New Year's Resolutions
With an election year upon us, we think it’s a good time to review our commitments to form a strong progressive government in Saskatchewan!
RESOLUTION #12: ELECT DIVERSE VOICES
Women make up more than half of Saskatchewan’s population, but only 26% of our elected officials. Indigenous people make up 16% of our population, but only 6.5% of our elected officials. 2020 is the year where we elect more women and Indigenous representatives.
RESOLUTION #11: GTH JUDICIAL INQUIRY
It’s time to finally hold a judicial inquiry into the Global Transportation Hub. This project cost the people of the province and Sask. Party insiders walked away with millions. The Sask. Party’s well-connected buddies made millions from this scheme, so it’s no wonder they don’t want to get to the bottom of what happened.
New Democrats will finally get to the bottom of what really happened at the GTH.
RESOLUTION #10: A SUICIDE PREVENTION STRATEGY
Saskatchewan has the highest suicide rates in the country. The NDP has introduced a Suicide Prevention Act bill, and will act quickly to get ahead of this ongoing tragedy when elected. People struggling with mental health should be able to get the help they need, when they need it.
Add your name to the call for a suicide prevention strategy here: https://www.saskndp.ca/suicideprevention
RESOLUTION #09: GET BIG MONEY OUT OF POLITICS
The Sask Party has let us down with the most lax campaign donations laws in the country, allowing out-of-province money to influence our politics. We need comprehensive campaign finance reform that ensures that government will put people - not corporate donors - first.
Add your name to the call for getting big money out of politics: https://www.saskndp.ca/endbigmoney
RESOLUTION #08: BRING BACK OUR FILM INDUSTRY
We’re continuing our Resolutions countdown with an issue that many prairie creatives care about.
Let’s get filmmakers, actors, and film industry professionals back to work by creating local opportunity. We can bring back our province’s film industry and build our economy by investing in a new Saskatchewan Film Tax Credit.
RESOLUTION #07: RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE
No one who works full-time should live in poverty. A $15 minimum wage is good for communities, and contributes to a healthy economy that keeps people working and works for people.
Add your name to the call for a $15 minimum wage: www.saskndp.ca/minimumwage
RESOLUTION #06: CREATE JOBS
The Sask Party has funneled our tax dollars to big out-of-province and out-of-country companies when they could be investing locally. When we build our schools, our hospitals, and our roads, we should hire Saskatchewan companies and workers — with a Sask-First Procurement Policy.
RESOLUTION #05: PROTECT OUR CROWNS
Crown Corporations ensure that Saskatchewan people can access quality, affordable services, and provide revenue for important pillars like education and healthcare. Unlike those other guys, we commit to protecting our Crowns from privatization, ensuring they innovate and are strong for the next generation.
Add your name to support our Crowns: https://www.saskndp.ca/crowns
RESOLUTION #04: A NEW STC
The STC provided a crucial service to people across the province who needed it for traveling to work, accessing medical services, and for businesses shipping important packages. We’re committed to building a new and innovative STC to provide a vital service to seniors, rural people, and families throughout the province.
Sign if you agree: https://www.saskndp.ca/bringbackstc
RESOLUTION #03: RENEW SASKATCHEWAN
Saskatchewan is the sunniest province in Canada, and we have endless opportunities in wind, biomass, and geothermal. Our plan to Renew Saskatchewan will lower your bills, create thousands of jobs, and make our province a leader in the renewable energy sector.
Add your name to the call to Renew today: https://www.saskndp.ca/renewsaskatchewan
RESOLUTION #02: CAP CLASS SIZES
When elected, the NDP has committed to ensuring a maximum of 24 students for K-3 classrooms, to ensure every child gets a chance to succeed. It’s time for a government that invests in quality education from early childhood on, to give our kids the best chance for success.
Add your voice to the call to end overcrowded classrooms: https://www.saskndp.ca/endovercrowding
RESOLUTION #01: END HALLWAY MEDICINE
In 2019, patients told us they were stuck in hallways for days, unsure if they would get the care they need. Health care should be there when we need it, with better prevention, treatment and results. It’s time to end emergency room wait times and hallway medicine, and invest in primary care, mental health, staffing, and prevention.
Add your voice to the call for action: https://www.saskndp.ca/erwaittimes
Report: 1 in 4 Sask Children in Poverty
For immediate release: January 16, 2020
The Sask. Party is continuing to let down the most vulnerable in the province, with the University of Regina’s Child and Family Poverty in Saskatchewan: 2019 Report showing that one in four Saskatchewan kids is living in poverty.
