Today NDP Finance Critic Trent Wotherspoon called on the provincial government to rapidly expand support for small businesses and self-employed individuals affected by COVID-19 to assist them in doing what’s necessary to limit the spread.
“Small businesses are the heart of our communities and key drivers of our economy. These local leaders are faced with incredible hardship with this unprecedented situation,” said Wotherspoon. “We need to urgently act to support entrepreneurs and local businesses to ensure that they and their employees can get through this terribly difficult time and so that they are in a position to rebuild when we come through this, not permanently shuttered.”
Specifically, Wotherspoon called for the government to immediately implement the following:
Wotherspoon was joined by Regina small business owners Nicolette and Nicole Hunter, who particularly want to see action from the government to relax lease and mortgage obligations for small businesses.
“As business owners we are being asked by our landlords to go on as ‘business as usual’ when it's anything but business as usual,” said Nicolette Hunter. “All businesses want to help keep COVID-19 infections at a manageable level so that frontline healthcare workers are not overwhelmed. We can only do our part by minimizing hours, minimizing interactions with social distancing and staying home, but that means we are losing revenue.
“That’s why we are calling for a plan to reduce our overhead, including payments to landlords, so that when we all come out of the thick of this, businesses are able to pick up where they left off without further harming Saskatchewan's economy.”
Wotherspoon welcomed the government’s announcement yesterday that a business response unit would be established, as well as the ability to defer utilities and some remittances to government. These were measures that he along with local businesses had been calling for.
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.