Indigenous people, immigrants, women under-represented among candidates
The numbers of women, immigrants and Indigenous people in Saskatchewan are not reflected in the backgrounds of the candidates seeking federal seats in the province.
Statistics Canada data shows immigrants make up about 10 per cent of Saskatchewan’s population, while Indigenous people represent around 16 per cent and women just over 50 per cent. None of these groups is represented at those levels in the slate of 81 candidates vying for the 14 parliamentary seats up for grabs.
Joe Garcea, a professor of political science at the University of Saskatchewan, said representation among electoral candidates can be slow to catch up to demographics.
“I think the good news is that we’re starting to see more women and members of minority communities running for elected office at all levels of government,” he said.
Incumbency can be a challenge to getting people from different groups to run, since a previous election winner generally enjoys the support of their party and riding association when it comes to nominations, Garcea noted. Meanwhile, parties without an incumbent in a riding often face tough races, which can make it difficult to find any candidate willing to run, regardless of age or background.
Since many women are still expected to shoulder the lion’s share of the burden of running their households, Garcea said the time commitments of a political run can prevent otherwise qualified women from throwing their hats in the ring.
“To some extent, I think their families see them that way, that (women) are the cornerstone, they’re the pin.”
More women than men also have unstable, temporary or part-time jobs, adding another layer of difficulty.
Garcea said it may take time, but more women will likely become candidates as society increasingly encourages men to shoulder more responsibilities at home.
Saskatchewan also presents a challenge for Indigenous and visible minority candidates. Outside northern Saskatchewan, where there is a larger concentration of Indigenous voters, Garcea noted there isn’t a critical mass of either group large enough to carry any of the southern Saskatchewan ridings on its own.
This is a contrast to other parts of the country, he said.
“It happens more and it affects the outcome much more in the larger cities like Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal.”
Garcea said there’s no data to suggest Saskatchewan voters cast ballots based on a candidate’s ethnicity.
“We tend to think that if (voters) were presented with a choice, they would pick a candidate from their own cultural group. That’s just not the case.”
More Indigenous and minority candidates will be likely to run as those groups continue to grow and gain more economic and social clout, he said.
Shah Rukh said his heritage as a Pakistani immigrant doesn’t especially stand out in Saskatoon West, where he’s running for the federal Liberals.
“It’s a diverse community here,” he said of the riding, which saw its boundaries redrawn prior to the 2015 federal election with an eye to making it a more urban constituency.
Rukh said his ethnicity hasn’t been a factor to voters he’s met.
“When we’re doing the door-knocking, they don’t have any concern about whether I belong, or where I’m from. They are more concerned about what we are offering, what we’re saying, what’s in our platform.”