There was heated debate in the Saskatchewan legislature over the teachers contract dispute.

NDP leader Ryan Meili says teachers are facing huge pressures from overcrowded classrooms and the education minister is doing a poor job.

He says the Education minister should be replaced.

Education minister Gordon Wyant says he has revised wage offers but teachers are refusing to return to the bargaining table to reach a negotiated agreement.

Wyant says he wants to find a path forward but the union is not willing to come back to the bargaining table.

He says the offer would make teachers in this province the third highest paid in Canada.

The NDP is also calling for improved mental health services for those suffering from addiction.

Opposition critic Danielle Chartier raised the case of a young man who fell through the cracks of the system and died in a confrontation with police.

Health minister Jim Reiter recognizes the problem of mental health and says there will be more support coming in next week’s provincial budget.
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