Saskatchewan Party Leader Scott Moe and Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck are scheduled to participate in a televised debate this evening.
Saskatchewan Party Leader Scott Moe and Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck are scheduled to participate in a televised debate this evening.
It’s the only debate of the campaign leading up to Election Day on Oct. 28.
Beck has spent much of the campaign focused on health care, and yesterday, she told a news conference that if she becomes premier, she would hire 800 health-care workers in areas that need them most.
Carla Beck made history on Sunday afternoon in Regina, becoming the first woman elected to lead the Saskatchewan NDP.
Beck received 3,244 votes to Kaitlyn Harvey's 1,492 in the race, held after Ryan Meili's announced in February that he would be stepping down as leader.
"The only way I can thank you is to take back this province," Beck said after her victory.
Beck said the NDP are the party that can deliver the change people are looking for.
"We can win and then we can deliver the positive change and the future we all want for our province," she said.
The MLA for Regina Lakeview has picked up three early endorsements.
Carla Beck is running for the leadership of the Saskatchewan NDP, making her the first candidate to announce a bid for the job after current leader Ryan Meili announced last month he is stepping down.
On Feb. 18, Meili announced he would step down as leader of the provincial NDP following the Saskatchewan Party's victory in the Athabasca byelection where they captured a seat held by the NDP since 1998.
New Democrats and Sask. Party sit 9 percentage points apart in voter approval, according to poll
A new online survey suggests Saskatchewan's Opposition New Democrats have significantly narrowed the gap between themselves and the governing Saskatchewan Party for the first time in nearly five years.
According to results of an Angus Reid Institute poll released Thursday, the NDP had a 39 per cent approval rating among decided voters polled, compared to the Sask. Party's 48 per cent.
That gap has narrowed since an October Angus Reid poll, which found 35 per cent support for the NDP and 52 per cent for the Sask. Party.
Pollsters list Premier Scott Moe's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic as one of the main reasons why fewer than half of decided voters said they would cast their ballot for the Sask. Party if an election was called today.
REGINA - Today NDP Associate Labour Critic Jennifer Bowes introduced Bill 603, the Saskatchewan Employment (Paid Sick Leave) Amendment Act to provide paid sick leave for workers in Saskatchewan who have sacrificed so much during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’ve called on the government to listen to workers, doctors and public health officials who have all called for paid sick leave to keep working people, their families and their communities safe,” said Bowes. “The government has refused to act, despite the prevalence of workplace outbreaks as variants spread in Saskatchewan. That’s wrong. Saskatchewan families deserve better.”
Bill 603 would provide 10 paid sick days each year during non-COVID times and 14 paid sick days during the COVID-19 state of emergency. While these sick days would be the responsibility of the employer, the Saskatchewan NDP believes that the government should work with businesses to support these efforts in a way that does not unduly burden small and medium sized businesses during the course of the pandemic.
“Under this government Saskatchewan families, workers and businesses have had the worst of both worlds: over 500 deaths due to COVID-19, crowded ICUs and thousands of jobs lost,” said Bowes. “The Sask. Party government has failed to contain COVID-19, failed to protect workers and failed to protect jobs. Paid sick leave is a crucial tool in the fight against COVID-19 and we urge the government to work with us to pass this bill.”
