Lumsden-Morse Saskatchewan Party candidate Blaine McLeod is warning voters of the potential impact from splitting the conservative vote in the provincial election.
He's running against Saskatchewan United Party leader Jon Hromek and three other candidates for the spot as Lumsden-Morse MLA.
"We harken back to why the Sask Party was founded," McLeod said. "To not split the vote and allow the NDP to forever govern this province. Those lessons seem to be diminishing in some people's minds, but I'm getting a sense as well as I speak to people, we can't let that happen.
"This Sask United Party is first of all, what did they unite? I would suggest that it's Sask Division Party trying to divide the conservative vote and the right leaning moderate conservative vote. I challenged Jon myself. Jon, why not take the energy and the dollars that have been put into what you're doing and bringing rejuvenation of the Sask Party? If you think that's things are not heading in the right direction, engage. Don't disengage and start something new and make that split happen again."
McLeod pointed to split conservative movements elsewhere as a warning of what could happen if parties like the Sask United Party and Buffalo Party gain ground in this election.
"They're spending a lot of time suggesting that split idea is not real, and it won't happen. Well, look around with the folks that split the vote in Alberta look around at how the vote was split in BC. It can happen and it will if they continue in the course they are. I know that if we want a strong economy... we need to keep the Sask Party in government. We can't allow that split to happen."
McLeod first won a by-election to become MLA a little over a year ago. He's enjoying being out on the campaign trail again despite a very large riding that runs from just outside Swift Current all the way up to the edge of Regina.
"It's a huge challenge," he noted. "Anytime that you get the opportunity to maybe connect with a group and touch 8 or 10 people as opposed to individual one at the doors. But to drive from rural to rural to rural home, that's huge. You might only get 10 or 12 places in a day, but then the word spreads from there and you try to make sure you make the connection.
"I'm a people person at heart. Just to bring that kind of desire to know and understand people's needs and concerns. What are you doing in healthcare or education? All those things are really, really important for a person to hear and be able to speak to the issues that people have."
McLeod came into politics from a career on the farm.
"I'm a dairy farmer," he said. "That's been my life's work. Our dairy farm is right on the south side of the highway at Caronport. The dairy industry is one where you are always on. You don't get to take that break and say I'm not milking the cows today. I take that attitude of always on into my work as a legislator, and when people come with concerns, you don't have the opportunity to say I'm sorry, I'm not working today, or I can't hear that right now. You need to take the time and prioritize their needs sometimes over your own.
"I feel like going into now a potential second term, even though the first term is only one year, that I've made the contacts. I've learned who the people are. I know how to navigate a little more. There's a whole bunch more that I have to learn, but to navigate. through the various levels of government and actually be able to bring some answers to people in terms of their concerns... any time I've been able to do that, it's just it's been a thrill for me."
McLeod represents a rural riding, and those communities have been dominated by the Saskatchewan Party politically in recent years. He feels they've done a good job representing their interests in government.
"Strong communities that the government has their back in that regard," McLeod said. "I think you know we've shown that through the municipal revenue sharing program that we have, the only province in Canada that takes a portion of the sales tax and brings it back so cities, towns and villages and municipalities. The agricultural issues are prominent as well in the riding with crop insurance and make farming affordable for especially the younger generation. Irrigation is one thing that I have really pushed hard and really proud that we announced dollars being appropriated and spent in terms of the west side project of Lake Diefenbaker. Then healthcare and education and those round out the comments that I've been hearing from folks on the campaign trail. In healthcare, our structure needs to be looked at very, very significantly in terms of how we manage better with the available dollars."
McLeod is also running against Chauntel Baudu of the NDP, Isaiah Hunter of the Green Party and Megan Torrie of the Saskatchewan Progressive Conservative Party.
Early voting has started, and election day itself is on Monday.