Beaudry-Mellor seeks Sask. Party leadership
Regina-University MLA Tina Beaudry-Mellor is the first to officially enter the race to be the next leader of the Saskatchewan Party, and by extension, the next premier.
If she wins, Beaudry-Mellor would be the first female premier in Saskatchewan’s history.
In announcing her leadership intentions on Tuesday, she is stepping away from her cabinet portfolio of minister of social services. The premier’s office says any cabinet minister intending to run for leadership will need to take a leave of absence from their portfolio.
Elected in 2016, Beaudry-Mellor quickly rose through the ranks of the Sask. Party, being named to the high-profile social services file only months after being elected.
She said the decision to run was made “after some careful consideration with family and friends.”
Her path to victory may hinge largely on how much of a fresh face party members are looking for.
“I do think that having a fresh face in this leadership at this time is actually an advantage; it makes me perhaps more open to new ideas and fresh perspectives,” she told reporters Tuesday.
Despite being a relative newcomer to the province’s political scene, Beaudry-Mellor has had to eat quite a bit of dirt over her social services file.
There were mass protests following plans to cut services to vulnerable people, and there is still a great deal of animosity over the provincial budget for which she, as a member of the cabinet approving it, shares responsibility.
She admitted the province does have a “budget challenge” but said there are “better ways to go about it than perhaps we currently are.”
Beaudry-Mellor suggested not all ministries should be required to find equal levels of savings as a way to slay the $1.3-billion provincial deficit, which was the plan at budget time.
“I’m not certain that having the same level of savings across every ministry is perhaps the wisest approach,” she said, noting some of the budget decisions “weighed heavily” on her.
During her 15-minute scrum with reporters, she repeatedly mentioned her nuanced views on social issues as an advantage she has over others likely to be her opponents.
She said she intends to start spending time taking the pulse of party members and learn “about the kind of things they would like to see going forward.”
What those members say — especially in rural Saskatchewan where her liberal social views may not be as welcomed — will likely affect what issues Beaudry-Mellor brings to the forefront during the campaign, which is expected to run four or five months.
She said she will listen to rural Saskatchewan, and recognizes “they are always going to have a very dominant voice in our caucus” given the number of Sask. Party rural seats.
A more formal campaign team, she said, will be put in place over the coming weeks. At her announcement in the rotunda of the legislature on Tuesday, she was flanked only by her husband and constituency assistant.
Although Beaudry-Mellor is the first to announce, she won’t be the last. Ken Cheveldayoff, Jim Reiter and Gord Wyant are expected to declare their leadership intentions. Energy Minister Dustin Duncan said he will not be running.