The NDP is calling for Premier Moe to show leadership and remove MLA Nadine Wilson from caucus following a statement from the Premier indicating that she has been charged with assault.
“When an MLA is facing serious criminal charges, it’s only reasonable that they resign from caucus until the matter is resolved,” Meili said. “By failing to enforce that standard, the Premier is sending the wrong message about how seriously he takes this charge and the issue of elder abuse.”
The NDP is calling on the Sask. Party government to address the factors fueling crime in our province, which is leaving many people feeling unsafe in their communities. The latest crime severity statistics highlight the seriousness of the problem, including a dramatic increase in meth-related incidents. Saskatoon and Regina both place in the worst four Canadian cities for crime severity, with an increase in shootings in Regina and several recent homicides in Saskatoon. NDP Leader Ryan Meili joined Shane Partridge, safety coordinator for the Pleasant Hill Community Association and a member of the Okihtcitawak Patrol Group, in calling on the government to introduce a province-wide gang strategy.
"It’s hard to think of anything worse than not feeling safe in your own home, but that’s how many people are feeling seeing these crime severity and meth-related incident numbers,” said Meili. “If we want to provide a safer community for everyone, we need to address the root causes of crime, like poverty and addiction. This government needs to stop dragging its feet and put together a provincial gang strategy that addresses the causes of crime, not just the symptoms.”
In light of the Saskatchewan Hospital North Battleford’s leaky roof, the skyrocketing cost of the Regina Bypass, and the high cost of building and maintaining P3 schools, the NDP is calling on the government to prioritize public builds that hire and source locally, and to come clean about the real cost of their pet P3 projects.
"The Saskatchewan government should be harnessing our resources to build our schools, hospitals, roads and other infrastructure projects,” said NDP Leader Ryan Meili. “The Minister responsible for SaskBuilds was at the PNWER Summit today talking up our province’s experience with P3s, but the record simply does not back up the rhetoric.”
The NDP is calling on the Conflict of Interest Commissioner to take a deeper look into then-Minister of Government Relations Donna Harpauer’s undeclared personal vacations on the Village of Pinehouse’s dime. In December the Commissioner looked into the Village paying for her and her partner’s hotel accommodation. Recent Freedom of Information requests show that on the same two occasions, the Minister’s partner also had his guided fishing tours covered by the Village, but they were not declared or reimbursed.
“It stretches the imagination to hear the Minister say she was unaware of these additional expenses – it didn’t pass the smell test then and it doesn’t pass the smell test now,” said NDP Ethics and Democracy Critic David Forbes. “Especially when she was asked point blank in the Legislature back in May if her trip entailed any other expenses beyond hotel bills.”
With the reports into the 2016 Husky oil spill finally made public years after the incident, the NDP is calling for changes to how pipelines are regulated, and for the government to grant the Saskatchewan Information and Privacy Commissioner the power to order documents.
“The status quo has been to allow industry to police itself,” said NDP Leader Ryan Meili. “That approach clearly failed in this case, presenting a danger to the people of the province, our lakes and rivers, our agricultural lands, and our resource sector. These investigation reports provide further evidence that we need an independent pipeline regulator as exists in Alberta, and an evidence-based approach to inspecting and, where required, replacing pipe that is no longer safe.”
While in North Battleford Monday, NDP Leader Ryan Meili raised concerns about how the government has allowed the Valleyview Towers seniors’ housing facility to become unsafe for the seniors living there.
“By making affordable housing for seniors less accessible, then filling the vacancies with hard-to-house individuals who need specialized supports, this government is manufacturing a crisis that erodes trust in the services we provide to those in need,” said Meili. “The Sask. Party is setting their own programs up for failure by mismanaging them. We know how important it is to ensure that older adults can live comfortably and affordably in thriving communities, but that’s not happening.”