4 political parties on healthcare and education in Saskatchewan

Where do the Saskatchewan Party, the NDP, the Green Party and the Liberals stand on the issues that matter to you in the Saskatchewan provincial election? We break their platforms down on the topics of education and healthcare.

These are highlights. For the complete party platforms, follow the links provided.

Saskatchewan Party

• Education: The Saskatchewan Party promises to let those using the Graduate Retention Program use up to $10,000 of their GRP credits towards the down payment on the purchase of their first home in Saskatchewan. It also promises to increase the Saskatchewan Advantage Scholarship for all high school graduates continuing their education in Saskatchewan from $500 to $750.
• Healthcare: The Saskatchewan Party promises to reduce health administration and redirect $7.5 million to hiring staff in long-term care facilities. It also promises to reduce wait lists for CT scans and ER wait times. The party says it will introduce individualized funding for children with autism, beginning at $4,000 per child. It also promises to increase funding to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, and give $500,000 annually to expand healthcare in northern communities.

See the full platform here.

Saskatchewan NDP

• Education: For post-secondary, the Saskatchewan NDP promises to reduce tuition fees with a $1,000 annual scholarship for all Saskatchewan students (to a lifetime max of $6,000), convert student loans to grants and eliminate interest on all existing student loans. For the kindergarten to Grade 12 classrooms, the party promises to hire 300 more educational assistants and 300 more teachers.
• Healthcare: The Saskatchewan NDP promises to cut the Lean program the previous government put in place. It also says it will shrink health administration and redirect $25 million annually to the front-lines of care. It says it will reduce ER wait times to a maximum of one hour for less-urgent cases by 2019. To help do this, the NDP says it will establish Quick Care Clinics with extended hours. The party also promises to shorten surgery wait times and increase home care and increase coverage and access to mental health services. 

See the full platform here. 

Saskatchewan Green Party

• Education: For post-secondary students, the Green Party says it would reinstate the original Graduate Retention Program, increasing the refundable tax portion. It also says it would phase out all tuition costs.
• Healthcare: The Green Party promises to put doctors on salary ending the "fee for service" model. It also says it will eliminate ambulance fees and expand the provincial drug plan. It also says it would expand Medicare to include optical and dental.

See the full platform here. 

Saskatchewan Liberals

• Education: For post-secondary students, the Saskatchewan Liberals promise to reduce interest rates on student loans. It says it will de-link a student's family's income to student loan qualifications. It also promises to increase work skills training. For kindergarten to Grade 12 education, the party says it will ensure per-student funding and provide discretionary funds for individual classroom needs.
• Healthcare: The Saskatchewan Liberals promise to focus on disease prevention in healthcare. It also promises to make senior care more affordable. It also promises to reduce ER wait times.

See the full platform here.