“Far too many kids in this province are being let down by their government,” said NDP Leader Ryan Meili. “No child in this province should go to school hungry, but the Sask. Party keeps dragging their feet on reducing child poverty, with devastating consequences for so many kids.”
Meili noted that Saskatchewan remains the only Canadian province without an anti-poverty strategy, and that poverty costs Saskatchewan nearly $4 billion per year in decreased opportunity and increased spending on healthcare, social services and justice. The problem, he says, is exacerbated by an economy slowed and struggling under the weight of bad Sask. Party decisions.
“There is so much we could be doing to get ahead of this problem,” Meili said. “We could start by raising our lowest-in-the-country minimum wage, ensuring that no one working full time has to stop at the foodbank on the way home and putting more money into local businesses.”
According to the U of R report, Saskatchewan has both the third highest rate of child poverty in Canada and the lowest percent reduction in the number of children in poverty as a result of government transfers. The province has also seen the smallest decrease in child poverty rate at 0.7%.
“Landlords, frontline workers and families have raised the alarm about the Sask. Party’s harmful changes to the income assistance program, and I’ve heard from many people who are falling through the cracks because of it,” said NDP Social Services Critic Nicole Rancourt. “If we want to address the heartbreaking numbers of children living in poverty, we need to ensure that families facing poverty have access to the support they need, and that includes fixing the Sask. Party’s unfair changes to income assistance.”
Reality Check: Sask. Party bypasses bragging about bungled Bypass
The Sask. Party recently sent a flyer to Regina voters bragging about “investing in Regina’s economy,” but the flyer made no mention of the Regina Bypass, their single biggest expense in 13 years of government.
Why didn’t they mention it? Doesn’t the Sask. Party want to claim responsibility for building the most expensive stretch of flat road in our nation’s history?
Nippi-Albright wins hotly contested nomination for Saskatoon Centre
Betty Nippi-Albright has been nominated as the Saskatchewan New Democrat candidate for Saskatoon Centre . Nippi-Albright won the nomination over her opponents Senos Timon and Naveed Anjum in front of hundreds of New Democrats in Saskatoon.
“We need a government that will stop letting people down and put people first,” said Nippi-Albright. “From poverty to addictions, the Sask. Party is failing people and it’s time we tackle these problems and stop pretending they don’t exist.”
Vermette to seek re-election in Cumberland
Doyle Vermette was nominated today to seek re-election as the Saskatchewan NDP candidate for Cumberland in the next election. Vermette was elected the MLA for Cumberland in a by-election in 2008 and re-elected in 2011 and 2016.
“The Sask. Party is letting people down, particularly in the north,” said Vermette. “We need real action to address the suicide crisis in our province and we need to invest in the supports people need to succeed. I won’t rest until this government stops ignoring the issues facing the people of our province’s north.”
Meili lays out vision for “upstream, resilient economy,” pledges class size cap for early years and Sask First jobs plan
PRINCE ALBERT – Addressing hundreds of party delegates in Prince Albert today, NDP Leader Ryan Meili laid out an economic vision rooted in early-years supports and local procurement.
Meili pledged that an NDP government would address the under-resourcing of Saskatchewan classrooms, including a cap on class size for early years and sufficient individualized supports for students requiring extra attention.
“With a New Democrat government there won’t be a single class from K-3 with more than 24 children,” Meili said.
Stacey Strykowski to be the New Democrat Candidate for Canora-Pelly in 2020
Stacey Strykowski was nominated as the Saskatchewan New Democrat candidate for Canora-Pelly. Strykowski was acclaimed as the candidate this evening in front of New Democratic Party members at the Rainbow Hall in Canora.
“This government has clearly forgotten about rural Saskatchewan,” said Strykowski. “It’s time to challenge this absent MLA and start putting people first in our constituency again. It starts by improving our local healthcare and education.”
Lon Borgerson to be the New Democrat Candidate for Batoche in 2020
Lon Borgerson was nominated as the Saskatchewan New Democrat candidate for Batoche. Borgerson was nominated this afternoon in St. Louis by New Democratic Party members from all over the Batoche constituency.
“It’s time to stop the cuts to education and healthcare,” said Borgerson. “It’s time to put people first and present a vision that shows how much we value our communities and the rural fabric of our province.”
Stewart to be The Battlefords candidate for 2020
NORTH BATTLEFORD – Amber Stewart has been nominated as the Saskatchewan New Democrat candidate for The Battlefords. Stewart was confirmed at a nomination meeting last Saturday at the Western Development Museum in North Battleford.
“I want to be the person who sticks up for my community,” said Stewart. “I believe there is good in all of us, and that we can rally around one another and fight for better education and healthcare here in The Battlefords.”