Saskatchewan delegation talks trade on Mideast trip
The NDP is calling on the Saskatchewan government to adjust its procurement processes in order to create jobs for people living in the province.
NDP leader Ryan Meili was in Swift Current Friday to make the point public dollars spent on Saskatchewan infrastructure projects should employ local people.
He was at Saskpower’s Chinook Power Station construction site, and said a “large number” of the 640 employees working there are from out of province, a sign to him that “the procurement process is not working as it should.”
Meili is urging the province to review that process so that it includes a “full scope analysis of benefits” rather than just the lowestpriced tender.
According to Saskatchewan Building Trades, its members worked 57 per cent fewer hours in 2017 than in 2012, and the numbers for 2018 are on track to be even worse.
Meili said the issue is not about the freedom of labour or trade, but rather that the provincial government focuses on putting Saskatchewan people in a position where they can get the jobs being paid for by provincial taxpayers.
“You’ve got a lot more people out of work and we are not approaching these large public projects through the full economic impact,” he said.
Earlier this year, the Saskatchewan government backed away from what it once described as the “perfect solution” to unsubstantiated rumours of contractors with Saskatchewan licence plates being banned in Alberta, suspending its short-lived policy of not allowing those with Alberta licence plates to work on Saskatchewan highways and infrastructure projects.
That decision came hours before an arbitration panel under the New West Partnership (NWP) was set to begin deliberations on the licence plate ban.
Alberta initiated that review process, available under the partnership agreement, arguing the ban was a clear violation of interprovincial free trade rules.
Meili said Friday Saskatchewan’s foray into that debate was “a bit of populist rhetoric” that “didn’t actually make a ton of sense” because it was “all politics” and had little to do with addressing the issue of getting Saskatchewan people working.
In response, the province sent a lengthy statement saying the province is “committed to ensuring local companies have the opportunity to compete in and win contracts fairly.” It says under the Priority Saskatchewan program, there is a basis for awarding contracts to the “best value”, “which can take into account factors like quality, supplier experience and knowledge of local conditions.”
“We consider ‘local’ companies to be those that keep an office, hire workers and pay taxes in Saskatchewan. The location of their head office/suites is not the determinant. This definition was proposed by industry during consultations.”