NDP Says Wall’s ‘Booster Shot’ a Flop
Posted: August 7, 2009 | E-mail this to a friend | Print view
The Wall government has some serious explaining to do after Statistics Canada reported that Saskatchewan’s employment figures have dropped in spite of the much-touted ‘booster shot’ of $500 million in additional infrastructure spending announced earlier this year, NDP Employment Critic Cam Broten said today. The total number of jobs in Saskatchewan fell by 4,700 between June and July, with full-time jobs falling by 7,800.

“In February, the Wall government decided to spend $500 Million on additional infrastructure this year, claiming it would ‘ensure economic growth and job growth throughout 2009’. Well, a few days ago the Conference Board of Canada said Saskatchewan’s economy will actually contract by 2.7% in 2009, and now the number of jobs in Saskatchewan is falling,” Broten noted. “Why has this huge expenditure of public money failed to create the jobs and economic growth the Wall government forecast? Have they failed to get projects approved quickly enough or have they focused their spending on the wrong projects? Why has the so-called ‘booster shot’ flopped”? Broten asked.

Statistics Canada reports that the drop in employment in July returns Saskatchewan’s job level to that of October 2008, long before the so-called ‘booster shot’ on infrastructure spending was even announced.

“A few days ago, when the Conference Board of Canada forecast the huge contraction in Saskatchewan’s economy (Gross Domestic Product), Brad Wall had the flippant response, ‘ask them [Saskatchewan people] what’s more important to your family: GDP or a job? They’d say a job’. Now that our job numbers are falling, the government owes an explanation to Saskatchewan taxpayers as to why a $500 Million expenditure designed to boost the economy has resulted in fewer jobs,” Broten concluded.

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Judy Junor
Saskatoon Eastview
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