The campaign is in full swing for the 2024 Saskatchewan provincial election. We are reaching out to the leaders of the parties of the province and will be asking them the same set of questions.
Scott Moe is the leader of the Saskatchewan Party and will be running in the riding of Rosthern-Shellbrook. We caught up with him on Thursday morning.
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How does it feel to finally be on the official campaign trail after what seems to have been a summer of campaigning?
It feels great. You know, in the four-year cycle, this is the most enjoyable part, getting out and meeting leaders, people from across the province, and seeing all the good work they're doing in their community, building a stronger community, stronger province, and stronger nation. So, in the four-year cycle, this is the best part, and it feels great to be in the campaign this year.
What has the reception been on the doorsteps to the parts of your platform already unveiled?
Positive and engaging. You know, our first week was very much focused on improving the affordability and building on already being the most affordable province in the nation of Canada, but even going further in that space, in reducing income taxes and ensuring that our families have an opportunity to remain the most affordable place in the nation and to continue with the lowest inflation rate of any province across Canada. And so, I would say very engaging and a positive reception, and just into the first 10 or 11 days of the campaign.
So, looking for, you know, looking for continued opportunity to converse, talk to, and listen to people across the province. As we find our way to the choice that Saskatchewan people will make on October the 28th.
Our listeners and readers identified healthcare, affordability, education, and trust in public officials as the main issues – how does your platform address these?
Let me go in reverse, and you know, across North America, we see, you know, the discussion, the political discussion, it's changing over the last number of years, and what I try to do and what I try to encourage each of our candidates and all of those involved in our campaigns to do is to, you know, have that discussion face-to-face, and show people the respect of, you know, although we may agree on many things, we might not agree on everything, and that's okay, but we can discuss our positions and we can put them forward in a civilized way, and I think there should be more of that face-to-face conversation as opposed to, you know, the other options that we have, which are online and other options that are there. Second is the campaign issues that are present today.
Education and healthcare, you know, we have a record of investment. I'm in Prince Albert today, there's a new hospital being built here, one in Weyburn. Investments in the most ambitious health human resource plan across the nation, and 28 schools that are being built or planned in communities across. So our record when it comes to public investment is very, very sound and solid versus the NDP record, which is quite something quite different and more resembles decline, loss, and closures of all of that investment and opportunity.
Last but not least is the affordability, which I touched on in the first question. Saskatchewan today is the most affordable place to live, and we have the lowest inflationary rate of any province in the nation. That being said, we're facing, our families in my community and yours are facing inflationary challenges like all other Canadians are, and so we need to work hard to use the strength of a strong, growing, and vibrant economy in our province to ensure that we remain one of the most affordable, if not the most affordable place to live in Canada.
That's how you attract young families to live in our communities and to participate in the strength and growth of that economy, and we're seeing that happen, and we need to work hard on behalf of the people of Saskatchewan if we have the honour to form government again to ensure that that is our future, not only our past in the last 10 or 15 years.
As leader of the party, you will be travelling quite a bit during the campaign. Where will you be focusing most of your attention?
And as many as possible, and I would extend that out even over the last number of months, not just the official campaign. We are, you know, proportionally to some degree in certain areas as opposed to others, but we have been across many of the rural constituencies throughout the summer, starting even last winter, as we always try to do throughout the time that we had had the four-year cycle that we had the honour to form government, but also as we near an election campaign. And then, of course, spending some time in our larger urban centres that have a large population and a significant number of constituencies there as well.
And so spread out but proportionally, you know, looking to engage with people across the province, to listen to them and to converse with them the vision that we have for a strong, growing, vibrant economy that we feel is the avenue in which we're able to build a brighter future for all that are here today and for our children that we hope can have the opportunity to call a community in Saskatchewan, maybe even the community where they were raised, their home throughout their lifetime.
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We will continue to bring you up-to-date coverage of the 2024 Saskatchewan election, leading up to election day on October 28th, when we will have the results as they come in – on-air and online.