New Democrat Leader Ryan Meili pledged today that an NDP government would invest more than $10 million to improve access to mental health care for families and create a strategy to combat Saskatchewan’s opioid and crystal meth crisis.
“Everyone has the right to feel safe in their own communities. But under the Sask. Party, the mental health and addictions crisis has spiralled out of control,” said Meili. “The strain and pressure of the pandemic has made timely access to care more important than ever. Scott Moe’s plan for deep cuts will only make the problem worse – putting families and communities at risk.”
Under Scott Moe’s leadership, wait times for mental health patients have skyrocketed. At the Dubé Centre in Saskatoon, the average time for a person to be admitted to a bed from the ER is more than 18 hours. The number of youth hospitalized for mental health reasons has doubled in the last decade, with Saskatchewan having the second highest rate in the country.
Marie Agioritis is an addictions advocate with Moms Stop the Harm who lost a son to a fentanyl overdose in 2015 and whose older son is recovering from an opiate addiction.
“These investments will make a huge difference for families struggling with substance-use-related harms and mental health crisis,” said Agioritis. “It’s just the right thing to do for people in our province.”
If elected, an NDP government would:
REGINA—The Saskatchewan New Democrats set the rules and timing for a leadership contest at Provincial Council on February 26th. The new leader will be elected at a leadership convention in Regina in late June, 2022.
All Saskatchewan New Democratic Party members in good standing will be eligible to vote online or by mail-in ballot.
REGINA—Saskatchewan New Democrats unanimously approved a solidarity motion with the people of Ukraine, as well as all Saskatchewan people with friends and family in the region at Provincial Council on February 26, 2022.
Standing with New Democratic Party candidate Melissa Patterson in Moose Jaw Wakamow today, NDP Leader Ryan Meili called on voters in his hometown to reject Scott Moe’s plan for dangerous cuts during a pandemic.