NDP unveils priorities for jobs ahead of Sask. budget

Thousands of people have lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic and the Saskatchewan NDP thinks the provincial government should be making jobs and workers a priority in the upcoming budget.

NDP Leader Ryan Meili spoke Wednesday about the need in Saskatchewan while at the same time bashing the Saskatchewan Party government’s handling of the situation so far.

“We can’t afford to turn our nose up at any job (or) at any opportunity. We can’t continue with Scott Moe’s approach of ignoring possibilities because they don’t fit with his ideology,” said Meili.

Aleana Young, the NDP’s economy and jobs critic, agreed.

“Business owners I speak to are frustrated and almost angry. They’re told to stay open while their customers are told to stay home, and they can’t access federal funding to help them throughout this time,” said Young.

“Workers and young people in this province are facing generationally hard times, and so many of the people that we rely on the most are, at best, underpaid and, at worst, out of work.”

On Wednesday, a week before the provincial budget is set to be released, the NDP released a list of steps to take to improve worker and business prospects. The steps include:

• Removing the PST from construction labour and restaurants meals;
• Pushing SaskPower to diversify energy sources and take opportunities in renewables like solar, wind, geothermal and biofuels;
• Creating a value-added incentives at 15 per cent for mineral processing, green energy and forestry manufacturing, petrochemical product processing and retooling to allow steel producers like Evraz Steel to produce new products;
• Creating a Sask.-first procurement strategy that prioritizes local companies and workers for public projects and purchases;
• Phasing in a $15-per-hour minimum wage, with offsets for Saskatchewan small business;
• Setting up affordable child care to support working families;
• Offering paid sick days with government funding for small and medium-sized businesses;
• Creating internship programs within the public service and the Crowns to create jobs for young people;
• Setting up a new film employment tax credit to rebuild the film industry;
• SaskTel investments to improve connectivity and internet access across the province;
• Implementing a personal fitness incentive with a $300 tax deduction to help struggling gyms, but also improve people’s physical and mental health coming out of the pandemic; and,
• Collaborating with industry leaders to grow opportunities in Saskatchewan’s technology sector.

When asked how much these initiatives would cost, Young didn’t give a number, just saying this is about priorities. Young said the money to pay for these things is there, it’s just being spent in other places.

“All of this is looking at actually kickstarting economic activity, so it’s not a cost to the government. It in fact is a boon to the government,” said Young.

Young said the province needs honest and earnest leadership and a real plan for jobs.

Meili said in the coming legislative sitting, the NDP will be pushing for these measures the party has laid out, and will work to make sure Saskatchewan people have jobs to get back to.

The provincial budget is to be released next Tuesday afternoon.