Ukrainian student funding
The Opposition NDP is accusing the Minister of Advanced Education of lying about cuts to Ukrainian student supports.
During Question Period Monday, NDP MLA Tajinder Grewal called out Ken Cheveldayoff for allegedly eliminating the Ukrainian Tuition program, which supports about 36 students.
Grewall says students enrolled in the program were recently sent a letter saying that provincial funding would cease after the current winter semester.
Cheveldayoff says the accusation has no basis in fact. “I respect the right of the opposition to bring up questions as long as they’re within forum in this house, but I am very disappointed that they are using this venue to scare Ukrainian students. There have been no cuts.”
However, he did add that the tuition program is jointly funded by the province and federal government, and he is in talks with the federal administrators of that program.
Wildfires and PST
The Official Opposition is also criticizing the provincial government for not exempting northern wildfire victims from PST when rebuilding their homes.
Deputy Leader of the Official Opposition Vicki Mowat the NDP have proof in the form of bills that the PST charged on these new builds often totals over $20,000.
“As one Denare Beach resident said, ‘They’re profiting off our ashes and memories.’ How does this government justify profiting off of the pain of wildfire victims?”
Public Safety Minister Tim McLeod says the wildfire season was unprecedented, but so were the supports that the Province gave to victims.
“We increased the per diem amounts for evacuees. We established the recovery task team that’s put over $20 million into the recovery efforts, primarily focusing on the people of Denare Beach.”
One Denare Beach resident, Dustin Trumbley, says the price of rebuilding and refurnishing his new home will include $29,000 in PST.
Health care
A recent news release from CUPE 5430 seems to confirm the NDP’s notion that the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s one-nurse emergency room policy is, in fact, new.
Last week, the NDP issued a news release saying the government will allow rural emergency rooms to remain open as long as there is one registered nurse working on-site. They say the information was based on a leaked memo. The government publicly replied that that rule had been in place for over a decade.
Today in question period, Rural and Remote Healthcare Crtic Jared Clarke stated that CUPE members were not informed of this staffing requirement change, and it allows rural emergency rooms to be listed as “open” despite minimal staffing on site.
Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill is adamant that the policy isn’t new. “This policy has been in place since 2011, so I can’t speak to consultation that occurred back in 2010 or 2011.”
The CUPE news release continues that there were multiple communities including Canora, Wilkie, Kipling, Kamsack, Herbert, and Wolseley that experienced temporary ER closures over the weekend, highlighting ongoing staffing shortages and the growing strain on rural health care.
