“We are deeply disappointed and concerned that we are once again seeing building flaws at the P3 Saskatchewan Hospital in North Battleford. We certainly hope the impact to staff, patients and their families is minimal.
“The fact of the matter is that the Sask. Party tied Saskatchewan people into this risky and costly P3 contract with an out of province conglomerate and the process has come with a fair share of delays.
With the appointment of Justice Neil Robertson to the Court of Queen’s Bench, the NDP is calling for his initial report into issues with the Northern Village of Pinehouse to be made public.
“For years the people of Pinehouse have been trying to get the provincial government to shine a light on and help deal with important concerns they have with town council – how they have handled freedom of information requests as well as glaring financial irregularities,” said NDP Ethics and Democracy Critic David Forbes. “Justice Robertson was in charge of the inquiry into the matters with Pinehouse council and we thank him for his good work, but his appointment will only further delay getting to the bottom of this.”
New reports from Moody’s and Statistics Canada are showing how the Sask. Party’s hike to PST on construction labour has caused a significant downturn in that industry, leading the NDP to renew its call to scrap the hike.
“The construction industry was dealt a blow by the Sask. Party government and has endured significant downfall and job loss,” said NDP Finance Critic Trent Wotherspoon. “They hit the brakes on an industry that was already slowing, and the damage is definitely showing with more and more Saskatchewan people and companies looking for work.”
Throughout this spring’s legislative session, the NDP Opposition has brought a strong and consistent focus on putting people first, from standing up for students, teachers and parents against the cuts to education, to calling out Sask. Party cuts to social programs that hurt the most vulnerable, to pushing for action on mental health and addictions, emergency wait times, and climate change.
“This session has been about putting people first, whether it was our successful stand with students and teachers to save Cornwall Alternative School, or getting Nicole Sarauer’s bill passed to provide paid leave for victims of domestic and sexual violence,” said NDP Leader Ryan Meili. “While Moe and the Sask. Party were pointing fingers to distract from the ways their policies have made life harder for people, we brought forward bold ideas to tackle climate change while creating thousands of jobs with Renew Saskatchewan, and elevated the voices and concerns of Saskatchewan people by raising questions shared with us by members of the public.”
With the damage continuing to accumulate from the Sask. Party government’s decision to add PST to construction labour, the NDP is repeating its call for the policy, which is helping drive that industry into ‘deep recession,’ to be reversed.
“This is an industry that should be driving our economy and creating lots of good jobs in the trades, but the province threw a wrench in the engine by adding the PST to construction labour,” said NDP Finance Critic Trent Wotherspoon. “In March we saw 1,400 jobs lost in construction year over year; in April we saw 1,800 construction jobs lost compared to the year before. These are good mortgage-paying jobs that are being lost and good people being hurt because of this government’s damaging decision.”
With more and more people waiting longer in emergency rooms around the province and the Sask. Party government repeatedly downgrading its targets, the NDP is calling for concrete action to finally address the issue.
“Longer emergency wait times means real suffering for Saskatchewan people, and instead of redoubling their effort to meet their targets, they just keep changing their targets,” said NDP Leader Ryan Meili. “When it comes to addressing the unacceptably long wait times that people with emergencies are facing, we need a government that’s able to move the ball, not the goal posts.”