Saskatchewan NDP Caucus

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.”

NDP calls for procurement policies that create jobs rather than sidelining Saskatchewan workers

NDP Leader Ryan Meili met today with out-of-work tradespeople and joined them in calling on the provincial government to introduce a community benefits agreement that would ensure work for Saskatchewan tradespeople on Saskatchewan infrastructure projects.

“The government’s failed procurement model is holding Saskatchewan and its workers back,” said NDP Leader Ryan Meili. “When it comes to infrastructure projects, we need an approach that keeps Saskatchewan workers on the jobsite, not the SaskJobs website.”

NDP joins advocates in calling for Hearing Aid Plan reinstatement

The impacts of the Sask. Party’s recent budgets are still hurting families throughout the province in many ways. For instance, many are now struggling with the consequences of the Sask. Party cut to the Hearing Aid Plan – a service that provided audiological evaluation, hearing aids and fittings, counselling and education.

“After years of blowing through record revenues, the Sask. Party panicked when the money ran out and started cutting in areas that would hurt the most vulnerable,” said NDP Health Critic Vicki Mowat. “For over 40 years, this was a program that helped so many people and families throughout the province. It hasn’t taken long to see the damage that cutting it has done.”