NDP makes gains but Moe still wins in Saskatchewan

On October 18th the Sask. Party was reelected for a fifth term under Scott Moe. His party captured 34 of the 61 seats available to them. This is the bad news. However the NDP managed to increase their seats from 13 to 27 seats which will mean they will have more political clout in the legislature if they choose to use it.

 

The exact final count of seats will not be known until Nov. 9 when the final count will be done including all mail in ballots. A few ridings will change from Sask. Party to NDP depending on these mail in ballots. 

 

The Saskatchewan United Party, the Saskatchewan Conservative Party and the Buffalo Party, all parties known to be farther to the right than the Saskatchewan Party, didn't garner a single seat.

 

In fact Nadine Wilson, a former member of the Sask. party and anti vaxxer did not even make a dent. The same was true for the Green party and independents supposedly on the left of the political spectrum. The Sask. Party won handily in the rural areas.

 

Most ridings were won by 4 or 5 times more votes than their second challengers. The smaller cities of Prince Albert, Moose Jaw and Yorkton also went to the Sask. Party, but these were much closer races.

 

The reason the NDP did not do well in the rural areas was partially due to the closure of rural hospitals and the laying off of  500 nurses in the 1990’s. There also was not much in their election  promises.

 

The NDP swept the two big cities of Saskatoon and Regina. All are NDP except for one riding in Saskatoon but it is very close. All the cabinet  ministers in the cities were defeated, notably Browlyn Eyre, Attorney General and Justice Minister, Gene Makowsky, Social Services Minister, Christine Tell, Environment Minister, Paul Merriman, Minister of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety and Minister of Parks, Culture and Sport.

 

There was a low voter turnout with only 54% of eligible voters voting. However, I believe the outcome is due to the poor performance in the cities with dealing with the problems of healthcare, education, housing and the cost of living. The Sask. Party let 3162 affordable housing units deteriorate and sit empty. They also came late to providing shelters and treatment centres for the homeless and addicted. Also, the Sask Party's plan to add a third policing service in Saskatchewan in the form of Marshals, to the tune of over 20 million dollars annually, angered many.

 

Then there is the dismal support for public education. There are too many children in individual classrooms and many children who are not able to get the extra help they need due to language barriers, emotional problems or chronic illness. Catholic and Christian schools are given much more latitude and monetary support. Then there was the awful decision of this government insisting students can't choose their own pronouns unless their parents approve. This is a direct hit to trans youth. During the election, Moe also added that there would be no gender neutral change rooms in schools.

 

The LBGTQ communities are mounting a fightback campaign. Moe had stated these anti-trans positions would be enacted as his first order of business, even though there are more pressing problems in public education. In his subdued victory speech, this order of business did not come up.

 

The NDP will have to pull up their socks and become a fighting opposition and work with labour and other groups to show they are the best people to get public health and education back on track and stop the onslaught of the Sask. Party. They also need to champion the fight against cost of living increases, homelessness and addiction.

 

Good luck! I'm going to put my faith in frontline healthcare workers, education workers and the LGBTQ community, and the people of Saskatchewan to keep the politicians honest and on the right track.