REGINA — The Opposition New Democrats say they will introduce a bill in the Legislative Assembly to stop the Saskatchewan Health Authority from bringing in what the NDP are calling a “snitch line.”
In a statement, the NDP said they are bringing forward the bill in the spring sitting “in response to massive public backlash.”
“We intend to bring forward legislation during the Spring Sitting that makes things really simple — no snitch lines in Saskatchewan hospitals,” said Nathaniel Teed, NDP labour critic, in a statement.
The NDP had previously denounced the SHA in January over issuing an RFP for an “anonymous reporting mechanism” for health-care workers to report complaints.
The SHA has said the mechanism is meant to allow workers to anonymously report "serious concerns such as fraud, conflicts of interest, or other wrongdoing," according to its statement in January. But the Opposition has claimed the line will be used by the government to target workers who speak out against poor conditions and overcrowding in Saskatchewan’s hospitals.
In its latest news release Tuesday, the NDP repeated those claims.
“The Sask. Party’s health authority will continue relentlessly to target the very workers exposing their failures, so we’re going to take away this intimidation tactic once and for all," Teed said. "Frontline healthcare workers should be able to focus on stitches and not have to worry about snitches.”
In addition to the bill, the NDP is launching a new petition website, StitchesNotSnitches.ca, and encouraging more people to sign a petition in opposition.
This is the latest in a lengthy list of proposed bills the Official Opposition has either announced or already introduced for the current session. Others include a bill to stop SaskPower and SGI rate increases, a bill to bring in rent control, and a bill to require future legislation invoking the notwithstanding clause to be referred to the provincial Court of Appeal.
The expectation is there will be stiff opposition from the Sask. Party majority to the Opposition's legislation when the legislative session resumes March 2.
