NDP calls for Sask First procurement on Assiniboia project

Today, NDP Leader Ryan Meili called on the province to employ local workers at the Golden South Wind project in Assiniboia, where workers are currently slated to be flown in from other parts of the country. Meili also repeated his call for a Sask First procurement model to put local workers first in Saskatchewan projects.

“People in Saskatchewan are out of work right now. Why would we bring workers in from out of province, risking the spread of COVID-19, when we can get local workers on the job right away?” said Meili. “When our Crowns build our power plants, they should build them with our companies and our workers. That’s even more urgent today.”

NDP calls for action to cap credit card interest and end predatory lending

With thousands of Saskatchewan people facing financial challenges because of the economic impacts of COVID-19, NDP Finance Critic Trent Wotherspoon is calling on the banks to cut credit card interest rates, and on the provincial government to protect families from predatory lending. 

“People in our province were already stretched before COVID-19 hit, with half of Saskatchewan families living paycheque to paycheque. Now, with mounting job losses and layoffs, many families are at a breaking point,” said Wotherspoon. “We need to act now, before more families get trapped by massive credit card bills and gouged by predatory lenders during this vulnerable time.”

Ryan Meili statement in response to release of updated modeling

We heard some stark numbers today. Every person in Saskatchewan is now doing the math in their head, thinking about the health of their loved ones. I’m doing that same math right now, thinking about my friends, my parents and so many of my colleagues working in healthcare.

But as a province, we don’t have to take these numbers lying down. We can work together, stay home and reduce the toll that COVID-19 will take on the people of our province.

Meili renews call for united front on COVID-19

Today, the Leader of Saskatchewan’s Official Opposition Ryan Meili wrote Premier Scott Moe renewing the opposition’s call for a special committee to address the immediate and long-term impacts of COVID-19, a call that has recently been echoed by constitutional expert Howard Leeson and political columnist Murray Mandryk.