even as they had all hoped that things would be a little further ahead.

"I think all of us, not just government here in Saskatchewan but governments across Canada were all hopeful for a quicker return to normal than what it's taken thus far. What we're seeing right now, the additional spread of variants across Saskatchewan. But the vaccine rollout plan is proceeding very quickly."

He's hopeful that despite the setbacks, the province is still seeing the "tail end of things and the light at the end of the tunnel" as that vaccine rollout continues.

The latest sitting of the Legislative Assembly will run until the middle of May.