NOMINATIONS UNDERWAY
Parties plan for fall 2020 vote
REGINA The Saskatchewan Party government says its intention continues to be to hold a general election in the fall of 2020.
Premier Scott Moe, when elected leader of the governing party, said he wanted to abide by provincial law calling for an election to occur every four years.
In a statement, his office confirmed “this remains our government’s intention.”
Already the early signs of an election campaign are appearing. At the end of September, the Sask. Party kicked off its campaign officially by nominating Moe to run again in his Rosthern-shellbrook riding. Since then, five more serving Sask. Party MLAS have been acclaimed as nominated party candidates.
By Nov. 6, there will be another five nomination meetings for the party.
The NDP used their annual convention, held in Saskatoon last weekend, as an opportunity to officially launch their 2020 campaign. Leader Ryan Meili was acclaimed the NDP nominee in his Saskatoon-meewasin seat, and the party followed up by sending out a news release announcing, in all caps, “New Democrats kick off campaign for 2020 election with Meili nomination.”
Over the weekend, Meili released what looks to be the first steps of his platform going into that election.
Party chief executive John Tzupa said the party has “had a lot of interest from people all over the province” in running for the NDP and he expected “more and more candidates coming forward.”
It is expected the NDP, like the Sask. Party, will continue to hold nomination meetings over the coming months in order to have candidates nominated well ahead of the 2020 election for each constituency.
But despite Moe’s consistent messaging that he intends to hold an election in the fall of 2020 — nearly three years after he became an unelected premier — there are still reasons to doubt that will happen.
Former chief electoral officer of Saskatchewan, Michael Boda, called attention last year to a looming conflict between the 2020 provincial and municipal elections.
Currently they are scheduled to be held five days apart: on Oct. 28 (municipal) and Nov. 2 (provincial).
Those dates are set by law, with cities and towns scheduled to vote every four years on the last Wednesday of October, while the provincial fixed election law sets votes on the first Monday of November.
The 2020 conflict was created when the Sask. Party government moved the last vote from the fall of 2015 to the spring of 2016 to avoid competing with the last federal election.
Boda proposed moving one of the dates to the spring, or into 2021, but when he was named premier, Moe’s administration suggested extending municipal terms by one year — an idea that has not played well with many municipalities.
In a recent statement, Moe’s office said the province has “been working with the municipal sector” to remedy the scheduling conflict.
“When a final decision is made, it will be announced and any necessary legislative changes will be introduced,” it said.