Around 40 people turned out to the provincial candidates forum for the Humboldt-Watrous constituency on Thursday night. The event, hosted by the Humboldt and District Chamber of Commerce, was held at the Humboldt Legion Hall. Four of the six candidates running in the constituency took questions and responded based on their parties’ platforms and policies and their own advocacy intentions.
Joe von Doellen from the Chamber of Commerce moderated the evening in a Q&A style format that rotated through the candidates. In attendance were Megan Christianson of the Buffalo Party, Kevin Fallis from the New Democrats, Carrie Anne Hradecki with the Sask United Party, and late arrival Rose Buscholl of the Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan.
On the matter of supporting small business in rural areas, the Buffalo party promised tax credits after graduation to entrepreneurs and to keep going after red tape at various levels that cause barriers for working with industry. New Democrats are promising a $40,000 startup grant for small employers and have said they would focus on building Saskatchewan businesses with Saskatchewan products. This Sask United Party promised to cut the PST in half and cut the gas tax completely, all while dealing with red tape. They also promised the establishment of a Saskatchewan First Bank to support business development.
When it comes to workforce challenges, the NDP's Fallis noted that with 50,000 people currently out of a job, it was a matter of matching local needs with the worker inventory. He supported work engagement through mentoring. Hradecki said it's about affordability for workers and referred again to the cuts. She also stressed responsible immigration policies and opposing identity politics when hiring. The Buffalo Party and Megan Christensen also supported a Sask workers first philosophy.
Supporting senior citizens in the face of rising costs led the Sask United Party to develop a 65% discount on property tax or seniors policy. Hradecki advocates for more transportation options for seniors. The Buffalo party went one step further promising to reinstate the Saskatchewan Transportation Company and work with the Saskatchewan Seniors Mechanism on new policies. The NDP cautioned that the seniors Bill of Rights needed to be reinstated, and there is a need to guarantee minimum staffing at long term care centers.
All candidates agreed that education and healthcare were major concerns. The NDP promised a $2 billion injection to help education funding progress to previous levels. Challenges with classroom complexity and violence all pointed to a need for bolstering staffing at all levels in schools. However, parties differ in their approach on the issue of gender identification policies in schools and provincially.
Other topics included healthcare in rural or underserved areas, upgrading provincial infrastructure, supporting underserved or marginalized people, crime reduction and public safety, among others.
“I think it was a successful night tonight with the turnout from the community members,” said Interim Director of the Chamber Elvircia Natlazo-Vythilingum. “Even for myself, I’ve learned a lot from the questions about tax cuts and what changes can be made. As one of the candidates said, it’s important for us to make sure we do our research to find out which party we want to vote for.”
The next candidates’ forum happens on Thursday, October 24 featuring those running for municipal office in Humboldt. The event starts at 7:00 pm at the Legion Hall. It is once again hosted by the Humboldt and District Chamber of Commerce.