Danielle Chartier, the MLA for Saskatoon Riversdale, will run again for the NDP in the next election.
Chartier, a mother of two daughters, has been an MLA since 2009. She was appointed last year by NDP Leader Cam Broten to serve as the province’s critic for Health Care and for Seniors. In addition to being an advocate for Riversdale families, Chartier is devoted to the fight for better health care for all Saskatchewan families.
David Forbes, the MLA for Saskatoon Centre and the NDP’s caucus chair, will run again in Saskatoon Centre in the next provincial election.
Forbes was chosen, uncontested, by New Democrats at a nomination meeting in Saskatoon on Thursday evening.
“David is a strong MLA – both on our team at the Legislature, and for his constituents in Saskatoon Centre,” said NDP Leader Cam Broten. “And he’s also been a powerful advocate for change in his critic portfolios. As the critic for Social Services, and as the NDP’s first critic for Diversity, Equality and Human Rights, David has been a voice for the vulnerable and an ally for all seeking and supporting equality, equity and fairness.
Nicole Rancourt – a social worker, parent and tireless volunteer in her community – was welcomed to the NDP team of candidates Thursday as the nominee for Prince Albert Northcote.
Rancourt, a Prince Albert resident, works in Mental Health and Addictions Services in the Prince Albert Parkland Health Region. She’s also incredibly active in serving Prince Albert as a member of the Saskatchewan Association of Social Workers and her local association of social workers. She is also the chair of the Citizens’ Advisory Committee for the Saskatchewan Penitentiary and Prince Albert Parole. She is the regional representative for the Prairie Region Mental Health Council, and is active with the Prince Albert Council of Women and the Health Sciences Association of Saskatchewan.
Government’s agenda has very little for health care, education, cost of living, seniors, highways, flood prevention
The throne speech misses the mark, and shows the government is primarily working to benefit a select few while dismissing the things most Saskatchewan families want and need, according to the NDP.
The speech from the throne outlines the government’s agenda for the year. Wednesday, the government delivered a throne speech that didn’t discuss the need to address run-down, crowded hospitals; the rising cost of living that’s making it very hard to get ahead; and the lack of one-on-one attention for many children in classrooms throughout the province.
Cathy Sproule, the MLA for Saskatoon Nutana, will run again in the next provincial election.
Sproule was chosen, uncontested, at a nomination meeting Monday.
"Cathy has been an incredibly valuable member of my team," said NDP Leader Cam Broten. "She hit the ground running with several critic portfolios as soon as she was elected, and is a constant advocate and powerful voice for the families of Nutana. She is a tireless representative, always thinking of how to make life better for Saskatchewan families."
Wayne Byers, a 25-year resident of the Lloydminster constituency, has been selected by New Democrats as the NDP candidate for the upcoming by-election.
"I’m thrilled to have a candidate who is dedicated to Lloydminster and area, and so focused on the things that really matter to the families of Lloydminster," said NDP Leader Cam Broten, who spoke at the nomination meeting.
Government’s plan to allow some to queue-jump will leave most waiting longer for surgery
The NDP is sharply criticizing the premier's proposal to fast-track MRIs for those who can afford to pay extra because it will leave everyone else waiting even longer for their surgeries.
The premier's proposal goes well beyond the private care providers currently operating within the publicly funded system. Premier Brad Wall said Thursday he wants a separate diagnostic stream for the wealthy, in which access to expensive MRIs is determined by people's ability to pay rather than by a doctor's assessment of medical need.
The government is quietly developing a plan for a Saskatchewan Museum on Democracy – a plan the NDP said is another example of the government’s obsession with pet projects, and its failure to use taxpayer dollars in the smartest way.
The development of the politics museum is the most significant item in the job description of senior government official Rick Mantey, according to information the NDP obtained through access to information laws.
The NDP is reminding the government that Saskatchewan people want to see all ministerial travel expenses, along with the expenses of entourages that travel with ministers, posted online starting this month.
The call for expenses to be posted online came after the NDP revealed then-minister of Social Services June Draude took a trip with a friend as well as a member of her family on the taxpayers’ tab. Draude and her companions visited another friend in Ghana, then travelled to London. Minimal government business was arranged to justify the trips, but Draude billed taxpayers for a chauffeured limo that was, in part, used for sightseeing in London, as well as a high-end luxury hotel for the three. Draude has repayed a small portion of the $19,000 cost for that trip.