School Division numbers show 23 percent more English as an Additional Language (EAL) students in our major centres and seven percent fewer EAL teachers in the province over the past few years — just one example of how this government’s underfunding of education has hurt students and strained classrooms, says Saskatchewan NDP Deputy Leader Carla Beck. Beck called on Premier Moe to live up to his leadership promise that he would not balance the budget “on the backs of our students, our elderly, our sick, or our most vulnerable.”
‘A licence to print money’: NDP slams sweetheart deal currently under auditor investigation
The Saskatchewan NDP pointed out today that the Sask. Party’s largest corporate donor stands to bring in $2.2 million dollars each year renting out office space in Wascana Park while leasing that land for a dollar a year. Reiterating his party’s stance that the proposed project should not go ahead as conceived, NDP Leader Ryan Meili called on the government to at least put the sweetheart deal on hold until the provincial auditor releases her report.
“This government has steamrolled over concerns and rewritten the rules, ensuring that this project proposal has not received the proper scrutiny,” said Meili. “The process the government has followed has been to take over control of the Wascana Centre Authority, fire the architects that didn’t agree with them, and change the rules that don’t allow them to move forward. These actions represent a significant and damaging betrayal of the public trust.”
NDP kicks off session with focus on budget, big money, and child nutrition
The NDP Opposition Caucus kicked off the spring session by directly challenging the idea that the coming budget will represent a return to “balance” for Saskatchewan. The Sask. Party government has yet to deliver a third-quarter financial report, are using special warrants to hide additional spending in last year’s budget, and have cut $74 million from education. Opposition members also reaffirmed their commitment to get big money out of politics and reverse the addition of PST to construction labour.
“A provincial budget should be much more than a marketing exercise, especially when so many families are struggling,” said NDP Leader Ryan Meili. “This government has taken zero responsibility for how they squandered the good times and then cut services and sold off Crowns during the hard times.”
NDP to focus on kids, trust, and the economy this session
The Saskatchewan NDP will be heading into the spring session with a focus on good economic management, ethical government, and investing in kids.
NDP leader Ryan Meili says he and the rest of his caucus will be seeking accountability for the Sask. Party’s cuts and backward spending choices, and calling on the government to act to build a better future for our kids and future generations. He is also seeking to expand public participation in their work of holding government accountable by inviting members of the public to share the questions they want to see answered in Question Period.
NDP call for PST on construction labour to be scrapped
The NDP is calling on the Sask. Party to scrap the PST on construction labour in the upcoming budget.
“The Sask. Party has stubbornly stuck to this damaging tax hike, meanwhile construction companies throughout the province are hurting from real consequences,” said NDP Finance Critic Trent Wotherspoon. “With so many jobs and contracts lost, the right move for the province’s economy would be to scrap this tax hike in the upcoming budget.”
NDP welcomes auditor investigation into eHealth’s vendor-sponsored travel & related contracts
At today’s Public Accounts meeting, the Provincial Auditor indicated that she is investigating vendor-sponsored travel and related contracts at eHealth and will report on her findings in June. The Provincial Auditor shared this after NDP Health Critic Vicki Mowat tabled a motion calling on the Provincial Auditor to fully examine vendor-sponsored travel at eHealth.
Sask. Party MLAs defeated the motion, which would have ensured not just an auditor investigation, but a special report, as was conducted for the Global Transportation Hub in 2016.