Today, NDP finance critic Trent Wotherspoon rejected the government’s first-quarter report as a “grossly inadequate” smokescreen and committed to new measures to improve financial transparency.
“This is the standard Sask. Party playbook: rosy numbers just before an election, and then deep cuts and Crown sell-offs after,” said Wotherspoon. “These numbers should have been presented as a part of the budget, and because they weren’t, we are not able to demand answers about the Sask. Party’s plans for austerity. They also haven’t been checked by the Auditor, who is responsible for externally reviewing these numbers. Especially with so many people out of work and looking for their government to invest in their wellbeing and create jobs, this update falls far short of what Saskatchewan people expect and deserve.”
Wotherspoon emphasized that today’s Sask. Party public relations exercise only strengthened the NDP’s case for recalling the Legislature in September to provide oversight. He committed that an NDP government would improve transparency for the province’s finances.
“We need to legislate minimum transparency standards that would force future governments to provide four years of fiscal projections in every budget. As well, we need to make sure that no government will ever be able to do what the Sask. Party did in the lead up to the last campaign and is trying to do now: mislead the public about the state of our finances just before an election, only to deliver deep cuts and sell-offs afterwards.
“We will legislate a requirement that the independent Provincial Auditor sign off on a report showing the true state of our finances in the lead-up to each election, so that, contrary to the Sask. Party playbook, Saskatchewan people can have the full picture before they decide who they are going to trust with leading our province.”
Quebec and Ontario both have such legislation, requiring the provincial auditor to publish a pre-election report on the fiscal and economic projections of the government in the lead-up to a provincial election.
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.