Update: Updated with statement from the government.
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On Monday morning, the Opposition NDP put out a media release claiming the Saskatchewan government didn’t use a waterbomber available to them to battle the wildfire near La Ronge.
The NDP says one of four repurposed airtanker, aircraft purchased by the government last year, had arrived in northern community at the end of May.
The government had purchased four of these re-purposed land-based airtanker aircraft last year for just over $187 million.
The NDP says flight logs show one of these aircraft arrived in La Ronge on May 30.
However, the NDP says the aircraft has not logged a single flight since.
“While people were fleeing their homes and communities were burning, the Sask. Party left a brand new and badly needed air tanker sitting on the tarmac,” said Nicole Sarauer, Saskatchewan NDP Shadow Minister for Public Safety. “The moment this plane arrived, the government should have brought it into action dumping water on the fires burning our communities.”
The NDP also says Premier Scott Moe made what they say were misleading comments in recent weeks about the status of the aircraft. The NDP says that during the June 6 SPSA briefing Premier Scott Moe said no aircraft had arrived, following that up with a similar statement on June 11.
During an SPSA update Monday afternoon, Public Safety Minister Tim McLeod confirmed the waterbomber has been in La Ronge since the end of May.
However, he says there was not enough time to train any pilots to properly and safely operate the new aircraft.
Sarauer responded to the comments from McLeod saying the government should have had the foresight to train pilots earlier.
“There is absolutely zero justification for this government to leave a state-of-the-art water bomber on the tarmac during the worst wildfires in a decade,” Sarauer said in response to those comments.
The NDP also says Premier Scott Moe has yet to respond to what they are saying were misleading comments over the state of the waterbomber.
The Saskatchewan government would release a statement Monday afternoon accusing the NDP of politicizing tragedy:
The NDP opposition are once again trying to politicize a tragedy that has impacted thousands of Saskatchewan lives. The SPSA has been preparing for the delivery of the first of four new aircraft by training pilots with ground school and simulators. However, Transport Canada requires an additional 20 hours of training to fly new aircraft, as well as 25 hours to learn to fight wildfires with those specific aircraft. Those hours cannot be logged until the actual aircraft arrives.
It is disingenuous and dishonest for the NDP to suggest this plane could have been ‘brought it into action the moment arrived.’ Doing so would be dangerous for SPSA staff, crew and the general public, as well as a violation of Transport Canada regulations. Additionally, the pilots who are to receive the training on the new aircraft would have had to be removed from active duty where they were fighting to save lives and protect Saskatchewan communities.
The Government of Saskatchewan will fully comply with Transport Canada regulations and will ensure our pilots are fully operational during a wildfire state of emergency, even if the opposition would not.
(TOP PHOTO – A Conair Dash 8-400AT Airtanker. They type of aircraft the Saskatchewan NDP says logged a flight to La Ronge on May 30, but has not logged a flight since. Photo courtesy of conair.ca)