The Canadian Press
Sun, October 27, 2024
REGINA — Saskatchewan's provincial election is on Monday. Here's a look at some of the campaign promises made by the two major parties:
Saskatchewan Party
— Continue withholding federal carbon levy payments to Ottawa on natural gas until the end of 2025.
— Reduce personal income tax rates over four years; a family of four would save $3,400.
— Double the Active Families Benefit to $300 per child per year and the benefit for children with disabilities to $400 a year.
— Direct all school divisions to ban "biological boys" from girls' change rooms in schools.
— Increase the First-Time Homebuyers Tax Credit to $15,000 from $10,000.
— Reintroduce the Home Renovation Tax Credit, allowing homeowners to claim up to $4,000 in renovation costs on their income taxes; seniors could claim up to $5,000.
— Extend coverage for insulin pumps and diabetes supplies to seniors and young adults
— Provide a 50 per cent refundable tax credit — up to $10,000 — to help cover the cost of a first fertility treatment.
— Hire 100 new municipal officers and 70 more officers with the Saskatchewan Marshals Service.
— Amend legislation to provide police with more authority to address intoxication, vandalism and disturbances on public property.
— Platform cost of $1.2 billion, with deficits in the first three years and a small surplus in 2027.
---
NDP
— Pause the 15-cent-a-litre gas tax for six months, saving an average family about $350.
— Remove the provincial sales tax from children's clothes and ready-to-eat grocery items like rotisserie chickens and granola bars.
— Pass legislation to limit how often and how much landlords can raise rent.
— Repeal the law that requires parental consent when children under 16 want to change their names or pronouns at school.
— Launch a provincewide school nutrition program.
— Build more schools and reduce classroom sizes.
— Hire 800 front-line health-care workers in areas most in need.
— Launch an accountability commission to investigate cost overruns for government projects.
— Scrap the marshals service.
— Hire 100 Mounties and expand detox services.
— Platform cost of $3.5 billion, with small deficits in the first three years and a small surplus in the fourth year.
---
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 27, 2024.
The Canadian Press
'Dumb mistake': What politicians had to say during the Saskatchewan election campaign
The Canadian Press
Sun, October 27, 2024
REGINA — Saskatchewan's provincial election is on Monday. The Saskatchewan Party, in government for the last 17 years, is hoping for a return to power, while the NDP is fighting to move out of the Opposition benches.
Here are some memorable quotes from politicians during the four-week campaign:
"Very dumb mistake. One word and it can change your life ... to the people involved, I offer my apology again. I wish I could bring it back. Unfortunately, I can't." — Saskatchewan Party candidate David Buckingham, after it came to light that he used a racial slur referencing a Black person in the government caucus office last year
"We very much strive to be a diverse and inclusive party, very much with the policies that we have enacted with the honour of forming government over the last decade and a half." — Saskatchewan Party Leader Scott Moe said in response to Buckingham's apology
"I said things in my 20s that I don’t believe now whatsoever ... my focus now is on being a positive influence in our society, and any music I’ve created in recent years has been devoted to that." — NDP candidate Phil Smith, a former rapper, after the Saskatchewan Party criticized some of his lyrics as misogynistic, pro-drugs and pro-crime
"If that's what (Moe) wants to focus on, he can fill his boots ... but we're focused on the things that Saskatchewan people need." — NDP Leader Carla Beck in response to the Saskatchewan Party's criticism of Smith's music
"I'm so proud of our province and all that we have been able to achieve together." — Moe during the televised leaders' debate
"I see opportunity in every corner of this province. But under Scott Moe and the Sask. Party, there's too much opportunity being left on the table and too many Saskatchewan people being left behind." — Beck during the debate.
"There will be a directive that would come from the minister of education that would say that biological boys will not be in the change room with biological girls." — Moe said the campaign promise would be his first order of business if re-elected premier, as he had recently heard of a school change room complaint about the issue. The pledge was not part of the Saskatchewan Party's platform document.
""Politics is a difficult job. When you sign up for the job, you know that your public life will be open to scrutiny. Your children don't sign up for that." — NDP candidate Nicole Sarauer said in response to Moe's change room promise, as it was revealed another NDP candidate's children were the subjects of the school complaint.
"What appears is there was at least one bullet that was shot into their campaign office ... we've seen this in the U.S. presidential campaign, not in a provincial Saskatchewan election.” — Moe said after holes were found in a window at the Regina campaign office of Saskatchewan Party candidate Rahul Singh. Police later said the damage was not the result of a firearm.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 27, 2024.
