The provincial election campaign has officially begun for candidates of the Saskatchewan Party.
Party leader Scott Moe was joined by Regina’s Sask. Party candidates on Tuesday morning in the Queen City to share his thoughts on the 29th general election in Saskatchewan.
The candidates gathered shortly after Moe’s meeting with Lieutenant Governor Russ Mirasty at Government House in Regina to dissolve the legislative assembly.
During the Sask. Party’s event on Tuesday, Moe said his party has a plan for a strong economy, strong communities and strong families. He suggested that Saskatchewan remains well-positioned to return to normal after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Over the next four weeks, the Saskatchewan Party will be putting forward a plan for a growing economy, to make life more affordable for families, for strong fiscal management and a balanced budget by the year 2024,” proclaimed Moe.
This will be Moe’s first provincial election as leader of his party. The Sask. Party goes into this election with 46 seats while the NDP has 13 seats. Two seats are vacant.
Moe said there aren’t any particular battleground ridings for his party, but they will be focusing on a number of them.
“We will also not lose sight of the fact that with 61 Saskatchewan Party candidates, we collectively are aiming to serve all of the people of this province,” he stated. “We will be engaging with all the people in this province through our teams and our 61 very strong candidates.”
Moe also took a few opportunities to discuss what he believes the opposition NDP will offer, saying a NDP government would result in a weaker economy and a weaker Saskatchewan.
He added while his party has a plan for a strong Saskatchewan, he feels NDP leader Ryan Meili and his party have a plan to spend recklessly.
“He wants to spend with no plan to balance and no plan to grow the economy in the province,” said Moe. “It ultimately means there will be cuts at some time in the future when this type of reckless spending is allowed to occur.”
Moe furthered his comments by saying the NDP is responsible for closing hospitals, schools and long-term care beds for seniors.
Saskatchewan NDP starting up election campaign
The provincial NDP launched their campaign Tuesday morning in front of the Legislature.
NDP Leader Ryan Meili says his party aims to put people first, while Scott Moe’s government is one that will make costly and dangerous cuts to education and health care budgets during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“New Democrats are committed to a different vision of a government that puts Saskatchewan first so that when we build our roads, our hospitals, our schools, we’re building with our tax dollars (and) that money stays in Saskatchewan with our companies and our workers doing the building,” Meili said. “We make sure these workers earn a decent wage as we jumpstart local economies by raising the minimum wage to $15/hour.”
Meili says their plan includes investments that will help the economy get moving in Saskatchewan.
“In this campaign, we’re saying loud and clear to the people of Saskatchewan ‘you have a choice,’” Meili said. “You don’t have to settle for Scott Moe and the status quo, you can vote for the change you want and get it with a New Democratic government.”
Meanwhile, Meili says the Sask. party is running on an austerity platform, adding Saskatchewan has seen this before.
“In 2017, when they shut down STC, cut health, cut education, tried to sell-off SaskTel and SGI, and if they’re re-elected, it will only be worse — austerity on steroids,” Meili said. “This is all Scott Moe knows. Scott Moe and the Sask. Party are out of ideas.”
The province goes to the polls on October 26th.
(CKRM)
