Weyburn's Rose McInnis is the official candidate in the Weyburn-Bengough Riding for the Sask United Party for the Provincial Election being held October 28th.
Having always voted Conservative, McInnis was never much for politics. However, this is why the party suits her so well, and when Sask United Party Leader Jon Hromek was speaking in Weyburn, she said she felt compelled to join their efforts.
"I'm going to knock on doors. I'm going to hear peoples' concerns, and that's who I want to represent. I feel like a lot of us have lost a voice and we feel that the government is kind of working for their own benefits instead of listening to what the common people want," she said.
McInnis said the Sask United Party doesn't want career politicians, but rather, "somebody who resonates with the people who are going to stand up and be a voice for them. They have said go ahead, fight for what you need to fight for in your constituency. I don't have my hands tied to any topic."
She said so far she has three talking points.
"Of course, I'm just getting started and maybe more will arise that I need to address first is the wind turbines, affordability, and healthcare in general. Physical healthcare and mental healthcare needs to be addressed," she explained, elaborating, "Our party's strategy, one of them, is if we're low on therapists, doctors, nurses, our idea is to train people in Saskatchewan and pay for that training and then they be locked into our province for X amount of years so that we're guaranteed if someone needs mental health counseling, there's somebody there to look after them."
She said Hromek was interested in her background with CMHA. "It's important, in his view as well. So it's going to be a huge factor in my platform. It's important to me."
McInnis said she is, "pretty much an open book. I have always been a problem solver, so when people come to me, I'm always, 'well, how could I help them? What kind of resources could I hand over to them to be able to make their lives a bit easier? Can we come up with a resolution together?' I don't focus so much on the problem itself, but the resolution."
The Sask United Party's grassroots approach is appealing, as, "It's common people running for common people. If I was to be the MLA for Weyburn, I will be the most vocal and most hated woman in that place. That's what I expect and I'm okay with that."
"I'm not in this for money. I am in this to fix. When I realized how much an MLA gets paid, I said to myself, in good conscience, I'm not accepting all of that," she noted. "I am accepting it, but it's going to be turned back into Weyburn, whatever that percentage is. I've told this to my campaign team, it's too much. I am working for the people. So when if I feel the wage is too high for an MLA, I want that kickback back in my community. I'm going to bring it back home because I think it's too much."
McInnis concluded, "I am honest and truthful and I want to hear people's concerns. I would rather meet one-on-one, than in town halls. I'll have to do town halls, but I resonate more with people so I can listen to each person's concerns and see what I need to focus on here."