Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck speaks during an announcement about investment in health care in Regina, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Heywood Yu)

By paNOW Staff

Sounding the alarm

Sask. NDP highlights red flags on Sask. Party platform

Oct 13, 2024 | 3:25 PM

The Saskatchewan NDP is sounding the alarm over the Saskatchewan Party’s platform.

Joined by local frontline workers in health care and education, Saskatchewan NDP candidate for Regina-Elphinstone-Centre Meara Conway voiced their concerns over Scott Moe’s plans for the province, saying it signals more cuts and disrespect.

“Scott Moe has already dragged our province down to last place in healthcare and education,” said Conway, in a release to media on Sunday. “Frontline workers have been overworked and disrespected for years, and now Scott Moe wants to make things even worse. Yesterday, he called it ‘irresponsible’ to invest in healthcare in education — I couldn’t disagree more.”

“The hardworking people who care for us and teach our children deserve a government that is on their side — and that’s the change Carla Beck and the Saskatchewan NDP will deliver.”

The platform, released a day ago, underlines the Sask. Party’s records in government and the new commitments they have made over the first two weeks of the election campaign.

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The NDP said that Moe’s plans include cuts to healthcare and education despite the province already placing last in nationwide healthcare wait times and education funding. The cuts will leave “nothing to help people in our hospitals, health centres and schools.”

“Healthcare workers have been pushed to the brink, with many leaving the province or leaving the profession altogether,” said the release. “At a time when teachers called for more support, Moe’s government used taxpayer money to take out billboards attacking them.”

Sask. NDP leader Clara Beck has promised to invest $1.1 billion into healthcare with a main focus on retaining, recruiting, and training more healthcare workers to deliver care on the front lines. Additionally, Beck has promised a generational $2 billion investment into education to hire more educators and to reduce classroom sizes.

“Scott Moe is denying the reality right in front of him,” said Helen Head, a local CUPE practical nurse. “He wants to tell us that everything is just fine, when we have been telling him for years that healthcare is in crisis. Under his government, we have been disrespected and overworked, and we’ve received no help. Their platform will hurt healthcare workers and it will hurt patients. It’s time for change.”

The Sask. Party, meanwhile, was quiet on the campaign trail as they had no events planned for Sunday or Monday. On Saturday, however, the party issued a release in response to the NDP’s reaction to their platform.

The release read, “The Saskatchewan Party platform includes the record increases to health and education in the 2024-25 budget – a $726 million or 10 per cent increase in health funding and a $247 million or eight per cent lift in education funding. These investments, our record in health care and education and our new commitments like expanded glucose monitoring and self screening for HPV/cervical cancer are outlined on pages 50 through 58 of the Saskatchewan Party platform.

Going forward, our platform costing is based on the Ministry of Finance’s four-year forecast, which includes funding increases to all areas of government, including health and education, every year.

The Saskatchewan Party government has a strong record of funding health and education and will continue to do so in the years ahead.

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panews@pattisonmedia.com