NDP promises to spend more on health care, Sask. Party focuses on benefits for kids

As the election campaign continues, both major provincial political parties are making another set of promises.

The NDP is promising to spend more on health care.

If elected, the party would spend $100 million on hiring new staff for hospitals and clinics. It would aim to hire 100 doctors, 150 registered nurses, 300 licensed practical nurses and 500 continuing care assistants.

NDP Leader Ryan Meili criticized the Saskatchewan Party’s health-care spending.

“The global pandemic has shown us the importance of a well-funded, high-quality health-care system. The Sask. Party’s cuts have undermined health care in our province. All across the system, people are facing worryingly long wait times to get crucial treatment,” he said in a media release.

“Cuts to health care are a bad idea in normal times — now, they are downright dangerous. It’s time for real investment that ensures Saskatchewan families have access to the care they need, when they need it.”

Sask. Party focuses on kids

The Sask. Party promised a couple of benefits for children Monday.

It would bring back the Active Families Benefit, which promises up to $150 a year per child for families to pay for extracurricular activities like sports and art. Families would need to earn less than $60,000 a year to be eligible.

For children with disabilities, the benefit grows to $200 a year.

“One of the best ways to ensure strong, healthy families is to have your children involved in sports, or in arts and cultural activities,” Sask. Party Leader Scott Moe said in a media release.

“Over the years, I have coached hockey and softball and I know what a benefit those activities have been to our kids and other kids in our community. I also know that it costs money to get your kids involved in sports and other activities, so the Saskatchewan Party wants to help parents with some of those costs.”

On top of that, the party is also promising to open 750 more child-care spaces across the province by 2024.

The Sask. Party said there would be 230 new spaces in new schools that are to be built over the next four years. Increased financial support for home-based child care would result in 520 new spaces in that area over the next four years.