Saskatchewan NDP Caucus

NDP calls for fully funded national pharmacare program

Helen Campbell, a nurse and healthcare provider in the province, has seen firsthand the difficult choices that people have had to make when they can’t afford their medication on top of everyday bills and expenses. She joined NDP Health Critic Vicki Mowat at the Legislature today to add her voice to the call for a fully funded national pharmacare program.

“Our health care system cannot function to its full potential without universal pharmacare,” said Mowat. “Being unable to afford needed medication shouldn’t be a barrier to people’s basic health, but that is the reality that so many in our province face today.”

Balgonie semi truck traffic jam exposes flaws in over-priced and poorly designed Regina bypass: NDP

The fact that producers and truck drivers find the Regina bypass roundabouts too small to navigate has been well documented. However, the Sask. Party’s mismanagement of the $2 billion P3 project has had a knock-on effect on the residents of Balgonie who, documents obtained by the NDP reveal, have felt “trapped” because they have had their Main Street access blocked off.

“Under Sask. Party direction, this $400 million P3 project swelled to $2 billion, and they still managed to get it wrong,” said NDP Highways and Infrastructure Critic Buckley Belanger. “Because it wasn’t designed using local expertise, their $2 billion by-pass doesn’t fit farm equipment, it doesn’t fit tractor trailers and it’s not working for residents in the area.”

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.