Sask. NDP commits to grow-your-own healthcare strategy
REGINA - Today, the Saskatchewan NDP grilled Scott Moe’s Sask. Party government for its failed health plan and increasing reliance on costly out-of-province travel nurses after a private nursing company released a promotional video of a man firing a taxpayer money gun in a Saskatchewan canola field.
“Travel nurses used to be a one-off, fill-in-the-gap tool. But under this tired and out-of-touch government, travel nurses have become a costly baked-in part of our healthcare system,” said Health Critic Vicki Mowat. “We should be training more Saskatchewan people to become healthcare workers, and skilling-up the folks who are already here. It’s common sense.”
The caption of the taxpayer money gun video reads “POINT OF VIEW: YOU JUST FINISHED YOUR SASKATCHEWAN CONTRACT MAKING $92/HOUR”. “Gimme the Loot”, a song by American rapper The Notorious B.I.G., plays in the background.
According to SHA annual reports, the out-of-province travel nurse company in question received $6.2 million from the Sask. Party government over the last four years.
Last month, 49 emergency room nurses penned a letter to the Health Minister. The letter says that differences in pay and benefits, along with the government favouring out-of-province travel nurses for open shifts, are making staff morale worse in Saskatchewan hospitals. The Saskatchewan Union of Nurses predicts that the province is on track to spend a record $70 million on travel nurses in 2024, and its most recent member’s survey suggests that 58% of Saskatchewan nurses are thinking of leaving the province’s health system.
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We’ve been clear since day one that this deal is bad for Saskatchewan.
SASKATOON – Saskatchewan NDP Leader, Agriculture & Rural Affairs Shadow Minister Carla Beck spoke out against looming 25 per cent tariffs during the annual Western Crop Production Show, warning of their devastating impact on jobs and the cost of living.
Saskatchewan has been treated unfairly in equalization under successive federal governments, Sask. Party
REGINA – With a federal election looming, Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck called on federal party leaders to commit to changing the unfair equalization formula.
PRINCE ALBERT – The latest December 2024 job numbers by Statistics Canada show that the Prince Albert and Northern economic area of Saskatchewan lost another 700 jobs last month. Overall, there are 1,100 fewer jobs in the region since Scott Moe became Premier in February 2018.