Carla Streeton, the NDP candidate in the Martensville-Warman riding, says her party will invest millions in health and education.
“I’m a teacher at Warman Elementary School,” said Streeton in an interview October 7. “I’ve commuted from my home in Saskatoon to the school in Warman for the past six years.
“During those years there have been cuts in education. We’ve lost so many staff, including EAs, librarians and other support staff.
“The education sector can shoulder no more. Enough is enough.”
While Streeton acknowledges she is an underdog in the race, having been nominated as the NDP candidate for the riding on September 14, she’s determined to give it her best shot.
“I always play to win,” she said. “It’s an uphill battle, but I believe that people need to have a choice, and they need to know that they have a choice. I’m proud to have my name stand as the NDP candidate.”
Streeton said she decided to run for the NDP in early August.
“The deciding factor for me was when Education Minister Gordon Wyant announced his back to school plan,” said Streeton. “Across the province, everyone’s jaws dropped because there was not a dollar provided to help us keep our kids safe in school during a global pandemic.
“I had this opportunity to step up and raise these concerns and do something about it, so I decided to run in this constituency.”
Streeton said her party has announced its plans for significant investment in education, including hiring more teachers and support staff to provide children with the services they need.
She added that teachers across the province have been calling for smaller class sizes, and her party agrees with that position.
She noted the NDP has also pledged to make significant investments in health care by hiring 1,000 additional doctors and nurses in the continuing care system.
She said the NDP will build a surgical centre in Regina to reduce wait times, and has already announced investments in the hospital in Prince Albert.
In addition, she added, her party plans to invest in expanding home care, particularly for seniors, to keep them in their homes as long as possible.
“Our seniors built this province and deserve to age with dignity,” said Streeton.