Moe’s mismanagement of affordable housing deepens emergency room crisis
REGINA - In light of news that there are 3,000 vacant Saskatchewan Housing units across Saskatchewan while people are freezing to death on the streets, Official Opposition Leader Carla Beck and Social Services Critic Meara Conway condemned Scott Moe’s Sask. Party government’s mismanagement of housing stock and called for a plan to fill them.
“In a resource-rich province like ours, every Saskatchewan resident should have a roof over their head,” said Beck. “With 3,000 empty units and people struggling with homelessness across Saskatchewan, making housing safer and more accessible is a no-brainer.”
The Official Opposition was joined today at the Legislature by Dominika Kosowska. Many low-income people like Kosowska are struggling to find housing amid the affordability crisis despite the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation sitting on thousands of empty units, 700 in Regina alone.
Documents obtained by the Official Opposition show that the Sask. Party government’s failure to house people is costly and has put immense pressure on already overburdened emergency rooms. Over the last three years, there were over 1,200 visits to Saskatchewan emergency rooms for cold weather injuries.
“This government’s abject failure on housing is putting even further pressure on our overburdened hospitals,” said Conway. “We need action now and the hang-up is not the complexity of the situation, like Minister Makowsky claims. It’s an appalling lack of will on the part of Scott Moe’s Sask. Party government.”
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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.
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.