Despite providing affordable insurance and returning hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue back to Saskatchewan people and even though the Sask. Party promised in the last election that they would not sell off our Crown Corporations, the Sask. Party admitted today that they are continuing with “high-level” negotiations in an attempt to sell off SGI.
“SGI has proven itself to be a well-run, revenue-generating Crown Corporation,” said NDP SGI Critic Carla Beck. “The Sask. Party has absolutely no mandate or justification for these sell-off negotiations. SGI belongs to all of us, and the Sask. Party promised that they would not privatise any of our Crowns, but now they’re admitting to 16 separate meetings for the sell-off – five in just the last three months.”
Earlier this year, the Premier showed just how arrogant and out of touch his party had become when he said that “of course” the Sask. Party was holding sell-off talks with private companies.
“This is obviously a part of the Sask. Party’s desperate search for short-term cash grabs to cover for their own mismanagement, scandal, and waste,” Beck said. “The people of Saskatchewan get a huge annual benefit from owning SGI. By putting it on the auction block the Sask. Party is putting their short-term partisan political interests ahead of what’s best in the long-term for Saskatchewan people.”
Earlier this year, the Sask. Party changed the law to help them get around laws that protect our Crowns and allow them to sell 49 per cent of any Crown Corporation without asking its owners- the people of Saskatchewan. While pushing the change through the Legislature, the Sask. Party repeatedly denied that they were scheming about any sell-offs.
“The truth is now clear,” said Beck. “The Sask. Party lied, they have been caught, and they need to stop their meetings to sell off our crowns.”