The Saskatchewan NDP is pushing for a Sask-First procurement model to ensure that Saskatchewan workers and companies get the chance to build Saskatchewan infrastructure.
The latest call comes in response to a letter by SaskPower鈥檚 President and CEO dated April 7, 2020, stating less than a quarter of the funding for the Chinook Power Station went to local companies and that Saskatchewan workers make up less than half the workforce onsite.聽
鈥淢ajor infrastructure projects like the Chinook Power Station drive employment and trades experience that is crucial to our recovery, but the Sask. Party鈥檚 unwillingness to hire locally means we鈥檙e using our money to stimulate Alberta鈥檚 or France鈥檚 economy, not Saskatchewan鈥檚,鈥� said NDP leader, Ryan Meili.
鈥淪askatchewan workers and companies are struggling to make ends meet, while the Sask. Party keeps handing over hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts to out-of-province companies,鈥� Meili continued.聽
The Chinook Power Station cost Saskatchewan over $600 million, but in his letter, Marsh wrote, 鈥淭otal contract awards for the project to local companies was more than 140 million dollars鈥� which is less than a quarter of the total.
He also wrote, 鈥淪askatchewan skilled trade workers made up approximately 44 per cent of the manpower onsite.鈥澛�
鈥淥nce again, the Sask. Party has let Saskatchewan workers and Saskatchewan companies down,鈥� said NDP Finance Critic Trent Wotherspoon. 鈥淥ur economic recovery hinges on real action on Sask First procurement. Working families don鈥檛 need more empty words from this government 鈥� they need action.鈥�
