Belanger Rejects SaskParty Offer

Belanger Rejects SaskParty Offer

Thursday, May 13, 2004 at 13:25

 

 

Buckley Belanger is saying “thanks, but no thanks” to an offer from the Saskatchewan Party regarding ongoing information meetings in the North.

 

Belanger and Environment minister David Forbes have been holding a series of meetings with northern leaders and Saskatchewan Environment personnel related to the recent job cuts and the province’s new approach to fighting forest fires.

 

They postponed a meeting that was supposed to take place in Buffalo Narrows Monday night to last night because of business in the legislature.

 

Saskatchewan Party MLA Yogi Hughabaert said yesterday that if the ministers were worried the Opposition would take advantage of their absence in the legislature, an equal number of Saskatchewan Party MLAs could accompany Belanger and Forbes on their trips up North.

 

But Belanger says the offer is simply a political ploy from a party he says cares little about the North.

 

Belanger and Forbes have now made visits to 3 northern communities and Belanger says there have been a lot of questions about the province’s so-called “let it burn” forest fire policy.

 

Belanger admits the government has not done a good job in communicating how the new policy will work.

 

Belanger says visiting La Loche and Pinehouse is next on his priority list.