NDP vows to keep Saskatchewan workers and products at home

The Saskatchewan NDP believes tax dollars spent in the province should stay in its communities, so that’s the goal of the party’s new “Hire Saskatchewan” commitment.

The party said Tuesday an NDP provincial government will prioritize hiring Saskatchewan workers and companies and using made-in-Saskatchewan materials on public infrastructure.

NDP Leader Carla Beck said making that a priority will benefit the people of Saskatchewan.

“When we invest locally, those dollars get reinvested into communities (and) into services and this frankly is common sense,” Beck said during a media conference in Regina.

Beck said under Scott Moe’s government, Saskatchewan has the worst job record in the country and local workers are being left behind.

She said she isn’t concerned with supporting jobs in Ontario, Alberta or the United States, and noted there is so much potential here in the province.

“I think there is a lot to be proud of in terms of the quality work that Saskatchewan workers do,” she said.

This doesn’t mean closing the door to organizations from outside the province, but rather just prioritizing local work and materials when possible.

“We’re not talking about pulling up the walls at the border. This is about deriving the maximum benefit from the Saskatchewan economy for Saskatchewan workers,” she said.

Beck said there are a number of factors that go into making a request for proposal (RFP) like cost, quality of service and the benefit of Saskatchewan people. She said that benefit is the NDP’s priority.

“It’s to ensure that those Saskatchewan tax dollars are used to get the most value (and) the most benefit for this province,” she said.

Beck provided examples of Saskatchewan infrastructure that was outsourced, including the Regina Bypass and call centres. She said some of the call centres used in Saskatchewan are in Texas or on the east coast. She said these jobs can and should be sourced at home.

The party leader also said an NDP government also would scrap the PST on construction labour for municipal infrastructure projects.

Lori Carr, the Sask. Party MLA for Estevan and the minister of SaskBuilds and procurement, said there are more than 17,000 jobs available on Saskjobs today.

Carr said since 2020, out of $934.9 million worth of contracts, 94.7 per cent were Saskatchewan-based. She said that means $885.3 million went back to Saskatchewan businesses and workers.

“Despite what the NDP are saying, we are both procuring and contracting locally in Saskatchewan the vast majority of our contract and procurement. We have job creation happening in this province,” Carr said.