REGINA - Saskatchewan Party Leader Brad Wall today said the Official Opposition will demand that equalization be the first order of business in the upcoming spring session of the legislative assembly.

"The Calvert NDP says they want to spend the first few days of session talking about the centennial, and while that is an important thing to do, we believe there will be lots of time throughout the session to do that," Wall said. "When the spring session kicks off March 14, we want equalization to be front and centre.

"The message that came out of last week's all-party meeting on a better deal for Saskatchewan under the equalization program is this: we have to ramp up the fight," Wall said.

Wall has asked Opposition House Leader Rod Gantefoer to tell his NDP counterpart Harry Van Mulligen in a meeting next week that equalization must top the agenda.

"The Saskatchewan Party wants an emergency debate on equalization on opening day," Wall said. "And what could be a better present for Saskatchewan's centennial than a new equalization deal for the province?"

Wall says the Saskatchewan Party will continue to hold the Calvert NDP to account in the upcoming session on issues of competency and their lack of a long-term vision for the future of Saskatchewan.

"We're also going to continue to raise the concerns of people of Saskatchewan in their legislature - be they about the longest waiting lists in the country, the food allowance, treatment for people with addictions, tax cuts for low-income earners, job creation or the plight of our producers," Wall said. "These are the issues that are important to the people of Saskatchewan.

"And they are the issues the Calvert NDP does not have the competence to handle."

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For further information, Saskatchewan Party Caucus, Regina, 787-4300.