The Sask. Party’s refusal to propose and defend a made-in-Saskatchewan plan is costing Saskatchewan $62 million in federal funding and will mean that Saskatchewan people will be the only Canadians forced to pay Ottawa’s carbon tax.
“Every other province and territory in Canada – except Saskatchewan – has now signed on to the Federal Government’s Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth, and will be exempted from Ottawa’s carbon tax,” said NDP Finance Critic Cathy Sproule.
With yet another budget flip-flop, the Sask. Party have again shown that they refused to listen to Saskatchewan people and small businesses before they hiked the PST and they didn’t even bother to investigate how much money they were wasting or how they were hurting our economy.
“The Premier sat in cabinet while their last cruel and heartless budget was discussed and passed but he refused to stand up for Saskatchewan people and small businesses then. Even today, as he flip-flops on some of those unfair tax cuts, he is standing by others that are costing jobs and raising the price of everything from kids’ clothes, and food and drinks to home insurance,” said NDP Finance Critic Cathy Sproule. “The changes announced today will do nothing to help the construction industry, restaurant owners or families who have been struggling under the Sask. Party’s massive PST hikes.”
A new report shows that the Sask. Party is making life more and more expensive for Saskatchewan people. In fact, compared to last year, prices for everyday products rose more in Saskatchewan than in any other province.
“The Sask. Party have raised SaskPower rates three times in the last two years, they gave cities and towns no choice but to raise their own fees and taxes and, of course, they also raised the PST and added it to everything from kids’ clothes to life insurance,” said NDP Finance Critic Cathy Sproule. “It’s clear that the Sask. Party have mismanaged the economy and are now making it harder for Saskatchewan people to make ends meet.”
Recently released long-term care reports show that the Sask. Party continues to fail seniors and residents in Saskatchewan’s long term care facilities. Staffing was identified as an issue in nearly every single health region as Sask. Party cuts have resulted in too few staff in facilities, who are being forced to take on too much.
“These reports are saying the same thing that we’ve been hearing from seniors and their families over and over again; long-term care in Saskatchewan is dangerously understaffed and our parents and grand-parents – the women and men who helped build this province – are not getting the care they need and deserve to stay healthy and live with dignity," said NDP Health Critic Danielle Chartier. "Health care workers want the best for residents in their care and are working hard for them, but the reality is that they are being run off their feet. Sask. Party cuts have made it impossible to properly staff long-term care facilities, and both residents and health care workers are left paying the price."
Statistics Canada has released a report that shows the Saskatchewan economy struggling since the Sask. Party hiked the PST. According to Statistics Canada, Saskatchewan is one of only two provinces to see housing construction drop over the last year and is the only province where sales in the food and beverage industry have dropped. These are two industries that were hit hard by the Sask. Party’s billion-dollar PST hike.
“Across the province, small businesses and other industries are struggling with the PST hike that the Sask. Party recklessly imposed on them and Saskatchewan families,” said NDP Finance Critic Cathy Sproule. “When these businesses are struggling, they’re not creating jobs, and that makes it harder for Saskatchewan people to find work. No wonder more people are leaving Saskatchewan to find opportunities in other provinces than were before the Sask. Party was elected.”
Saskatchewan NDP is joining with producers across the province in calling on the Sask. Party to finally act to clear the railway bottlenecks that have been making it harder for producers to get their grain to market and hurting the Saskatchewan economy.
“I’ve heard from producers throughout the province who see this as a major problem, and they can’t afford to have the Sask. Party stand as idle as the grain they’re refusing to help get moving,” said Agriculture Critic Carla Beck. “This is the same Sask. Party that refused to hold the Federal Government to account in 2014 when farmers were struggling to get their bumper crop to market. We can’t afford the Sask. Party’s inaction and ineffectiveness again.”