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The Speech from the Throne was filled with “old news and old noise” instead of concrete plans to create jobs, restore funding to schools, or work towards better health outcomes for Saskatchewan people, according to NDP Leader Ryan Meili. Meili was also looking for some admission of the damage done by recent government choices, whether it’s the PST hikes or the ongoing mishandling of the GTH but saw none.

“We were disappointed that we didn’t see any commitment to addressing the underfunding of education, a focus on addressing the province’s worst-in-the-nation health outcomes, or the reversal of the harmful expansion of the PST to construction and restaurant meals,” Meili said. “This was the Premier’s chance to make his mark on the province by addressing the real issues that people are struggling with, but he chose not to.”

Much of what was in the Throne Speech consisted of recycling old announcements.

“There was no mention of how to help people who are struggling to pay for their mortgages or how the unemployment rate is higher than it was last year,” Meili said. “There was hardly a mention of the North, nor was there an acknowledgement that one in four kids in our province and six out of every 10 First Nations kids live in poverty. How can we work to fix these problems if the Premier won’t even recognize them?”

Meili said he was happy to see some focus on income assistance and mental health but cautions that he will be holding the government to account to ensure they deliver on their promises, as all too often the Sask. Party talks about taking action but fails to deliver.

“This Throne Speech was more about bluster than building blocks,” Meili said. “Concrete ideas like the NDP’s Renew Saskatchewan or fixing the government’s procurement policies would help get people back to work and make the province stronger. Ignoring the realities that so many are facing, whether it’s related to their job or their children’s education, isn’t a vision that will work for the people of this province.”

After months of outreach across Saskatchewan, a successful by-election, a critic shuffle that presented the province with an NDP government-in-waiting, and an energized and enthusiastic fall convention, Ryan Meili and the NDP are heading into the fall sitting of the Legislature calling for action to secure jobs for Saskatchewan people, improve our province’s health outcomes, and restore funding to our schools.

“In community after community, we’ve seen the consequences of the choices that Moe and the Sask. Party,” Meili said. “He’s spent his time in office pointing fingers and sowing division, but the people of Saskatchewan are still waiting for answers to some very basic questions:

• Will Moe reverse the harmful expansion of the PST to construction and restaurant meals that has further damaged an already-struggling economy?
• Will he restore the funding cut from our kids’ classrooms?
• What is his government doing to address our province’s worst-in-the-nation health outcomes?
• And, after ten years of boom times, will he be honest about where the money went that could and should pay for these essential services?”

With a focus on health outcomes, support for education, the job losses in our struggling economy, and getting to the bottom of the GTH and other scandals, Meili’s NDP are setting an agenda that speaks to the real needs and concerns of Saskatchewan people.

Meili says he’s entering the fall session with the voices and faces of Saskatchewan people foremost in his mind and will be doing all he can to ensure that their concerns are heard. “I want the Premier to know that Saskatchewan people are watching. As the Official Opposition, we’ll be working hard to raise their concerns. People across the province deserve better answers than they’ve been getting.”

Following the Federal Government’s announcement this morning that Saskatchewan residents would see a direct rebate of the money raised by their tax on pollution, Ryan Meili slammed Scott Moe’s Sask. Party government for surrendering the initiative to the federal government and leaving Saskatchewan without a plan designed by and for Saskatchewan people.

“Scott Moe has once again come up empty in providing Saskatchewan with sound economic and environmental leadership,” Meili said. “He’s spent the last year pointing fingers and railing against a flawed federal approach, but he’s shown no initiative and no leadership in putting forward a plan that works for Saskatchewan people.

“Our provincial government had the chance to design the program and allocate the revenue from it, but they squandered that chance and now we have neither.

”Meili pointed to his Renew Saskatchewan plan as one example of how Saskatchewan could show leadership in developing new economic opportunities for Saskatchewan people while at the same time meeting our moral obligation to address the climate crisis. “The climate crisis is real and government should be taking bold action to remove the barriers that keep people from acting on it. Moe’s failure to be proactive on this hurts us economically today and leaves us more vulnerable to changes tomorrow.”

In recognition of Saskatchewan Library Week, the Saskatchewan NDP joins the public in celebrating all that libraries do for Saskatchewan people. This year’s Saskatchewan Library Week theme is “Libraries Transform,” which focuses on how libraries can serve communities in many different ways and focus on local needs. 

“As our communities change and grow, so do our libraries. Libraries often fill the gaps and offer valuable services to all community members,” said NDP Education Critic Carla Beck. “This is why we need a government that respects the role and voice of our libraries, so they can continue to serve communities across the province. Library staff and boards know what is needed to accomplish future library growth—they, and the communities they serve, must be a fully involved in any future planning.”

