Saskatchewan NDP Caucus

NDP calls on government to address gaps in long-term care

Seniors Critic Danielle Chartier raised concerns in the Legislature today about gaps in the delivery of long-term care to our province’s seniors. She was joined by Brenda Cromwell, who is speaking out about the challenges her family has experienced getting their father into a suitable care situation.

“Years of Sask. Party underfunding and underinvestment in infrastructure have created a long-term care crisis of their own making,” said Chartier. “Shunting our elders into publicly funded for-profit care, as this government has said it’s considering, is absolutely not the answer. We need clarity from this government on what they’re doing to address the serious shortage in long-term care beds.”

NDP raises concern over incidents with privatized laundry services

Many workers were laid off following the Sask. Party’s decision to privatize laundry services in the health sector, and since then, stories have come to the surface about laundry coming back to healthcare centres soiled. Most recently, a discarded shank has shown up in the sheets delivered to a seniors’ facility.

“The Sask. Party didn’t seem too concerned when they shut down Saskatchewan’s five publicly owned hospital laundry facilities and sent the contract off to an Alberta company, but these complaints should change their tune,” said Seniors Critic Danielle Chartier. “No family should have to worry about their loved one not receiving properly cleaned and inspected laundry when they’re in the care of the health authority.”

Steelworkers join NDP in calling for action to protect jobs

With the 25% Trump tariffs on Canadian steel continuing to bite, and the Sask. Party government skipping out on an important trade meeting where Canada-US trade was discussed, United Steelworkers Local 5890 President came to the Legislature today seeking answers on what the provincial government is doing to support good jobs in Saskatchewan’s steel industry.

“Our members at Evraz are worried about what we’re seeing from this government, and more importantly what we’re not seeing,” said Day. “While Ryan Meili and the NDP are proposing bold policies to keep Steel working, Moe and the Sask. Party are just pointing fingers and playing politics. Their photo ops do nothing to keep Saskatchewan steelworkers on the job.”

Meili calls on Sask. Party MLAs to pick a job & focus on it

With the Sask. Party government recommitting yesterday not to face the electorate until the fall of 2020, Saskatchewan NDP leader Ryan Meili is calling on two Sask. Party MLAs who are running for the Federal Conservatives in the next federal election to step down from their public roles in provincial politics.

"We have a situation where two Sask. Party MLAs are drawing salaries from the provincial purse while campaigning for a different party at a different level of government,” said Meili.

NDP joins mental health and addictions advocates in calling for more funding

According to advocates who came to the Legislature today seeking government action, far too many people in the province who are looking for help with their addictions cannot get it because services are lacking and the wait times for treatment are long.

“We need more than just lip service from the Sask. Party when it comes to providing people the supports they need. We need concrete actions,” said NDP Mental Health and Addictions Critic Danielle Chartier. “Addictions can devastate families, but it’s even worse when those who suffer from them can’t get access to the supports that will help them beat their disease.”

NDP calling for transparency and accountability on Sask. Party’s GTH failings

The Sask. Party has sunk millions of taxpayers’ dollars into the West Regina Bypass to meet projections that over 6,400 trucks would be passing through the Global Transportation Hub (GTH) daily. However, due to the Sask. Party’s mismanagement of the inland port, truck traffic has reached barely 10 per cent of that projection, government documents show.

“We all know about the Sask. Party’s land scandals at the GTH, and here’s yet another example of how badly they have miscalculated, costing Saskatchewan taxpayers millions in the process,” said NDP GTH Critic Cathy Sproule. “The GTH is a money pit and the West Regina Bypass is making that hole bigger.”