Saskatchewan NDP Caucus

Sask. Party silences local voices from local school boards

Even before this year’s budget, Saskatchewan’s classrooms, their teachers, students and school boards were already a favourite target of the Sask. Party for cuts and broken promises. With the changes to the Education Act proposed in the budget, the Sask. Party is seizing control of local school board budgets and silencing local voices by further eroding local decision making.

“This change is a demonstration of pure arrogance and shows how completely out of touch the Sask. Party is when it comes to what is needed in our kids’ classrooms across Saskatchewan,” NDP Education Critic Carla Beck said. “The message being sent with this budget is that the Sask. Party doesn’t want to hear from the people who work in our kids’ classrooms and they want to completely undermine any influence that parents and communities have over their children’s education.”

Eliminating STC is cold-hearted and mean-spirited cut: NDP

With the elimination of the Saskatchewan Transportation Company, the Sask. Party sent a clear message that it does not care about the Saskatchewan people who rely on the busses to get them and their packages around and they care even less about the 224 workers who are now without a job.

“Across the province, Saskatchewan people woke up Wednesday morning to find out they had to change their travel plans and scramble to arrange transportation - including for medical appointments and business needs -   because the bus service they depend on was callously cut out of the blue. Meanwhile, 224 STC workers learned that their jobs were cut,” said NDP STC Critic Doyle Vermette. “The Premier and his cabinet seem to have forgotten that STC and the crowns belong to the people of the province and that Saskatchewan families should never be forced to pay the price for Sask. Party’s mismanagement, scandal and waste.”

What they’re saying about the budget

The Sask. Party presented their budget yesterday and on nearly every page, there was a broken Sask. Party promise, a tax hike on the middle class, or a mean-spirited cut that hurts Saskatchewan families.

Here is a sample of what others are saying about this budget: 

Sask. Party makes Saskatchewan families pay the price for record debt

Sask. Party budget breaks promises, hurts families, and cuts opportunities

With a projected debt of over $18 billion – double Saskatchewan’s total debt in 2013 – more cuts to the province’s most vulnerable and no investments to build for the future, the Sask. Party’s latest budget makes it clear that, after a decade in government, they have learned nothing about supporting Saskatchewan people, managing through difficult times, or working together to build for the future. 

NDP continue to push bill to get big money out of Saskatchewan politics

Today, NDP Leader Trent Wotherspoon gave second reading to the bill he introduced in the Legislature that, if passed, finally change Saskatchewan’s outdated and broken campaign finance laws.

NDP table bill to help those escaping domestic violence

Saskatchewan continues to hold the dubious distinction of the province with the highest rate of domestic violence in Canada. Today, the Saskatchewan NDP tabled a bill that, if passed into law, would provide clear supports to those seeking to escape these abusive relationships.