Moe toots Sask. Party horn at drive-in rally
Saskatchewan Party Leader Scott Moe is wrapping up his election campaign the way he began it, attacking the NDP for a decades-old record of closures and warning that its leader will spend, spend, spend.
Moe painted that picture yet again at a drive-in rally at a parking lot in Regina on Thursday. Dubbed the Big Honkin' Rally for a Strong Saskatchewan, it attracted about 200 cars, spaced at least two metres apart and filled with candidates, volunteers and party staffers.
“Do we go forward into a bright, promising, prosperous future, or do we go back to the dark days under the NDP?” Moe asked them.
Their answer, expressed throughout the event as supporters leaned on their horns, was obvious.
Moe read through a familiar list of NDP sins: 57 closed hospitals, 176 closed schools, 1,200 lost seniors care beds and 400 fired teachers. He boasted that his government has built schools, hospitals and senior care homes, while hiring nurses and teachers.
“Our record is one of growth. Our record is one of more people, more jobs, and much more opportunity,” he said, prompting yet another cacophony of approving honks.
The NDP record of closures Moe faulted is more than two decades old, and came in the midst of a
huge debt load. In a scrum after his speech, Moe wouldn't say whether he would have behaved differently in a similarly catastrophic fiscal situation.
The NDP fired back in the battle over records on Thursday by releasing its own catalogue of Saskatchewan Party cuts and hikes. It listed past cuts to the hearing aid plan, podiatry services and the parent mentoring program, and higher fees for air ambulance and prescriptions.
But Moe's speech also looked ahead, detailing his own platform
commitments and predicting that Meili will raise taxes to pay for NDP promises. Meili has said he will not raise taxes on ordinary families.
“He has no intention of paying for it; you will, through higher taxes,” said Moe, repeating a line from the leaders' debate.
“Or at least that's what would happen if an NDP party ever formed government in this province. But here's the good news, with your help, we're not going to let that happen.”
Another burst of honks ensued.
Moe predicted his party will win a majority on Oct. 26. He was preaching to the choir. He said his Big Honkin' Rally was a thank you to those who've pitched in during a difficult campaign.
“The point of a rally like this is just to keep our volunteers motivated,” he told reporters.
For Mubaraz Tahir, volunteer co-ordinator for the Saskatchewan Party's Regina Pasqua campaign, the rally showed supporters are excited and ready. It's his second campaign, and it's been a strange one.
“It's been a difficult year for everyone. And we're making the best of what we have,” he said. “So I think, given our resources, this has been great. We had a good turnout. We had a great speech.”
He seemed delighted to see Moe, even if he had to watch through his windshield. Volunteers were asked to stay in their cars due to COVID-19 restrictions, though some stepped out for a moment to record on their phones.
Tahir said the repetitive work of campaigning can get monotonous. He left the rally feeling re-energized.
“It raises our spirits,” he said. “I have never heard Scott Moe speak in person before, so that was uplifting, just because I get to hear his plan from his mouth.”
Moe is planning a similar event for Saskatoon supporters on Friday.