Sask. Party faithful give Moe a honking welcome in Saskatoon
Saskatchewan Party Leader Scott Moe brought his message to party faithful inside their vehicles in Saskatoon Friday, and they lent support by honking their horns.
With three days left until election day on Monday, Moe delivered a speech that was nearly identical to the one he gave the day before at the first Big Honkin' Rally for a Strong Saskatchewan in Regina.
Moe touched on familiar themes from the party this campaign, touting the plan for economic recovery, while boasting of growth during the last 13 years and blasting the record of the NDP, which last governed in 2007.
Clad in a toque and black parka in -5 C weather, Moe stood on a portable stage and loudly delivered lines that elicited a cacophony of honking from the 100 or so invited motorists.
“Our record is one of building — building hospitals, building schools, building highways, building a strong economy and a strong Saskatchewan,” he said.
“That is our record. That is your record.”
Moe became Saskatchewan Party leader and premier in 2018 following the departure of Brad Wall, and is leading the party for the first time into a general election.
In a 15-minute speech, he made only passing reference to the COVID-19 pandemic as active cases hit a new high of 511 Friday. Saskatchewan added 260 new cases since Monday, the highest fiveday total.
Moe said to reporters after the speech that Saskatchewan trails the national average in active cases, total cases and fatalities.
“This speech here today and this gathering here today was a safe gathering,” he said.
“And if you look at how we came together today, it's because of COVID-19 that we had a drive-in rally and not a rally of people inside.”
He urged people to re-evaluate their behaviour in light of the rising cases. Although there are no tax increases in the Saskatchewan Party platform, Moe acknowledged a rise in the education portion of property tax is possible so that revenue will continue to make up 40 per cent of the education budget.
“But that is always the target, is that 40 per cent target,” Moe said.
He added that his party has no plans to remove grants-in-lieu payments to municipalities, as happened in the 2017 budget.
He said if his party is re-elected it will continue to work with the province's municipal governments and pointed to financial assistance during the pandemic.
Friday's event was held at Prairieland Park, which is located in the Saskatoon Nutana riding.
Moe was introduced by Rylund Hunter, who is running against NDP Leader Ryan Meili in Saskatoon Meewasin.