City MLA to run for federal Tories in 2019
Regina Walsh Acres MLA Warren Steinley has been nominated to run as a Conservative Party of Canada candidate in the next federal election.
The provincial Saskatchewan Party politician won the nomination over the weekend to run for a federal seat for the Conservatives. The election is set for October 2019.
An MLA since 2011, Steinley will be running federally in the ReginaLewvan riding, currently held by the NDP’s Erin Weir.
Steinley is the second urban Sask. Party MLA in recent months to seek a job in Parliament. Former Speaker Corey Tochor resigned from that position to seek the CPC nomination in the Saskatoon-University constituency.
Both are staying on as MLAs. In an instance where an MLA is elected an MP, they are only allowed to hold one of the positions. On Monday, Steinley said he will step down from his seat when the federal writ drops.
The Saskatchewan NDP is raising concerns about Tochor and Steinley remaining MLAs while also seeking a seat in Ottawa.
Steinley told reporters Monday he has “full confidence” he can represent the people of Walsh Acres because that is his “first concern.”
He saw no conflict in serving in the provincial government while also representing the federal Conservatives as a candidate. Steinley pointed to how the two parties often have priorities aligned, specifically in this instance with “propipeline” and “anti-carbon tax” stances.
The Regina MLA also noted his current provincial riding falls into the federal one, brushing away questions arising from recent polling suggesting his provincial seat could swing to the NDP.
“It’s never easy to win a seat,” he said.
NDP Leader Ryan Meili said advocating for a federal party while representing a provincial one “blurs the lines” been the two.
“(Steinley and Tochor) have been nominated to be candidates, they’re going to be out campaigning, they should be focused on that,” he said.
“It’s going to be really hard for them to do their
obs properly ... while doing that campaigning for the federal Conservatives at the same time.”
Meili discounted questions about a former NDP MLA who, in 1993, remained temporarily in provincial politics while pursuing a federal seat.
“The job has changed, the time has changed and now I’m coming at this saying, How do we make sure that we are doing politics differently?
“That we are really bringing the most stringent, ethical lens to the House today,’” he said, adding someone being involved in two parties is now a concern.