Wildfire victims, Northern leaders, and frontline workers like firefighters have for months called for a public inquiry – something the former Minister, Tim McLeod, has shut down time and time again.
“This is about protecting people, especially those in the North who have already lost so much,” said Northern Affairs Shadow Minister and Cumberland MLA Jordan McPhail. “Northerners deserve answers. They deserve better.”
In a letter to the new Community Safety Minister Michael Weger, McPhail said the SPSA’s failure to properly maintain the province’s water bomber fleet limited the province’s ability to respond quickly as fires spread.
As well, the province refused federal assistance and left evacuees to fend for themselves without adequate support, forcing the Provincial Ombudsman to step in.
“I urge you to start your tenure in cabinet off on the right foot and commit to an independent public inquiry,” McPhail wrote. “What happened this summer cannot happen again.
“It is my sincere hope that you will rise to the challenge and succeed where Minister McLeod failed. This is not about politics. This is about ensuring every resident in this beautiful province has a bright future.”
The Saskatchewan NDP continues to call on Premier Moe and his Minister to stop taxing wildfire victims for rebuilding their homes and to support MLA Leroy Laliberte's bill to finally develop a comprehensive, province-wide wildfire strategy with northern leaders and experts.
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