With yet another budget flip-flop, the Sask. Party have again shown that they refused to listen to Saskatchewan people and small businesses before they hiked the PST and they didn’t even bother to investigate how much money they were wasting or how they were hurting our economy.
“The Premier sat in cabinet while their last cruel and heartless budget was discussed and passed but he refused to stand up for Saskatchewan people and small businesses then. Even today, as he flip-flops on some of those unfair tax cuts, he is standing by others that are costing jobs and raising the price of everything from kids’ clothes, and food and drinks to home insurance,” said NDP Finance Critic Cathy Sproule. “The changes announced today will do nothing to help the construction industry, restaurant owners or families who have been struggling under the Sask. Party’s massive PST hikes.”
In the last year, the Sask. Party’s PST hikes hurt important employers across the province. Saskatchewan was the only Western province where investment into new housing didn’t increase this last year and it was one of only two provinces in all of Canada to see housing construction drop over the last year. As a result, almost 1,000 jobs were lost since last year in the Saskatchewan construction industry alone.
Saskatchewan also saw a decrease of $2.4 million in food and beverage sales compared to this time last year, while every other province across the country experienced growth.
“If the Sask. Party had listened to the industry leaders and people of the province, we wouldn’t be here in the first place,” Sproule said. “On top of everything else, and despite promising it over and over again, Premier Moe still hasn’t explained how they will get back to balance in just three years. Instead of piling on more debt and making it harder for Saskatchewan people to get by, the Sask. Party needs to invest in supporting Saskatchewan businesses and help people get back to work.”
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.