Meadow Lake MLA Jeremy Harrison enters race to succeed Wall
Meadow Lake MLA Jeremy Harrison announced Saturday he is joining the race to be Saskatchewan’s next premier.
Prior to announcing his Saskatchewan Party leadership bid, Harrison served as Economy Minister.
He is also a former MP and known in political circles for his aptitude for legislative procedure as well as close ties to current Conservative Party of Canada leader Andrew Scheer.
Harrison’s path to succeeding outgoing Premier Brad Wall will hinge largely on his ability to bring in new conservatives to the party as well as rally those already holding memberships.
“That’s what my value system is built around,” says Harrison of his small-c conservatism.
“I’m not going to hide that, I’m not going to change that, or I’m not going to do anything than be who I am.”
Whether or not that plays well with Sask. Party members with more liberal views will be determined over the months leading up to Jan. 27, when the new leader — and by extension, premier — is chosen.
The 39-year-old says it is crucial the party stays a coalition of free enterprise voters in order to continue growth in the province.
Already he is staking a claim to a policy position: opposition to a federally-imposed carbon tax. He says that has to be a high, “If not top priority.”
He’ll likely be in line on that policy position with a number of others in the race, as many current Sask. Party MLAs are opposed to a carbon tax.
To that end, Harrison taking such a position is hardly an effort to be the “fresh voice” for the party that Wall said was needed.
Avoiding staleness could be one of Harrison’s biggest challenges in the months ahead: he has regularly been trotted out as the defender of Sask. Party positions on controversial items, such as the handling of the Global Transportation Hub (GTH) land deals and the controversy over government money given to Skip the Dishes.
Asked how he expects to be a fresh face after spending so much time in the trenches defending government decisions, Harrison hinted he could deviate from his talking points about those controversial files.
“I’m going to have much to say in the near future, perhaps some retrospective thoughts,” he said.
Harrison is the second official candidate in the race. Regina University MLA Tina Beaudry-Mellor has also formally announced she is running. Several others are expected to announce within the next few days.
I’m not going to hide that,
I’m not going to change that, or I’m not going to do anything than be who I am.