MOE MUST COME CLEAN ON GROUNDED WATER BOMBER

Public Was Lied To During Wildfire Crisis: Mowat

SASKATOON — The Saskatchewan NDP is calling on Premier Scott Moe and the Sask. Party government to be honest with the people of Saskatchewan and explain why they failed to disclose that the province’s brand-new water bomber was grounded during the worst stretch of wildfires in a decade.

Premier Moe has yet to address why he lied to the public during a provincial state of emergency — after making false claims in public briefings on June 6 and 11 that the new water bomber had not yet arrived.

“Premier Moe needs to answer why he kept the people of Saskatchewan in the dark about this grounded water bomber,” said Vicki Mowat, Deputy Leader of the Saskatchewan NDP. “Either the Sask. Party deliberately misled the public, or the Premier and his ministers weren’t paying attention to critical emergency files.

“Frankly, neither is acceptable.”

April ChiefCalf, Saskatchewan NDP MLA for Saskatoon Westview and a wildfire evacuee during the 2015 La Ronge fires, said the news raises serious concerns for families already grappling with the trauma of evacuation. On the weekend, ChiefCalf visited communities severely damaged by fires.

“If those water bombers had been in the air, things could have turned out differently for so many families,” she said.

“I visited communities like Sucker River, where 15 homes have been destroyed. That community is a 15-minute drive from where this bomber sat unused at La Ronge Airport.

“This isn’t just about water bombers. It’s about whether families in this province can trust their government in a crisis.”

The Saskatchewan NDP is calling for Scott Moe to immediately face reporters and for the full public release of all briefing materials related to Saskatchewan’s air tanker fleet that were provided to the Premier and Public Safety Minister Tim McLeod.

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