SaskParty Raises Job Cuts Issue in Legislature

SaskParty Raises Job Cuts Issue in Legislature

Wednesday, May 12, 2004 at 13:47

The Saskatchewan Party has made an offer to the NDP government in order to make it easier for cabinet ministers to hold consultation meetings in the North.

Earlier this week, Northern Affairs minister Buckley Belanger and Environment minister David Forbes felt compelled to postpone a meeting with northern leaders and Saskatchewan Environment staff in Buffalo Narrows.

Forbes and Belanger hoped to address the issue of job cuts in Saskatchewan Environment and changes to the province’s forest fire policy during a meeting Monday night, but called it off because of business in the legislature that night.

Saskatchewan Party MLA Yogi Hughabaert says if the NDP is afraid his party might take advantage of the ministers’ absence to try to topple the government, his party is volunteering to send an equal number of MLAs to these meetings.

Hughabaert made the offer yesterday in the legislature, but says the government has yet to respond to his proposal.

Hughabaert also says northern citizens should have the right to air their concerns about the job cuts and restructuring in public meetings.

The province says public meetings, if they do happen, will take place in August at the earliest.