Saskatchewan Legislature. (file photo/CKOM News Staff)

By CKOM News Staff

Writ drops; Saskatchewan election campaign underway

Sep 29, 2020 | 12:06 PM

And they’re off.

After visiting Lt.-Gov. Russ Mirasty at Government House on Tuesday morning, Scott Moe officially announced the Saskatchewan election campaign is underway.

The election is to be held Oct. 26.

Moe said he would have more to say later Tuesday — a Saskatchewan Party campaign kickoff event was set to begin at 11 a.m. — but he did offer one comment.

“Very much, we are looking forward — I am looking forward — to getting out and engaging with the people across this province and asking for their support and seeing where that support will lie on Oct. 26,” Moe said.

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Earlier Tuesday, NDP Leader Ryan Meili launched his party’s campaign, outlining the NDP’s plan to use Saskatchewan workers for capital projects, to raise the province’s minimum wage, to invest in the energy sector and to offer affordable child care and home care.

“(The Sask. Party is) going to tell you that isn’t possible, that we have to settle for less, that we have no choice,” Meili said.

“Scott Moe may be satisfied. He may think everything’s fine and in fact he can cut even deeper. But Saskatchewan people sure aren’t satisfied and I’m here to tell you, we don’t have to accept more of the same. We have a choice. We can do better.

“We plan to run a great campaign against a bad government.”

Moe’s Saskatchewan Party held 46 of the 61 seats in the legislature when it was dissolved. The NDP held 13 seats and two seats were vacant.

The Sask. Party has been in power since 2007, making it the longest-serving provincial government currently in Canada.

In Saskatchewan’s history, only three parties have served four consecutive terms. A win in October would make the Sask. Party the fourth.

It’s Moe’s first election as the party’s leader. He succeeded Brad Wall as leader in January of 2018 after Wall retired from politics.

Meili will be leading the New Democrats into a provincial election for the first time as well. He was elected as the party’s leader in March of 2018 following the resignation of Cam Broten.

There are six registered political parties in the province: The Saskatchewan Party, the NDP, the Buffalo Party of Saskatchewan, the Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Green Party and the Saskatchewan Liberal Party. Candidates also can run as independents.