Saskatchewan NDP Caucus

More answers needed on Sask. Party pot roll-out

Cabinet Ministers must clear up confusion caused by Sask. Party announcement this week

Earlier this week, a Sask. Party press conference about legalized cannabis sales left Saskatchewan families, business owners and municipal leaders with more questions than answers. Sask. Party cabinet ministers must answer questions and address growing concern and provide much-needed clarity about their plan.

“The Sask. Party have left municipal and business leaders to wait, knowing they’ll have to scramble at the last minute. It’s irresponsible,” said NDP Leader Nicole Sarauer. “The Sask. Party SLGA Minister made the announcement this week but, time and time again, neither he nor his officials were able to answer the questions being asked. The Sask. Party still won’t even say what age limit they’ll set for buying cannabis.”

Full-time job losses leave Saskatchewan trailing rest of Canada

Saskatchewan one of only two provinces to end 2017 with fewer jobs than the year before

According to numbers released today, at the end of 2017, Saskatchewan’s unemployment rate was, once again, well above the national average. In fact, while the rest of Canada saw significant job growth from December 2016 to December 2017, Saskatchewan lost 3,400 full-time, mortgage-paying jobs and joined Newfoundland and Labrador as the only two provinces to see job losses.

Sask. Party cuts causing municipal tax hikes

Tax and fee hikes in Swift Current, Moose Jaw and Regina are the most recent examples of tough decisions that municipalities throughout the province have been forced to make because of the Sask. Party’s deep cuts.

“In the wake of Sask. Party cuts, cities, towns, and villages across Saskatchewan are being forced to cut services and jobs, and raise property taxes. There’s no two ways about it, these municipal tax hikes are Sask. Party tax hikes,” said Municipal Affairs Critic Nicole Rancourt. “It was the Sask. Party’s own mismanagement, scandal, and waste but, instead of accepting responsibility and working to find solutions, they have cut funding to communities and it’s Saskatchewan people who are paying the price.”

Sask. Party cuts lead to more job losses, less classroom support

Sask. Party cuts continue to hurt the education that Saskatchewan students and their families expect and deserve. The latest consequence of these damaging cuts is the elimination of 29 educational assistants from the Saskatoon Public School Division.

“The Sask. Party are underfunding education in this province, crucial classroom supports are being eliminated, and students – our children – are losing out,” said NDP Education Critic Carla Beck. “On top of it all, it’s heart-wrenching to think about the 29 people who get up every day to help teach our kids who are now heading into the holidays knowing their jobs are being cut.”

Sask. Party needs to show their work on STC sell-off

Months after the Sask. Party scrapped the Saskatchewan people’s crown corporation that tied the province together with essential bus and delivery service, they are still refusing to come clean about how much the rushed shut-down and sell-off of STC is costing Saskatchewan people.

Even while announcing today that the rest of the STC assets had been sold off, the Minister responsible refused to provide any details. 

REALITY CHECK: While the Sask. Party denies the facts, wait times are getting worse

The Sask. Party’s own government numbers show that the wait times for specialists and surgeries in Saskatchewan are still getting longer. Not wanting the facts to get in the way of a good story, the Sask. Party chose to cite the Fraser Institute today in a government press release that contradicts what government experts know to be true.