NDP Leader Ryan Meili slammed the Sask. Party for expanding the use of private MRIs by contracting with an out-of-province corporate donor that will send the work out of province, letting the wealthy pay to jump the queue instead of developing strategies that retain local talent and actually reduce wait times.
NDP calls for release of Premier’s and Cabinet’s expenses ahead of Spring Session
Today NDP Leader Ryan Meili called on the Premier to stop hiding the Sask. Party government’s expenses from the people of Saskatchewan, and called for the release of all 2019 records, including detailed receipts, prior to the start of session on March 2.
“The Sask. Party has a long history of governing in the best interests of themselves and their friends and donors. It’s time for the people of this province to see the receipts,” Meili said. “Today I am calling on Premier Moe to show leadership and disclose his 2019 expenses, and his ministers’ expenses, before we are back in the house on March 2.”
NDP calls for Sask. Party to finally release Vancise and Robertson reports
The NDP is calling on the Sask. Party to release two reports into financial and governance irregularities in the Northern Village of Pinehouse that the government has been sitting on: the report conducted last spring by Neil Robertson before he was named to the Court of Queen’s Bench, and the final report completed by former justice William Vancise in December, both of which the government committed publicly to releasing.
“There has been a serious lack of transparency and accountability by the Sask. Party government on this file,” said NDP Ethics and Democracy Critic David Forbes. “The people of Pinehouse have been waiting for clarity on their important concerns, and they expected the Minister to stick to his commitment to release the report at the end of 2019. This is just another case of the Sask. Party letting people down.”
Rejecting PCC rubber stamp, NDP lays out path for developments in Wascana Park
Indicating that the proposed Brandt project in the park should not be allowed to go forward, the Saskatchewan NDP is calling on the Saskatchewan government and Provincial Capital Commission to commit to the following steps to ensure the integrity of developments in Wascana Park, including the future home for CNIB:
Defending universal medicare, NDP calls on Sask. Party to end costly private MRI experiment
Health Ministry officials have refused to clarify whether or not Saskatchewan’s private MRI experiment will continue past April, in violation of the Canada Health Act’s restrictions around for-profit healthcare. In response, NDP Leader Ryan Meili is standing in defense of universal medicare by calling on the Minister of Health to commit that Saskatchewan will abide by the Canada Health Act.
“The Sask. Party’s failed experiment with American-style, two-tier healthcare has done nothing but let people down,” said NDP Leader Ryan Meili. “The province has had two years to come into compliance with the Canada Health Act’s protections for our universal healthcare system, but last week the Health Minister couldn’t say whether or not he would. More people are waiting longer for MRIs so this government can let their wealthy friends jump the queue, and now they’re putting federal health transfers at risk.”
New building permits and jobs numbers show Sask. Party PST on construction labour is letting people down
New numbers from Statistics Canada today show that the value of building permits has plunged 57% year over year and that Saskatchewan had the greatest drop in the value of building permits of all the provinces.
Friday’s jobs numbers also show that there were 6,300 fewer construction jobs in January compared to last year, and a drop of 6,800 construction jobs compared to 2018.