The Canadian Press
Saskatchewan election race tightens as parties spend final day campaigning
Jeremy Simes
Sun, October 27, 2024 at 5:20 p.m. MDT·5 min read
REGINA — Saskatchewan's election campaign entered its final day Sunday, with both main party leaders vying for government in what has shaped up to be the tightest race in nearly two decades.
Scott Moe's Saskatchewan Party is seeking a fifth-straight majority after 17 years in office, while Carla Beck's NDP is looking to take back government for the first time since 2007.
Political experts say Moe is still favoured to win, given his party's strength in rural areas, but the question is: How small of a Saskatchewan Party majority could it be?
Election day is Monday.
"I think the parties are much closer than they've been in 17 years," Charles Smith, a professor of political studies at St. Thomas More College in Saskatoon, said in a recent interview.
"For the first time in well over a decade, (the NDP) is competitive in ways they haven't been."
Tom McIntosh, a political scientist at the University of Regina, said the electoral map favours the Saskatchewan Party.
"The NDP are the sort of happy warriors of the campaign," McIntosh said.
"I'm not sure the Sask. Party is showing that same kind of enthusiasm. That would be hard to do when you know you've got a massive majority, and you know it's going to be substantially cut by any measure."
Daniel Westlake, a political studies professor at the University of Saskatchewan, said Moe may lose a lot of urban seats, including those in the smaller cities of Prince Albert and Moose Jaw.
"I'm hesitant to predict anything with any kind of certainty, but right now, it looks like a race where the Saskatchewan Party probably loses seats but still forms government," Westlake said.
Polls have suggested a tightening race between both parties, but the breakdown on constituencies means an uphill fight for the NDP.
To win a majority in the 61-seat legislature, the NDP would need to sweep the 28 seats in the three largest cities — Saskatoon, Regina and Prince Albert — and hope for help elsewhere.
At dissolution, the governing Saskatchewan Party had 42 seats, while the Opposition NDP had 14. There were four Independents and one seat was vacant.
The campaign has largely focused on health care, affordability and crime, though Moe raised the issue of school change rooms later in the race.
In his pledge, Moe said his first order of business if re-elected would be to ban “biological boys” from using school changing rooms with “biological girls.”
He made the promise after learning of a complaint at a southeast Saskatchewan school about two biological boys using a girls change room. The pledge was not previously included in his party’s platform document.
A parent of the two children subject to the complaint is an NDP candidate. Moe has said he didn’t know that when he made the promise.
Beck has said the ban would make vulnerable kids more vulnerable. She’s also promised to repeal a Saskatchewan Party law that requires parental consent when children under 16 want to change their names and pronouns at school.
Beck has said voters want the next government to deal with more pressing issues, including classroom sizes, fixing health care and being able to afford gas and groceries.
Smith said he thinks Moe's change-room plan is meant to lure social conservatives who might be eyeing the right-wing Saskatchewan United Party.
"I also think attacking a candidate's children is very concerning, although he (says) he didn't know it," Smith said.
McIntosh said the change-room issue isn't top of mind for voters.
"Where it does motivate people, they were likely already going to vote Sask. Party anyway," he said.
On Saturday in Saskatoon, Moe said incumbent provincial governments have had it tough.
"And that's likely, you know, the case we're having -- a challenging election I would say here in Saskatchewan," Moe said.
Blaine Higgs' New Brunswick Progressive Conservatives were defeated last week to Susan Holt's Liberals. Higgs, who lost his own seat, was in power for six years.
Beck said Saturday in Saskatoon there's a "feeling of change" out there.
"I'm not taking anything for granted. I'm not built that way. I know we're going to have to knock every door and pull every vote, but I am feeling optimistic," Beck said.
A spokesperson for Moe said he didn't have any public events scheduled for Sunday.
Moe has promised broad tax relief and to continue withholding federal carbon levy payments to Ottawa.
His platform is to cost an additional $1.2 billion over four years. He says his tax reduction plan would save a family of four $3,400 over four years. It also includes tax credits for those looking to grow their families or put their children in sports and arts.
Moe has promised deficits in the first two years, followed by a surplus in 2027.
On Sunday, Beck told supporters in Regina people have had enough of Moe's Saskatchewan Party.
"(The Saskatchewan Party) has used fear tactics, playing on worst instincts, because they are terrified of losing power," she said.
"This province belongs to the people of Saskatchewan, not any politician. Saskatchewan belongs to you.
"We are better than this, and we know damn well you deserve better than this."
She has pledged to spend more to fix health care and education, pause the gas tax, and remove the provincial sales tax on children's clothes and some grocery items.
Beck says her promises are to cost an additional $3.5 billion over four years, with plans to balance the budget by the end of her term.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 27, 2024.
Jeremy Simes, The Canadian Press
No comments:
Post a Comment