REGINA - A dire nursing shortage and long wait times brought the issue of health care to centre stage as Saskatchewan's official Opposition party held its annual convention.
The governing NDP have taken too long to address problems in the system, Saskatchewan Party Leader Brad Wall suggested on Sunday - one day after convention delegates heard a warning from nurses.
"Unfortunately for health care in Saskatchewan the bar is not set high," Wall told reporters.
"The bar as it relates to the status quo, the current NDP plan, is drastically and tragically low because of the terrible job they've done on the issue."
Wall said the Saskatchewan Party was "absolutely committed" to more resources for front line health-care workers, but he stopped short of backing a multimillion dollar call from the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses.
On Saturday, union president Rosalee Longmoore told about 400 delegates that it would take $250 million to address the nursing shortage and other workload issues.
Longmoore also blasted the NDP government's record on recruiting and retaining nurses.
That prompted comments from one Saskatchewan Party delegate on Sunday, who called Longmoore's presentation "very, very disturbing."
The NDP has unveiled plans recently aimed at keeping health care workers in the province, including a $6-million program announced on Jan. 31 to help reduce employee workload and burnout.
But Wall suggested it has been a situation of too little, too late.
"We see in health care concerns still on waiting lists, on health care recruitment and retention," he said. "We heard from Ms. Longmoore (on Saturday) that 'No, the problems are not solved.' "
"This tired, old, 14-year-old NDP government, has come to these issues at the last moment ... and people see through that."
Wall said he believed the nursing issue would be a priority in the next election campaign.
No date has been set for a vote, but it's anticipated that Saskatchewan residents will head to the polls this year in a provincial election.
In anticipation, the Saskatchewan Party held election readiness sessions at the convention.
The sessions focused on what worked and what didn't work in the November 2003 election, which the Saskatchewan Party lost by a narrow margin, and a byelection last year, which the party won.
"We are ready," said Wall. "The membership is ready, our candidates are door-knocking, we have the plan in place."
"All that's left now is for Mr. Calvert to call the election."
