REGINA - In light of the provincial government effectively blocking the City of Saskatoon’s efforts to introduce bylaws to keep Saskatoon residents safe, Leader of the Official Opposition Ryan Meili and Opposition Municipal Affairs Critic Matt Love called on the Sask. Party government to allow municipalities wishing to implement recommendations from medical health officers the ability to do so.
“Municipalities should never have been put in the position where they need to implement their own public health measures. But given this government’s refusal to step up and implement recommendations from Dr. Shahab and other medical health officers, they have been given no choice,” said Love. “It’s telling that the only proactive measure this Sask. Party government has taken on COVID-19 is to block municipalities from passing medically-advised bylaws. These are jurisdictions who are listening to the science, listening to their regional health officers, and making proactive decisions for the health and safety of their residents.”
Saskatchewan leads the nation in death rates and has the lowest vaccination rates in the county. Despite the need to get the fourth wave under control, the Sask. Party has instead chosen to block its municipalities from enacting stricter measures based on recommendations from regional medical health officers. This is a pattern, with the province first doing so in 2020, when it rescinded stricter COVID-19 bylaws by the City of Regina and the Town of Gravelbourg. This directly contradicts all public statements both Premier Scott Moe and Health Minister Paul Merriman have made stating municipalities can enact stricter measures based on regional health recommendations.
“It’s absurd that this Sask. Party government would say one thing publicly, and then do the exact opposite behind closed doors. This proves without doubt that this is a government that is ignoring the science, ignoring its medical health officers, and playing politics with the health and safety of the people of Saskatchewan,” said Meili. “We’ve seen this play out before. Instead of learning from their mistakes and being proactive, it’s like they’re living out the plot to Groundhog Day. They need to do better.”
-30-
For more information, please contact:
Brock Bowman
306-519-9549
Poor working conditions, favouritism, $300K travel nurse pay at issue
REGINA - Today, the Official Opposition released a letter signed by 49 emergency room nurses in Saskatoon. The letter slams the Sask. Party government for failing to support Saskatchewan nurses and curb the province’s reliance on expensive out-of-province travel nurses.
REGINA - Today, Official Opposition Critic for First Nations and Métis Relations Betty Nippi-Albright hosted a Day of Action with Indigenous leaders from Nekaneet First Nation, Yellow Quill First Nation, Waterhen Lake First Nation, Onion Lake Cree Nation, Carry The Kettle First Nation, Key First Nation and the residential school support team from Yorkton Tribal Council. Together, they continue to draw attention to the Sask. Party government’s disregard for the Duty to Consult process.
MOOSE JAW - Today, the Official Opposition stood with Taylor Enns, president of the Moose Jaw Firefighters Association, and Brayden Dutchak, the son of a cancer survivor. Together, they called on the Sask. Party government to reopen Saskatchewan’s only hyperbaric chamber.
Records show former Sask. Party Finance Minister lobbied for Calgary surgery scheme on behalf of a major Sask. Party donor
REGINA - Today, the Official Opposition grilled the Premier and his Minister of Health after the Minister misled the public, claiming that he had not been lobbied by a former Sask. Party MLA when Saskatchewan's official lobbyist logs show the exact opposite.