With the next sitting of the Saskatchewan Legislature just a week away and, after months of the Sask. Party irresponsibly leaking and threatening more Saskatchewan job losses, deeper cuts, and the sell-off of SaskTel and other Saskatchewan Crowns, the NDP is calling on the Sask. Party to stop hiding the truth and release the overdue third quarter financial update.
“The Sask. Party refused to table a budget before last year’s election. They lied about their deficit then and now, every time they talk about their latest deficit, it jumps by hundreds of millions of dollars. What they claimed would be $400 million has grown and grown and is now well over $1 billion,” said NDP Leader Trent Wotherspoon. “Instead of coming clean and cutting their own mismanagement, scandal, and waste, the Sask. Party keeps threatening and punishing Saskatchewan people with job losses, callous cuts and desperate sell-offs of our job-creating, rate-reducing and service providing Crowns like SaskTel.”
NDP Finance Critic Cathy Sproule joined Wotherspoon and noted that the Sask. Party should have revealed the third quarter (which ended December 31, 2016) financial update by now. Like the first quarter numbers that the Sask. Party refused to release altogether, the updated numbers would provide a clear and honest picture for Saskatchewan people instead of the lies and leaks that have resulted in speculation and fear about what the true impact of the Sask. Party cuts will be in their next budget.
“For Saskatchewan families and workers, times are tough but, instead of providing honesty and stability, the Sask. Party keeps lying about the facts and throwing around phrases like ‘transformational change’ and ‘everything is on the table,’” said Sproule. “Good mortgage-paying jobs are being lost in Saskatchewan month after month and Sask. Party cuts to healthcare and education have meant that wait times and class sizes have grown. The people of the province deserve to know the truth. They’re understandably worried but the Sask. Party just keeps threatening that things will get worse.”
“Callous cuts and desperate sell-offs are not the solution and Saskatchewan people should not be forced to pay the price for Sask. Party mismanagement, scandal, and waste,” said Wotherspoon. “It’s a message that I keep hearing when I talk to people across the province and it’s a message that we will be bringing to the Sask. Party when we get back into the legislature next week.”