RICHARDSON - Today, Official Opposition Finance Critic Trent Wotherspoon and Jobs and Economy Critic Aleana Young called on the government to use windfall resource revenues to provide Saskatchewan people with overdue cost-of-living relief.
“The government is flush with resource revenues and they know it,” said Wotherspoon. “They promised affordability relief at the end of the first quarter and didn’t deliver. Either the Sask. Party doesn't care about the record inflationary pressures or they’re waiting to buy votes on the eve of a byelection all while Saskatchewan people suffer today.”
Premier Moe said affordability relief would come by early fall provided resource prices remain strong, which they have. Financial reports showed the province raked in $500 million in additional resource revenue in the first three months of 2022 alone.
“The current cost-of-living crisis is crushing family farming. The recent utility increases approved by this government will mean astronomical costs to maintain our family farm. We don’t have a choice. This will be extremely difficult in the winter months,” said Angela Vos, farmer and small business owner. “I can’t believe how out of touch this government is with the needs of rural Saskatchewan and Saskatchewan families.”
“Other provincial governments have provided affordability relief to the people they represent. The Sask. Party government has done nothing while sitting on record revenues. In fact, they’ve hiked taxes, utilities and fees,” said Young. “I certainly hope that this government isn’t politicizing cash-strapped families by waiting for a byelection to announce relief measures.”
Young continued: “The government must be focused on making life more affordable for families. The utility rate hikes need to be reversed, and going forward quarterly rate reviews are necessary to ensure fairness for ratepayers.”
The Official Opposition calls on the province to stop sitting on record resource revenues and commit to immediate affordability relief. The Opposition is also calling for quarterly rate reviews, as is done in Manitoba, to ensure utility rate fairness.
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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.
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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.