REGINA - Saskatchewan NDP Leader Ryan Meili called on the Sask. Party government to get its act together and end the dangerous mixed messages that have plagued the government’s COVID-19 response. The vaccine rollout has not followed national guidelines for at-risk workers. Yesterday, the premier floated changes to the vaccine rollout for some workers. These potential changes were then contradicted by the Health Minister and later by the Premier himself.
“At a time when over a third of our health care workforce remains unvaccinated, it’s flat out wrong that the premier used his convention speech to make false promises he had no intention to keep. We’ve seen the mixed messages coming from Premier versus the advice from public health officials and front-line health care workers. Now it’s very concerning that yesterday we saw two different messages coming from the Premier and the Health Minister on the vaccine rollout,” said Meili. “How can we get shots in people’s arms when we don’t know who’s calling the shots?”
Meili noted the Sask. Party’s failure to act to contain the pandemic when they had the chance has left Saskatchewan families with the worst of both worlds. Saskatchewan has led the country in COVID-19 cases throughout most of 2021 with far too many lives lost - and 23,000 more workers out of a job than last year.
“Scott Moe refuses to take any responsibility for his lack of action to prevent the severe second and now third waves of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan, and is failing to get COVID-19 variants under control,” said Meili. “Controlling the pandemic and getting the vaccine rollout right are too important for what the Premier calls ‘blue-skying’ policy on the fly. The people of Saskatchewan need to know: who are they supposed to be listening to? The Premier or the Minister of Health? In the morning or in the afternoon? Who’s in charge, and where’s the plan?”
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Poor working conditions, favouritism, $300K travel nurse pay at issue
REGINA - Today, the Official Opposition released a letter signed by 49 emergency room nurses in Saskatoon. The letter slams the Sask. Party government for failing to support Saskatchewan nurses and curb the province’s reliance on expensive out-of-province travel nurses.
REGINA - Today, Official Opposition Critic for First Nations and Métis Relations Betty Nippi-Albright hosted a Day of Action with Indigenous leaders from Nekaneet First Nation, Yellow Quill First Nation, Waterhen Lake First Nation, Onion Lake Cree Nation, Carry The Kettle First Nation, Key First Nation and the residential school support team from Yorkton Tribal Council. Together, they continue to draw attention to the Sask. Party government’s disregard for the Duty to Consult process.
MOOSE JAW - Today, the Official Opposition stood with Taylor Enns, president of the Moose Jaw Firefighters Association, and Brayden Dutchak, the son of a cancer survivor. Together, they called on the Sask. Party government to reopen Saskatchewan’s only hyperbaric chamber.
Records show former Sask. Party Finance Minister lobbied for Calgary surgery scheme on behalf of a major Sask. Party donor
REGINA - Today, the Official Opposition grilled the Premier and his Minister of Health after the Minister misled the public, claiming that he had not been lobbied by a former Sask. Party MLA when Saskatchewan's official lobbyist logs show the exact opposite.