Sask. NDP says province should focus on healthcare failures rather than policing kids' pronouns

NDP says province ignoring health care crises WATCH: The Sask. NDP says the focus in Saskatchewan now should be on improving patient care, not policing children's gender expression.

The Saskatchewan NDP is accusing the premier of ignoring and deflecting issues in healthcare.

NDP health critic Vicki Mowat said government should be discussing the family doctor shortage, surgical wait times and staff retention in remote areas instead of enforcing a bill to protect the controversial pronoun policy from legal battles.

The Saskatchewan government called for an emergency session to introduce Bill 137, the Parental Bill of Rights, on Thursday.

The bill outlines rights parents have to be involved in their children’s education, which includes preventing students under 16-years-old from changing their name or pronouns at school without consent.

“This is the first emergency sitting in about 25 years,” Mowat told reporters outside Saskatoon’s Royal University Hospital on Monday.

“And are we debating the emergency in health care? Access to family doctors? … No. We're debating taking Charter rights and human rights away from vulnerable kids.”

CTV News contacted the province for comment but has not yet received a response.

“It's clear that Scott Moe and the Sask. Party have zero interest in actually debating the real issues facing the people of our province,” Mowat said.

MLAs are expected to debate Bill 137 for 40 hours.

The regular fall session begins Oct. 25.