Questions surround future by-election for Saskatoon Meeswasin
The seat currently held by Saskatchewan NDP leader Ryan Meili will be up for grabs within six months of his resignation.
Ryan Meili’s recent announcement that he is leaving politics hasn’t given Premier Scott Moe much time to think about a by-election date.
“I haven’t had a lot of time to think about when the appropriate time for that by-election would be,” he explained. “Once we know we certainly will announce it.”
Meili will leave office on July 1st, just a few days after his successor as party leader is chosen. Two people are currently in the running for the position, Regina Lakeview MLA Carla Beck and Saskatoon lawyer Kaitlyn Harvey.
Harvey does not hold a seat in the legislature and could seek to run in Meili’s Saskatoon Meewasin constituency regardless of whether or not she wins the leadership. That by-election likely won’t happen until the fall.
Meewasin was a very close race in 2020. The NDP narrowly won the constituency with 51 per cent of the vote.
The Sask. Party came in second with 46 per cent of the vote with the Green Party distantly following with 3 per cent.
In addition to the Green Party, there could be a new political movement in the race, the Saskatchewan United Party.
Independent MLA Nadine Wilson has attended some Saskatchewan United meetings but hasn’t indicated whether she would be willing to affiliate with them.
“Well I take each day as it comes,” said Wilson. “So I can’t answer that right now.”
The premier believes a second by-election is warranted.
“I’ve been quite clear with respect to Nadine Wilson in Saskatchewan Rivers. She wasn’t elected as an independent. She was elected as a Saskatchewan Party candidate,” he said. “If she’s so confident that she has the support that she feels she has in her constituency, she should put her name on a ballot.”
Wilson is entitled to serve her four year term without facing a by-election although the premier has said he is willing to hold a vote in her Saskatchewan Rivers constituency at the same time as Saskatoon Meewasin.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Quebec judge orders bus driver to stand trial for 2023 daycare crash deaths
A judge has ordered a Quebec man to stand trial on charges of first-degree murder in the deaths of two children killed when a bus rammed into a Montreal-area daycare last year.
Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.