NDP Leader Ryan Meili is calling on the provincial government to act quickly to respond to the spread of COVID-19 and ensure the supports are in place to protect Saskatchewan people.
“As things change so quickly, we need to have a government that’s responding quickly as well,” said Meili. “The time to act is now.”
As the province lays out conditions for school closures to arrest the spread of COVID-19, the Saskatchewan NDP is calling on the government to commit to supports for school workers who need to self-isolate while schools remain open, and supports for families and staff in the event of closure.
NDP Leader Ryan Meili called on the government to quickly introduce a series of public health protection measures to flatten the curve of COVID-19, protect Saskatchewan people, and limit the strains on our healthcare system.
The NDP is calling on the Sask. Party to act to help women fleeing interpersonal violence by finally proclaiming Clare’s Law into force, and by committing funding to the YWCA’s Centre for Women and Families in Regina.
“The government has technically passed Clare’s Law, which allows police to warn partners of someone's violent or abusive past, but they haven’t yet proclaimed it into force,” said NDP Deputy Leader and Justice Critic Nicole Sarauer. “The Minister for the Status of Women rejects the notion this government ‘hasn’t done enough,’ but they haven’t even done the things they’ve been taking credit for doing. They’re letting down far too many women throughout the province who are trying to escape interpersonal violence.”
NDP Leader Ryan Meili and Mental Health and Addictions Critic Danielle Chartier were joined by Carey Rigby-Wilcox and her husband Rich Wilcox at the Legislature today as they shared their son Steven’s tragic story and advocated for change.
“What happened with Steven, Carey and Rich is something that no parent or no one facing a mental health crisis should have to go through,” Chartier said. “It points to the glaring holes that the province has in its mental health system and how the government’s lack of action is letting people down.”
In light of the global economic impact of COVID-19, NDP Leader Ryan Meili called for clarity and transparency from the provincial government when it comes to the fiscal picture they’ll present in the 2020 budget, including pushing back budget day to allow time to update the fiscal assumptions, and ensuring full debate on the budget in the legislature.
“Our economy has already been rocked by the fast-spreading COVID-19 virus, and the consequences for Saskatchewan people have barely begun to be felt,” said Meili. When every $1 decrease in the price of a barrel of oil removes $15 million from our budget, it’s only reasonable that the government should revisit their assumptions to ensure we’re facing these challenges honestly.”