Saskatchewan NDP leader Carla Beck unveiled her party's plan to fix the province's struggling healthcare system at a nurses convention, while the governing Saskatchewan Party faced criticism for failing to attend.Beck spoke to over 500 nurses at their annual meeting in Regina, pledging to invest $1.1 billion in new healthcare funding if elected. She said her party would "staff up" the system and lower wait times."Help is on the way," said Beck."We will work together with our nurses to retain the healthcare staff we have and to train more people to care for people here in this incredible province."The NDP leader criticized Premier Scott Moe's government for Saskatchewan's poor healthcare rankings compared to other provinces. She promised to bring back local voices to decision-making, ensure every resident has access to a family doctor, and open hospitals for emergencies."Under Scott Moe and the Sask Party, our province has dropped to dead last in healthcare compared to the rest of Canada," said Beck. "Healthcare workers are burnt out and people are waiting longer and driving further just to get seen. I'm running because it's time to get Saskatchewan out of last place. With our plan, we can."Beck's plan included setting up a Nursing Task Force, a move the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses requested for over a year. She also vowed to end what she called a "culture of fear, disrespect, and division" that caused many nurses to leave the province or the profession."It's about time Saskatchewan nurses had a government that listens to them," said Beck.The NDP leader reminded attendees of Saskatchewan's history as the birthplace of public healthcare in Canada. She urged voters to support her party in the upcoming October 28 election.While Beck addressed the convention, Moe's and Health Minister Everett Hindley's absence drew criticism. The Saskatchewan Union of Nurses said Hindley confirmed his attendance the previous week but did not show up for his scheduled 10-minute speech.The situation worsened when the Sask Party claimed they only received the invitation an hour before the event. This statement was quickly disproven when the nurses union released correspondence showing the Sask Party agreed to attend a week earlier.Meara Conway, NDP candidate for Regina Elphinstone Centre, slammed the government's actions. "This just shows how little Scott Moe cares about Saskatchewan patients and healthcare workers," said Conway. "Not only can they not even bother to show up, they tried to throw nurses under the bus and lied about accepting the invitation. You just can't trust a leader and a party willing to lie so openly. Saskatchewan healthcare is in crisis and it's Scott Moe and the Sask Party that put us here. It's time for change."Reports of overwhelmed emergency rooms operating at 350% capacity and hospitals running out of oxygen and beds added urgency to the healthcare debate.Beck positioned the Sask NDP as the solution to what she called "Moe's chaos in healthcare." "We used to be the province that the rest of Canada looked to on healthcare," said Beck."But now, our healthcare is crumbling all around us in every part of this province."As the October 28 election approaches, healthcare remains a central issue for Saskatchewan voters.
Saskatchewan NDP leader Carla Beck unveiled her party's plan to fix the province's struggling healthcare system at a nurses convention, while the governing Saskatchewan Party faced criticism for failing to attend.Beck spoke to over 500 nurses at their annual meeting in Regina, pledging to invest $1.1 billion in new healthcare funding if elected. She said her party would "staff up" the system and lower wait times."Help is on the way," said Beck."We will work together with our nurses to retain the healthcare staff we have and to train more people to care for people here in this incredible province."The NDP leader criticized Premier Scott Moe's government for Saskatchewan's poor healthcare rankings compared to other provinces. She promised to bring back local voices to decision-making, ensure every resident has access to a family doctor, and open hospitals for emergencies."Under Scott Moe and the Sask Party, our province has dropped to dead last in healthcare compared to the rest of Canada," said Beck. "Healthcare workers are burnt out and people are waiting longer and driving further just to get seen. I'm running because it's time to get Saskatchewan out of last place. With our plan, we can."Beck's plan included setting up a Nursing Task Force, a move the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses requested for over a year. She also vowed to end what she called a "culture of fear, disrespect, and division" that caused many nurses to leave the province or the profession."It's about time Saskatchewan nurses had a government that listens to them," said Beck.The NDP leader reminded attendees of Saskatchewan's history as the birthplace of public healthcare in Canada. She urged voters to support her party in the upcoming October 28 election.While Beck addressed the convention, Moe's and Health Minister Everett Hindley's absence drew criticism. The Saskatchewan Union of Nurses said Hindley confirmed his attendance the previous week but did not show up for his scheduled 10-minute speech.The situation worsened when the Sask Party claimed they only received the invitation an hour before the event. This statement was quickly disproven when the nurses union released correspondence showing the Sask Party agreed to attend a week earlier.Meara Conway, NDP candidate for Regina Elphinstone Centre, slammed the government's actions. "This just shows how little Scott Moe cares about Saskatchewan patients and healthcare workers," said Conway. "Not only can they not even bother to show up, they tried to throw nurses under the bus and lied about accepting the invitation. You just can't trust a leader and a party willing to lie so openly. Saskatchewan healthcare is in crisis and it's Scott Moe and the Sask Party that put us here. It's time for change."Reports of overwhelmed emergency rooms operating at 350% capacity and hospitals running out of oxygen and beds added urgency to the healthcare debate.Beck positioned the Sask NDP as the solution to what she called "Moe's chaos in healthcare." "We used to be the province that the rest of Canada looked to on healthcare," said Beck."But now, our healthcare is crumbling all around us in every part of this province."As the October 28 election approaches, healthcare remains a central issue for Saskatchewan voters.
