More teachers, senior care workers included in NDP platform

The NDP released its full election platform today, promising to spend more on teachers and health care workers, and paying for that by cutting $178 million in Saskatchewan Party spending.

Over the past few weeks, the party has made a number of policy announcements, including offering a tax cut to the middle-class, reducing emergency room wait times and expanding mental health coverage for children.

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Now the party is adding to those commitments, saying it will redirect $122 million of the $178 million they will save into what the party thinks is important to Saskatchewan families.

The NDP will spend about $106 million to hire additional health care staff, including care aides in seniors' care homes. The NDP will also put those savings towards hiring 300 teachers and 300 educational assistants costing them $8.6 million in 2016-17 and up to $33.2 million in 2019-20.

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"This election is about priorities," said NDP leader Cam Broten in a news release. "While the Sask. Party is focused on making their friends and foreign consultants richer, I'm focused on making life more affordable for everyday families."

The party predicts it would run a $189 million deficit next year, but would start showing surpluses by 2017.

Next year, the NDP would spend $5 million more on housing first homelessness projects. It would also increase supplementary employment benefits by $1 million, and spend $900,000 to hire more child protection workers.

"New Democrats have cleaned up conservative deficits before, and we're prepared to do it again," Broten said.

Additional promises in the NDP platform include:

• Cutting three cabinet minister positions and reducing the Premier's political staff by 15 per cent, saving $6.8 million over four years.

• Delivering 2,000 more child care spaces and establishing an early learning and childhood care registry, costing $2 million in 2016-17 and increasing up to $8.5 million in 2019-20. 

• Raising the minimum wage to $11.25 in October 2016. By 2018, the NDP will boost the minimum wage to at least $13.25 per hour, by indexing it to inflation.

• The NDP promises to cut post-secondary tuition by $1,000 per year, taking a $4.5 million hit in 2016-17, increasing up to $9 million in 2019-20. 

• The party will commit to meet 15-minute and 30-minute wait times for emergency and urgent care by the end of 2018, and one-hour waits for less-urgent cases by the end of 2019. The party also plans to restore surgical funding and enhanced home care services for a total improved service budget of about $28 million. 

• The NDP vows to spend $9.8 million in 2016-17 and up to $19.3 million in 2019-20 to eliminate the pay-per kilometre ambulance and transfer fees.

• The NDP will hire 35 nurse practitioners to assist emergency room doctors and help treat non-urgent cases through a "fast track" system, costing the government $2.9 million in 2016-17 and increasing up to $6.44 million in 2019-20.

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