Saskatchewan NDP Caucus

NDP calls for investments in people, not cuts, as key to Saskatchewan’s recovery

On the steps of the Saskatchewan Legislature, NDP Leader Ryan Meili and NDP Finance Critic Trent Wotherspoon released A People-First Recovery, a post-COVID-19 recovery plan that focuses on building a healthy society, powered by a strong and diversified economy. 

“We’ve been through a lot in the last few months. We’ve shown what Saskatchewan people are made of when we fight the COVID crisis together,” Meili said. “Now it’s time for the government to step up with a full recovery plan. The focus has to be on investing in people, because the Sask. Party’s tired old playbook of cuts will only hurt people and slow our recovery.”

Now’s the time to commit to smaller class size: NDP

The Saskatchewan NDP is calling on the provincial government to commit the resources needed to support kids through a safe reopening and commit to limiting class size and ensuring adequate supports for students to learn safely. The provincial government has announced that schools will reopen in September but has provided no details on funding or safety measures to protect students and teachers. 

“Parents have been working so hard to keep our kids learning with schools closed, and I know that we’re all ready to get back to normal,” said NDP Education critic Carla Beck. “But the ‘new normal’ for Saskatchewan schools can’t look like the ‘old normal’ of 50 kids to a classroom and three to a school bus seat. The Sask. Party has underfunded our schools for years, leaving kids and teachers struggling in crowded and complex classrooms. In order to ensure that we reopen safely, now’s the time to commit to smaller class sizes and adequate supports for our kids.”

Thirteen-cent pay hike for frontline workers an “insult”, Meili calls for $15

Slamming the Sask. Party’s announcement that minimum wage workers would get only a 13-cent-an-hour pay increase in October, NDP Leader Ryan Meili dismissed the adjustment as an “insult” and pressed the Saskatchewan government to bring relief to frontline workers by substantially raising the minimum wage. 

“Thirteen cents doesn’t get you very far — and it doesn’t help the majority of families that were already living paycheque to paycheque before COVID-19,” said Meili. “It’s time for the Sask. Party to stop insulting frontline workers with our worst-in-the-nation minimum wage, set aside their broken formula and give frontline workers the raise they deserve.”

Statement from Trent Wotherspoon on Huawei and SaskTel’s 5G Network

“Last week the Minister for SaskTel said that the Sask. Party is still considering its options when it comes to allowing Huawei to be a part of SaskTel’s 5G network.

“Today, we are calling once again on the Sask. Party to immediately make it clear that Huawei should have no role whatsoever in SaskTel’s 5G network. We are also calling for a full assessment of the risks created by the Huawei infrastructure already in SaskTel’s towers.

Second lowest job growth shows Sask Party’s COVID response is letting people down

Job numbers released by Statistics Canada today show that Saskatchewan’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic is amongst the weakest in Canada. The province’s monthly increase of just 600 jobs or 0.1% (seasonally adjusted) is the second worst in Canada.

“New Democrats have urged Premier Moe and this Sask. Party government to protect jobs and small businesses, but clearly not enough has been done,” said NDP Leader Ryan Meili. “We know that Saskatchewan's economy was already shrinking before COVID – and now the Premier’s lack of action to put Saskatchewan workers and businesses first is making things worse.”

Stark kids-in-care numbers show Sask. Party’s failure to act on poverty, addiction, First Nations marginalization

Decrying Saskatchewan’s high and rising number of kids in care and the fact that a growing majority of those kids are Indigenous, NDP Leader Ryan Meili joined with Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Vice-Chief David Pratt to challenge the Sask. Party’s failure to act on poverty, addiction and First Nations marginalization, and call on the Premier to introduce a comprehensive poverty reduction strategy and increased funding for mental health and addictions to address the root causes of the surge.