Reality Check: Mixed messages on Regina Bypass leave the public paying more, scratching their heads

The Sask. Party’s mismanaged bypass went from costing Saskatchewan people $400 million to $2 billion. And much like the price tag, the number of concerns around the project that the Sask. Party put in the hands of a foreign conglomerate has ballooned.

For example:

As for major deficiencies? Well, the Sask. Party can’t quite decide whether there were or weren’t any.

(Spoiler alert: there were. But we don’t know how many, or how much they cost to repair because the Sask. Party won’t say.)

This week, current Highways Minister Lori Carr said twice in the Legislature, “there are no major deficiencies on this bypass.”

This is puzzling, when a Freedom of Information request revealed a list of major deficiencies in an email from an official in highways, with the details redacted. And Former Highways Minister David Marit admitted there were major deficiencies, listing a breached aquifer on Wascana Creek as an example.

Does the Sask. Party think that redacting information makes it go away? That would explain a lot about their approach to transparency.

Stories are changing, information is being withheld, and redacted information is being treated as redacted reality — but taxpayers are still on the hook for the huge cost.

With $2 billion of public money on the line with this project, you’d think the Sask. Party government could be straight with the people who have to pay the bill.

Latest posts

STATEMENT FROM SASKATCHEWAN NDP MENTAL HEALTH & ADDICTIONS SHADOW MINISTER BETTY NIPPI-ALBRIGHT ON FENTANYL IN PRINCE ALBERT

We’ve already seen the havoc a bad batch of drugs has wreaked in Saskatoon, leading to hundreds of overdoses – and those are just the ones we know of – and likely causing many deaths. 

SASKATCHEWAN NDP TO INTRODUCE EMERGENCY MOTION CONDEMNING TRUMP THREATS TO CANADIAN SOVEREIGNTY

Sask. Party Has Refused to Call Legislature Back Early Despite Devastating Trade War 

REGINA – The Saskatchewan NDP will introduce an emergency motion in the Legislature this week to condemn Donald Trump for proposing the annexation of Canada and imposing tariffs on Canadian goods.  

Share this post