Employees at the library have reported that they often face threats of violence, including attempted kidnappings and incidents involving weapons, such as machetes.
“Not only is this Minister failing to get the homelessness and mental health and addictions crises under control, but he won’t even meet with the library workers that are being left to deal with the issues this government has created,” said Saskatchewan NDP Deputy Leader Vicki Mowat.
"Library workers in this province deserve an apology from Moe’s Minister and I am putting him on notice. Later today in Question Period, we will call on him to work a shift alongside library workers and experience firsthand just how difficult their jobs have become in recent years, and he better have a good answer.”
Minister Jenson suggested during media scrums in the Legislature Tuesday that library workers who faced violence should simply call the police and that the provincial government does not have a role to play in improving safety at the provincially funded facilities.
“If somebody's feeling harmed working at 7-Eleven, does that mean I should go talk to the individual at 7-Eleven?” he asked when questioned whether or not he would meet with the library workers.
In communities throughout Saskatchewan, municipal governments and first responders, including paramedics, police, and firefighters, are increasingly overwhelmed as they work tirelessly to house people and keep up with the growing need for lifesaving overdose intervention.
“Library workers are not first responders, and they should not be left to do the job of Moe’s Minister,” said Mowat. “After 20 years of Sask. Party failures, it’s clearly time for change.”
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