Saskatchewan NDP leader had three questions for government following buried Crown financials
REGINA - Following a week of Scott Moe dodging media questions over his $353 million decrease in Crown profits, Official Opposition Leader Carla Beck and Crown Investments Corporation Critic Erika Ritchie held a press conference demanding answers.
Beck had three questions for Scott Moe:
- How did the Sask. Party miss their projected profit target by $243 million, bringing in only $7.4 million across all Crown corporations in 2022?
- Why have operating and salary costs at CIC - a holding company for other Crown corporations - increased by 13% in the last year?
- Most importantly — Why did Scott Moe take $237 million from the Crowns into the General Revenue Fund, forcing families to pick up the tab for his mismanagement through three power bill hikes this year?
Scott Moe has not taken questions on the record-breaking financial loss, and the Sask. Party has pointed to the Elections Act to justify their lack of transparency.
However, Beck pointed to the fact that the Sask. Party has been putting out news releases and hosting press conferences all week, so their claims that they can’t answer for their failures due to the by-elections are just a lie.
“Frankly, it shows how little they respect the people of Saskatchewan that they think they can miss their target by $243 million and not answer for it,” said Beck. “Their solution is just to hike your taxes and power bills by $1608, making you pay for their financial mistakes. That’s not the solution: the solution is to get a new government.”
Ritchie agreed and reiterated the need for greater accountability after Saskatchewan families saw their bills skyrocket this year.
“Saskatchewan people deserve answers as to why they are being asked to pay more in utilities due to the Sask. Party’s mismanagement of our Crowns. Scott Moe hiked power rates three times this year and somehow SaskPower still lost $172 million.” said Ritchie. “Scott Moe needs to come out of hiding and answer for his failures.”
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