Election season officially underway in Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan residents will vote for their next provincial government on Oct. 28.

On Tuesday morning from Saskatoon, Premier Scott Moe asked Lieutenant Governor Russ Mirasty to dissolve the 29th legislature, launching the official campaign period.

Moe is in Saskatoon to attend the funeral of Ray Ahenakew where he was asked to speak, according to a news release from the Saskatchewan Party on Monday afternoon.

"A few minutes ago I had the opportunity to vist with our Lieutenant Governor Russ Mirasty and I asked him to dissolve the 29th Legislature, which will start the campaign for the election on October the 28th," Moe said Tuesday morning from the campaign office of Paul Merriman and Ghislaine McLeod.   

The 27 days from now until Oct. 28 is, by law, the shortest allotted campaign period.

Based on polling data from Insightrix collected in partnership with CTV News, the incumbent Saskatchewan Party will face stiff competition from the NDP in this election.

• Read a full recap of CTV's pre-election season polling here
• More election related stories can be read here

In September, the two parties were essentially neck-and-neck among decided voters, with 49 per cent saying they plan to vote NDP and 48 per cent ready to throw their lot in with the Sask. Party.

Voting will be held Oct. 22- 28 with advance polls opening a week before election day.

There are 61 constituencies across Saskatchewan. A party needs 31 at minimum to form government.

At dissolution of the 29th Legislature, the Saskatchewan Party held 42 seats, the NDP 14, and independents four. One seat was also vacant.

There are seven officially recognised parties in the province.

They are the Saskatchewan Party, New Democratic Party (NDP), Saskatchewan United Party, Green Party, Saskatchewan Progress Party (formerly Liberal), Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan, and Buffalo Party.

In the 2020 election, 444,997 people voted. A total of 841,807 residents were eligible to vote, meaning turnout was just under 53 per cent.

Official campaigning underway 

The leader of the Saskatchewan Party wasted no time getting the official campaigning underway immediately after announcing the election date.

“I would say the choice for that election could never be more clear. Who will keep our economy strong and our future bright and that will be the ballot question for Saskatchewan people on October 28th that is the choice that voters will have between the Saskatchewan Party and the NDP,” Moe said.

Moe said the Saskatchewan Party will be running on their record.

“And the NDP well, they’ll be running away from their record,” he said.

Moe also touched on making life more affordable and said a number of actions will be announced aimed at making life more affordable for Saskatchewan people.

“Let’s make our first big campaign announcement right now,” Moe said to applause.

“I commit to the people of this great province that a re-elected Saskatchewan Party government will make life more affordable by delivering the largest income tax reduction seen since 2008.”

To do that Moe said they would increase the personal exemption from Provincial Sales Tax (PST), increase the spousal exemption, increasing the child exemption and the senior supplement by $500 for four straight years.

Moe claims the plan will save the average family of four and a senior couple $2,100 over four years.

'It's time for change'

Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck kicked off campaign season with an event at Tommy Douglas House in Regina.

Under the banner of change, Beck committed to lower costs and improving health care and education for all.

“This election comes down to one question. Are you better off under Scott Moe? Across the board, the answer is no,” she said at the event.

“Our healthcare system is in crisis, our kids’ classrooms are underfunded, and families that used to be able to afford that yearly vacation are now struggling just to make ends meet.”

Beck reiterated her promise to act on health care and cut the PST on gas and groceries on day one of an NDP government.

“This election, we can vote for a better future. It’s time to get Saskatchewan out of last place on healthcare and education,” she said.

“It’s time for change.”

In the weeks preceding the official dropping of the writ, the Sask. NDP have been busy unveiling a string of campaign promises.

On affordability, the party has promised no new tax hikes if elected and to pause the provincial gas tax for a period of six months. The tax accounts for 15 cents per litre at the pumps.

On the health care front, the party has promised to phase out the current practice of outsourcing diagnostic procedures and surgeries to Alberta and reinvest the funds back into the provincial system.

Furthermore, Beck has pledged to invest $1.1 billion in healthcare to assist in retaining healthcare workers.

-- With files from Rory MacLean.