Saskatchewan NDP Caucus

Sask. Party mismanagement causing municipal tax hikes

The people of Regina have now joined people in cities, towns and villages around the province in being forced to face yet another tax hike caused by the Sask. Party. The City of Regina is the latest municipality forced to make tough fiscal decisions in response to the cruel and heartless Sask. Party cuts.

“Cities and towns throughout the province are having their hands forced because, instead of taking responsibility for their own mismanagement of the economy, the Sask. Party has cut funding and downloaded costs on to municipalities,” said NDP Municipal Affairs Critic Nicole Rancourt. “Now it’s Saskatchewan people who are having to pay the price for that mismanagement.”

Statement from the Leader of the Official Opposition, Nicole Sarauer, in support of Saskatchewan workers and standing with the government of Alberta

As the Official Opposition in Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan NDP stands with the Government of Alberta in opposing the actions announced yesterday by the Government of British Columbia.

We support a collaborative approach to getting pipelines approved that involves working with affected communities and other provincial governments but, with their actions yesterday, the BC government has gone beyond their constitutional powers and is now playing games that will not only hurt Western Canada’s resource development sector but also the thousands of workers who work in the sector and the hundreds of thousands more whose jobs benefit from a stronger economy.

Moe’s promises would mean cutting 1,100 more jobs

The Sask. Party’s bad management of the economy has left Saskatchewan people hurting but, instead of promising to fix the Sask. Party’s policies that led to Saskatchewan now having the worst job creation in the country, Premier-designate Scott Moe promised during his campaign to cut more than 1,100 Saskatchewan jobs.

“Last year, Scott Moe supported and voted for all of the Sask. Party’s heartless cuts, and now, he says he will deal with the growing deficit and debt by throwing more than 1,100 Saskatchewan people out of work,” said NDP Jobs Critic Vicki Mowat. “After three years of seeing less and less employment in Saskatchewan, the Premier-designate’s focus should be on getting Saskatchewan people back to work, not cutting even more jobs.”

Last chance for Wall to keep his education funding promise

Before entering his final cabinet meeting last week, Premier Brad Wall said that he was looking to replace some of the funding the Sask. Party had cut from Saskatchewan’s classrooms. The NDP is calling on Wall to ensure that the cabinet finally act and make good on his comment that now could be “the time for some interim support in education.”

“Throughout the province, Saskatchewan schools have been hit hard by the cruel and heartless Sask. Party cuts. Every time school divisions, teachers and parent have asked for a lifeline, the Sask. Party have thrown them an anchor,” said NDP Education Critic Carla Beck. “This government mismanaged the finances, scrapped the mid-year funding adjustment, and forced cuts on to students. We’re hoping that Wall can use his final days as someone elected to represent the people of this province to admit they cut too deeply and reinvest in our kids’ schools.”

Sask. Party’s bad management leading to even more job losses

Saskatchewan is the only province with three straight years of job losses

According to the latest employment numbers released by Statistics Canada, while the Sask. Party has been bringing in cruel and heartless cuts and unfair tax hikes, Saskatchewan has become the worst province in Canada for jobs. In fact, Saskatchewan is the only province that saw three straight years of negative job growth.

“Other provinces have invested in creating and protecting jobs while the Sask. Party has pushed ahead with their cruel and heartless cuts and massive tax hikes,” said NDP Jobs Critic Vicki Mowat. “It’s not hard to look across the country – including the rest of the Western provinces – and realize that it’s the Sask. Party’s mismanagement of the economy that is making it harder for Saskatchewan people to find and keep work.”

Sask. Party mismanagement leads to another SaskPower rate hike

In an attempt to avoid being held responsible for yet another SaskPower rate hike, the Sask. Party waited until after the Premier had finished speaking with the media to admit that they were imposing the third rate increasing in less than two years.

“These rising rates make it harder for Saskatchewan families to make ends meet and they hurt the bottom line of businesses who are also being stretched by the Sask. Party’s PST hike,” said NDP SaskPower Critic Cathy Sproule. “While the Sask. Party keeps dumping money into their carbon capture debacle, they’re making Saskatchewan ratepayers pay what has become a $1.5 billion job-killing carbon capture tax.”