MINISTER ADMITS TO GROUNDED WATER BOMBER WHILE COMMUNITIES BURNED

PRINCE ALBERT – Sask. Party Public Safety Minister Tim McLeod has confirmed that Saskatchewan’s brand new multi-million-dollar water bomber has been sitting idle on the tarmac in La Ronge since May 30.

McLeod confirmed in a media briefing that his government did not have the foresight to hire or train any pilots in advance to operate the new aircraft during a wildfire crisis not seen in a decade.

SPSA officials confirmed that the multi-million-dollar grounded bomber had to be towed to prevent it from being consumed by flames when fire reached the La Ronge airbase on June 2.

“This shouldn’t have been a surprise – the Sask. Party ordered these planes over a year ago and should have had a plan in place to get this water bomber in the air as soon as it arrived,” said Nicole Sarauer, Saskatchewan NDP Shadow Minister for Public Safety.

“There is absolutely zero justification for this government to leave a state-of-the-art water bomber on the tarmac during the worst wildfires in a decade.”

Premier Scott Moe has yet to answer whether he knowingly misled the public or was simply asleep at the wheel during a provincial state of emergency when he falsely claimed in public briefings that the new air tanker had not yet arrived in the province.

The Saskatchewan NDP continues to call on Scott Moe to be straight with the people of Saskatchewan about the Sask. Party's failed wildfire response and face reporters.

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