When the Sask. Party government announced they would cut $4.8 million from libraries’ funding in their 2017-18 budget, there was a huge outcry across the province. Saskatchewan residents showed just how much they value their libraries. The government was forced to roll back that devastating cut but has since failed to properly outline any vision for libraries, nor have they stated what their goals are, or who they plan to consult on future changes. 

“Libraries and their patrons deserve to know what these valuable community centres will look like in ten years’ time, but the Sask. Party is not providing any information,” said Beck. “We need better-funded libraries and transparency from our government on this important file.”

According to the July labour report from Statistics Canada, there are 12,300 fewer Saskatchewan jobs – 7,000 of which are full-time – compared to last month and there are 3,000 fewer jobs compared to this time last year. These jobs losses helped raise the province’s unemployment rate to 7.1 per cent, which is the highest rate in Canada outside the Maritimes and well above the national average.

“These numbers certainly are concerning for Saskatchewan people especially when it comes shortly after the announcement of major job losses at Cameco and Nutrien,” said NDP Jobs Critic Vicki Mowat. “Sask. Party decisions such as cutting $3 million out of job training and workforce development programs have impacts, and that is what we are seeing in this month’s report.”

Compared to last year, the agriculture sector is down 2,100 jobs, the manufacturing sector is down 700 jobs and the trade sector is down 1,400 jobs. 900 jobs were lost in the Forestry, fishing, mining and oil & gas sectors. The First Nations unemployment rate jumped to an abysmal 21.2 per cent.

“These numbers should be a wakeup call to the Sask. Party,” Mowat said. “Whether it’s mining jobs in the North or jobs in agriculture in rural Saskatchewan, we need people working to help build a stronger economy. The Sask. Party have been distracted by their mismanaged projects like the Regina Bypass and the GTH land scandal. Meanwhile the unemployment rate is going up and people are struggling to find jobs.”

For Immediate Release August 10, 2018

Former cabinet minister and long-time NDP MLA David Forbes is announcing that he plans to retire at the next provincial election.

After teaching for 18 years, Forbes was elected as MLA for Saskatoon Idylwyld in 2001. He served Premier Lorne Calvert as Minister of Environment where he released the Caring for Natural Environments: A Biodiversity Action Plan for Saskatchewan’s Future 2004-2009, as well as The Great Sand Hills (GSH) Land Use Strategy which led to the GSH protected area rising from 94.5 to 362.6 square kilometres.

Forbes also served as the Minister of Labour. He helped implement initiatives to fight bullying in the workplace, to modernize labour standards in Northern Saskatchewan and he was responsible for creating Family Day, Saskatchewan’s newest statutory holiday.

While in Opposition, Forbes was elected Caucus Chair and was the Critic for many areas including Social Services, Housing, Diversity, Equality and Human Rights, Labour, and Ethics and Democracy.

Aside from being a champion for the rights of the LGBTQ community, he also introduced and helped implement much of Jimmy’s Law, which aimed to protect late-night retail workers. He has also introduced several bills in an effort to get big money out of Saskatchewan politics.

Forbes will continue to serve in his caucus roles and as MLA for Saskatoon Centre until the next election. At which time, he will spend more time with his wife, three children and four grandchildren.

“It has been an honour and a privilege to serve the people of Saskatoon Centre.  After talking with my family, I’ve decided that it’s time to step away and spend more time with them upon completion of this term,” Forbes said. “It’s been rewarding to work with so many terrific people over the years and to be able to help improve the lives of Saskatchewan families, workers and those most vulnerable in our communities.”

NDP Leader Ryan Meili reflected “David Forbes is a trusted colleague and friend and a deeply committed MLA who - in government and in opposition - always stands up for those who need it most.  I’m very fortunate to work alongside him and continue learning from his example.”

In light of comments made July 19 by a provincial court judge about the systemic shortage of Legal Aid lawyers in the Saskatoon Legal Aid office, NDP Justice Critic Nicole Sarauer is calling on Justice Minister Don Morgan to provide the resources needed to fix the problem, or resign.

“These comments from the bench speak to the seriousness of the resourcing problems at the Saskatoon Legal Aid office,” said Sarauer. “The Sask. Party government’s Minister of Justice is responsible for making sure Legal Aid has the resources it needs to advocate for vulnerable people. It’s clear from these comments that he is failing.”

Last week, Legal Aid’s Saskatoon office issued layoff notices to six employees and decided to allow three vacant lawyer positions to go unfilled.

“At the very least, Don Morgan needs to make sure that Legal Aid has the resources to refill those positions and fill the vacancies they already have. If Don Morgan can’t or won’t commit to that, he needs to resign.”

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