Today’s meagre increase in the minimum wage to $11.06/hour, the second lowest in the country, leaves Saskatchewan workers struggling to make ends meet.
“When the minimum wage has been so low for so long, an extra dime an hour just doesn’t cut it,” said NDP Leader and Jobs Critic Ryan Meili. “People earning minimum wage work incredibly hard, and they’re still falling behind because of this conservative government’s inaction. No one should be working full time and still living in poverty.”
The NDP is calling on Premier Scott Moe to clarify his commitment to a new hospital in Prince Albert. Moe campaigned on a promise of a new, provincially funded hospital for P.A. during his successful run for leadership of the Sask. Party last year, but a recently released request for proposals (RFP) by the Saskatchewan Health Authority for the “redevelopment” of the Victoria Hospital in Prince Albert suggests the Premier may now be backing away from that promise.
“The Premier and Finance Minister have repeatedly promised the people of Prince Albert a new hospital,” said Prince Albert Northcote MLA Nicole Rancourt. “We know that this promised new hospital is desperately needed to ensure the people of the city and surrounding area get the care they need, so why is the Sask. Party quietly moving away from this commitment?”
Speaking with reporters Tuesday about his recent trip to China, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe had a Sarah Palin moment, stating that “about 12 percent of our exports go to the continent of China.”
While Moe is correct that China is an important trading partner, China is a country, not a continent.
Long-term health centres across Saskatchewan are showing deterioration after years of underfunding for health infrastructure. Over the summer, the Sask. Party government issued tenders to explore options for private care for displaced long-term care and high-acuity level 3 and 4 residents in Regina Pioneer Village and Grenfell Pioneer Home. These tenders show the government is quietly laying the groundwork to offload residents from public care into private care homes, with this initiative seen as a “field test” for “system transformation” in long-term care.
“Moe and the Sask. Party are choosing short-term thinking over long-term care,” said NDP Leader Ryan Meili. “Moving forward with this plan without consulting first with Saskatchewan seniors and caregivers raises serious questions about the Sask. Party’s commitment to high-quality, publicly delivered long-term care.”
Fresh off a convincing win in the recent Regina Northeast by-election, NDP Leader Ryan Meili today announced a shuffle of critic responsibilities for his opposition caucus that positions them as Saskatchewan’s government-in-waiting ahead of the 2020 election.
“This team represents real leadership for Saskatchewan, both in the Legislature and in communities throughout the province,” said NDP Leader Ryan Meili. “Together, we will continue to provide a strong opposition that will hold the Sask. Party to account for their harmful decisions while also championing ideas that will help build a better future for Saskatchewan.”
The NDP is calling out the Sask. Party for stripping hundreds of thousands of dollars from municipalities’ traffic safety programs each year. Under the new model, revenue that was previously distributed to municipalities for local traffic safety initiatives and programs will now be administered by the province instead, with 25% still being diverted directly to the general revenue fund.
“The Sask. Party hasn’t balked at any opportunity to offload additional costs onto municipalities, and now they’re unilaterally changing the rules to deny municipalities this needed revenue,” said NDP SGI Critic Carla Beck. “This cash grab is a direct hit on cities’ ability to invest in needed infrastructure that will serve the community and make it safer.”