Moe stresses economy on final swing through the province
Another shutdown shouldn't be necessary, he tells supporters at last-minute campaign stops
Scott Moe took nothing for granted on the last weekend of his first campaign leading the Saskatchewan Party.
Moe visited five cities Saturday and Sunday to close off a campaign with opinion polls that suggested his party was headed to a fourth straight majority government.
Moe pointed out during a stop in Prince Albert Sunday morning that he began the campaign by asking voters who they trusted to lead the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Saskatchewan people are making sacrifices due to the pandemic that no other generation has had to make, Moe said.
“We want to get back to growing our economy and growing our opportunities so that that next generation have every opportunity to succeed,” Moe said.
Moe spoke with Prince Albert Carlton candidate Joe Hargrave standing nearby and noted the absence of Prince Albert Northcote candidate Alana Ross.
Ross was isolating after being identified as a contact of someone who had tested positive for COVID-19, Moe explained.
While Moe continued to promote the province's response to the pandemic as a success story, active cases rose to a new high of 619 Sunday. The province experienced its worst week of the pandemic with 464 new cases in the last seven days.
Both Moe and Hargrave acknowledged the unusual campaign amid a pandemic with no large gatherings and few indoor events.
“It's been a lot more work knocking on people's doors,” Hargrave said.
Moe stressed that the campaign had been conducted safely by all parties and candidates. Later Sunday, Moe visited North Battleford after stops in Moose Jaw, Regina and Saskatoon Saturday.
Moe's Saturday stops included one with Saskatoon Eastview candidates Chris Guerette.
Guérette was announced as the party's candidate for the riding earlier this month, after Daryl Cooper resigned after sharing conspiratorial social media posts and interactions.
Moe touted campaign promises like a temporary reduction of the small business tax, infrastructure investments for schools, highways and hospitals, a new provincial tax credit for home renovations and the return of a tax credit for kids' recreation.
Moe noted that Saskatoon voters elected 11 Saskatchewan Party MLAS in 2016. He thanked people in the province for working to keep one another safe while campaigning in the midst of a pandemic.
Guérette said the big focus of her past three weeks has been getting to the doorstep.
“What I'm hearing is people are concerned about the economy. They're concerned about jobs, coming out stronger after this pandemic,” she said. “And I'm also hearing about the affordability for families, I'm hearing about affordability for seniors as well.”
Guérette said she's also been asked about an NDP email sent out just after her candidacy was announced showing previous campaigning and donations for the federal Trudeau Liberals in Saskatoon in 2015, something she's “not shying away” from discussing.
At the time, Moe said the party was aware of Guérette's involvement and that candidates and elected members are free to support the federal party they choose.
Guérette said she ended her membership with the federal Liberals in response to the party's tax proposals aimed at private corporations unveiled in 2017.
Moe made his final Regina campaign stop in the Regina Walsh Acres riding on Saturday alongside candidate Derek Meyers.
Moe promised that if the Sask. Party is reelected, the province would not see a repeat of March's economic shutdown — despite rising numbers of COVID-19 cases across the province and a new daily high of 78 new cases reported Saturday.
He attributed the spike in cases to “a small group of people” that are not adhering to public health guidelines.
“We will not have to have an economy-wide shutdown,” he said.
Over the 28-day campaign, Moe said he has visited nearly every constituency across the province and said the Saskatchewan Party serves urban and rural centres equally.
He boasted of “great synergy” in the province between the natural resources in rural areas and the populations of urban centres that can take those products and “make (them) available to the world.”
When asked if agricultural issues had been left out of the campaign, Moe said agriculture is the “economic generator” of the province, and that producers would always have a listening ear with the Sask. Party.
He also vowed to continue fighting the federal government's carbon tax, which
There will never be a lack of focus on agriculture from the Saskatchewan Party.
he said has hurt producers.
“There will never be a lack of focus on agriculture from the Saskatchewan Party. That Saskatchewan people can rest assured of,” Moe said. “We realize agriculture is the strongest industry that we have in this province.”
Earlier on Saturday, Moe also stopped in Moose Jaw with local Saskatchewan Party candidates Greg Lawrence (Moose Jaw Wakamow) and Tim Mcleod (Moose Jaw North).
Polls are open Monday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. According to Elections Saskatchewan, a record 184,061 people cast votes in five days of advance voting.
With files from Amanda Short and Leader-post files from Lynn Giesbrecht ptank@postmedia.com twitter.com/thinktanksk