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By Alice McFarlane

2024 Saskatchewan General Election

Sask. Party secures another majority with support from rural ridings

Oct 29, 2024 | 2:37 PM

With strong rural support the Saskatchewan Party won its fifth consecutive majority government in yesterday’s general election.

Preliminary results show the Sask Party leading in 35 ridings, with the New Democratic Party nearly doubling its seat count, holding the lead in 26 mostly urban constituencies. With just over 20,000 mail ballots to be counted tomorrow there are seven ridings that are too close to call.

Many agriculture groups have had a good working relationship with the Moe Government.

Bill Huber, the Acting President of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) expects that to continue. SARM highlighted several areas of concern during the campaign including healthcare, agriculture, policing, and infrastructure.

Huber said they will be talking to NDP Leader Carla Beck and her colleagues.

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“With good government you need good opposition,” he said. “They’ve gained a few more seats this time so there will be a stronger voice on the other side of the house.”

Huber said health care is at the top of the list.

“It’s so vital for rural Saskatchewan to have better health care,” he said. “More physicians and nurse practitioners and health care professionals.”

Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association (SCA) CEO Grant McLellan believed the outcome of the vote was in line with predictions. He said he was pleased to see there won’t be a change in government.

“It’s good to have a consistent government that we can work on common issues. That has worked with us well in the past. But certainly, the surge in NDP support is not something that surprises us, and we have a very good working relationship with the provincial NDP as well,” McLellan added.

Before the writ was dropped SCA sent a letter to the Sask Party and NDP outlining a list of priorities. McLellan said they would like to see continued investment in irrigation and more attention to rural crime.

“One of them is the irrigation expansion project for the province and irrigation in general. Just making sure that there continues to be investment in that piece of infrastructure,” McLellan said. “The other thing that our organization is looking for is continued momentum as the Marshall Service is set up. We’re really looking at the best way to address rural crime, particularly crimes against people and crimes against property.”

Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan President Ian Boxall said the Sask Party’s reduction in seats shows some change is needed.

“I was a little taken aback by the rural-urban divide and I think there’s work that needs to be done by both rural people and urban people because, at the end of the day, Saskatchewan is better off if we face everything with a united, Saskatchewan, voice.”

Boxall said APAS will continue to lobby for what the producers of the province need.

“We’ll continue to push for programs to help new and young producers. Agriculture is a big driver in our economy, and we need to ensure that continues,” Boxall said. “So, the next generation has the ability to take over the family farm and continue on. I think that will be a priority moving forward for APAS as it has been for years.”

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @farmnewsNOW