As part of their push to sell-off and privatize all they can, the Sask. Party handed control of designing, building, financing, and maintaining the much-needed new hospital in North Battleford to a foreign conglomerate. Today, the high costs and deep consequences of this decision were once again made clear with the announcement that one of the key companies in the conglomerate is going into liquidation.
“The Sask. Party’s focus should have been on putting Saskatchewan people first, supporting Saskatchewan businesses, ensuring more Saskatchewan jobs, and delivering this much-needed hospital for the best price,” said NDP Health Critic Danielle Chartier. “Instead, the Sask. Party’s priority seems to be defending their P3s and covering up for their mismanagement, scandal and waste.”
The UK-based Carillion company was supposed to be a key part of the foreign conglomerate during the construction phase and the three-decades-long, $185 million maintenance contract.
“At roughly $6 million per year, maintaining this one P3 hospital will cost Saskatchewan people significantly more than what was the annual budget for maintaining the entire Prairie North Health Region,” Chartier said. “The contract locks us in for 30 years but now, the company may not even be around in 30 days.”
The Saskatchewan NDP and others raised concerns about the Sask. Party’s $407 million Public Private Partnership for the hospital when it was first announced and, last October, it was reported that construction crews hired under contract by the foreign conglomerate had to tear down exterior bricks and cladding to remove and repair faulty insulation.
“The Sask. Party gave this almost half-billion-dollar contract to a foreign conglomerate that has failed at properly building the hospital and even managing their own finances,” Chartier said. “The Sask. Party are the ones gambling with Saskatchewan people’s money and our health, but it’s always the Saskatchewan people who are forced to pay the price.”
Poor working conditions, favouritism, $300K travel nurse pay at issue
REGINA - Today, the Official Opposition released a letter signed by 49 emergency room nurses in Saskatoon. The letter slams the Sask. Party government for failing to support Saskatchewan nurses and curb the province’s reliance on expensive out-of-province travel nurses.
REGINA - Today, Official Opposition Critic for First Nations and Métis Relations Betty Nippi-Albright hosted a Day of Action with Indigenous leaders from Nekaneet First Nation, Yellow Quill First Nation, Waterhen Lake First Nation, Onion Lake Cree Nation, Carry The Kettle First Nation, Key First Nation and the residential school support team from Yorkton Tribal Council. Together, they continue to draw attention to the Sask. Party government’s disregard for the Duty to Consult process.
MOOSE JAW - Today, the Official Opposition stood with Taylor Enns, president of the Moose Jaw Firefighters Association, and Brayden Dutchak, the son of a cancer survivor. Together, they called on the Sask. Party government to reopen Saskatchewan’s only hyperbaric chamber.
Records show former Sask. Party Finance Minister lobbied for Calgary surgery scheme on behalf of a major Sask. Party donor
REGINA - Today, the Official Opposition grilled the Premier and his Minister of Health after the Minister misled the public, claiming that he had not been lobbied by a former Sask. Party MLA when Saskatchewan's official lobbyist logs show the exact opposite.