Some thoughts on Saskatchewan's response to COVID-19 so far, and the need for a plan that puts people first. #COVID19SK#skpoli
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Saskatchewan people have stepped up to protect each other through this pandemic. We’ve shown incredible spirit. We’ve shown what Saskatchewan is made of.
And it’s working. Our COVID-19 case numbers are among the lowest in the country.
We all want to get back to normal life. The last few weeks have been hard on all of us. Kids home from school, unable to visit friends & grandparents. People off work & worrying how they’ll pay the bills. Business owners wondering if they’ll be able to open their doors again.
But we can't get back to normal without first making sure that the steps forward are safe steps.
That our healthcare system is ready, with protective equipment, with testing, with enough capacity to respond to new cases.
We need to make sure the supports are in place today for workers, for families and for the most vulnerable in our province.
Saskatchewan people have stepped up — now we need our government to step up, to put Saskatchewan people first.
This crisis has revealed how vulnerable we are when we don’t build up Saskatchewan. When we cut health and long-term care. When we don’t prioritize Saskatchewan jobs.
That's why, as we look ahead to rebuilding, now is the time to introduce #SaskFirst policies, so that when we build our schools, our highways and our hospitals, we build them with our companies and our workers.
Now is the time to put our Crown corporations to work, and put Saskatchewan people to work for our Crowns, building rural high-speed internet and renewable energy.
Now is the time to re-invest in frontline care, expand home care and properly staff long-term care.
And now is the time to make sure that we don’t leave Saskatchewan workers with the lowest minimum wage in Canada any longer. They deserve a decent living for the essential work they do.
Now more than ever, Saskatchewan people need to stand together and lift each other up.
And we need a government that will help us do that, for today and for the future.
The only way through this is together – and that is where Saskatchewan people excel.
Together, we will stay healthy, we will stay safe and we will stay ready to fight the pandemic, fight for our economic recovery, and fight for each other.
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Today Premier Moe gave a State of the Province address that completely ignored the health crisis that his government created.
The state of our province today is that Saskatchewan has the highest active case rate and the lowest vaccination rate in the country.
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The state of our province today is that ICU patients are being medevac’d to Ontario while the Armed Forces are being flown in to provide care.
The state of our province is that more than 800 people have died from COVID, including 117 people lost in October alone.
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All of this is happening because Scott Moe is putting politics ahead of Saskatchewan people’s lives, and all of this was ignored in Scott Moe’s address today.
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Shortstaffed. Crowded. Crumbling infrastructure. Four residents to a room.
There needs to be an inquiry into Extendicare Parkside long-term care home. Now.
Almost every single resident and staff member at Parkside has tested positive for #COVID19SK. Many have died. (1/7)
And let’s be clear: the conditions that caused this didn’t come out of nowhere.
Workers, residents, and family members have been pointing out the failure of the Sask. Party government to address urgent needs and dangerous conditions for a long time. (2/7)
The issues at Parkside have been → years ← in the making.
Let’s look at the government’s own CEO Tour Reports of this facility, starting back in 2013. (3/7)
❗ WARNING: LONG THREAD, but it's important ❗ In 2017, the #SaskParty cut #STC, leaving thousands of people across our province stranded. 🚌
Since then, I've heard so many stories from folks who have been left in bad situations because of this dangerous cut: (1/6)
🏥 seniors who can't get to medical appointments
👍 rural and Northern people who are forced to hitchhike
🚗 low-income folks who struggle to afford a car
🌾 farmers who can't get parts sent out (2/6)
♿ people with disabilities who lost their independence
🚌 small businesses that can't get affordable shipping
🏫 young people away for school who can't get home #sasked (3/6)
Scott Moe has shown us he can't be trusted. But don't take it from me...just look at his record. During the last #skpoli election, the Sask Party promised there would be no cuts or sell-offs. But when the election was over, they:
➡️ cut $25 million from universities
➡️ cut 90 healthcare workers in #YXE & #YQR
➡️ sold off STC, leaving thousands stranded
➡️ had dozens of meetings to try to sell SaskTel and SGI
➡️ and much more* (2/4)
We don't have to accept a government that says one thing and does another. It's time to stop Scott Moe's dangerous cuts and choose a government that invests in people.
People in Saskatchewan have a very clear choice in front of them: Four more years of deep cuts that hurt people, or an NDP government that will put people first by making the investments a full recovery depends on.
Cuts and neglect, or investments in people. And this choice couldn’t be clearer when we think about our rural healthcare.