#SASKED THREAD: Last night, more than 250 concerned teachers, EAs, school staff, parents, grandparents, and community members joined us for the #SafeSchoolsNow Town Hall on Zoom to express their concerns about opening schools this September. (1/10)
People are worried. They’re upset. They’re frustrated.
Parents haven’t seen the robust planning they need to feel comfortable sending their kids back into the classroom. (2/10)
Teachers, EAs, and staff haven’t gotten the resources they need to do their jobs safely. Those with health issues and immuno-compromised loved ones aren’t sure if they should be headed back at all. (3/10)
The first day of school is fast approaching, and it’s clear that the Sask Party has failed.
They had five months to prepare a back-to-school plan, but instead they gave us the worst plan in Canada. (4/10)
Weeks ago, we laid out 7 Priorities we needed to see from this government:
#1 Fix testing: yesterday, we tested at only *half* our province’s capacity
#2 Smaller class sizes: a top priority for teachers and parents, yet our classes are crowded w/ 30, 40, even 50 students (5/10)
#3 Dedicated funding: Scott Moe’s inadequate funding announcement hasn’t even brought us back to 2015-2016 funding levels
#4 Guidance on outbreaks: families and staff still don’t know what to do if there’s an outbreak in their class or school (6/10)
#5 A phased approach: there are still no guidelines about what will trigger further measures
#6 Alternate & distance learning: the digital divide means students don’t have equal access to online learning, and we haven’t seen any funding from the Sask Party to change that (7/10)
#7 Guidance on masks: the Sask Party has downloaded the responsibility for mask use onto school divisions, leaving a patchwork of policies across the province (8/10)
People are frustrated, myself included. This government has no plan and no clue. They clearly don’t have any idea how to lead through this difficult time. (9/10)
We all know we can do so much better. This fall, we can choose a government that fixes problems, instead of ignoring them. A government that will put the safety of our kids at the top of their priority list.
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.
🧵[1/6] #skpoli
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.
🧵[2/6] #skpoli
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.
🧵[3/6] #skpoli
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.