The Education Minister’s 2019 expenses, released to the NDP through FOI, show several instances of the Minister meeting with Sask. Party insiders and charging the bill to the Ministry of Education. The Premier and several other Ministers are charging $4,000 for the release of their expenses.
Statement from Ethics and Democracy Critic David Forbes regarding investigations into irregularities in Pinehouse:
“The information released today on the Village of Pinehouse raises far more questions than it answers. Robertson’s inspection and Vancise’s inquiry come to drastically different conclusions. The Sask. Party government must not be allowed to sweep further examination of this issue under the rug.
“Today we’re calling on the Minister of Government Relations to act immediately on the five recommendations from the September 2019 inspection. In particular, a full forensic compliance review of expenses is essential, including for previous years. Of the expenses examined, only eight per cent were found to be fully compliant with the law.
NDP calls for procurement policy that puts Saskatchewan people first
Today NDP Leader Ryan Meili was in Moose Jaw to raise concerns about the Sask. Party’s flawed procurement process, which risks leaving Saskatchewan workers out in the cold once again when it comes to large projects such as the SaskPower natural gas plant in Moose Jaw. SaskPower announced last week that two US-based companies have been selected to compete for the bid.
“Whether it’s the Regina Bypass or Chinook Power Station, the Sask. Party’s track record has been to favour large, out-of-province companies at the expense of Saskatchewan workers,” Meili said. “By not putting Saskatchewan workers first, the Sask. Party is failing to build and maintain a healthy economy in the province.”
NDP calls for action to reduce wait times as Sask. Party hands contract to out-of-province donor, doubles down on Canada Health Act violation
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.”