September 18, 2024 | Advertise with us

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Regina Councillor Lori Bresciani running for Mayor

After eight years on City Council, Lori Bresciani will challenge Sandra Masters for the job of Mayor in this fall’s municipal election.

The current councillor for Ward 4 officially launched her campaign on Tuesday in Regina. Speaking between banners that read “From Nonsense to Common Sense” and “Refocus Regina” Bresciani said, “It is not because I don’t want the job as councillor of Ward 4; it is because I see a gap in what the whole city needs.”

Bresciani said it will be her priority to curb “overpromising, overspending and confusing priorities” on the City Council. In a not-so-subtle reference to the dysfunction at City Hall, she said, “As your mayor, I will lead — not manage — the team at City Hall,” she said.

Bresciani joins a race that already features six other candidates, including incumbent Masters, who is seeking a second term. Bill Pratt announced his candidacy last week, following first-time political hopefuls Brandon Abtosway, Shawn Sparvier and Kevin Kardash. Chad Bachynski, a mechanical engineer and manager at SaskEnergy with ties to the construction sector, also announced plans to run for mayor in a news release Tuesday.

In 2020, nine candidates were on the ballot for Mayor.

The municipal election will be held on November 13.

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Federal by-elections see interesting results

The two federal by-elections saw different parties walk away as winners as the Liberal Party lost yet another traditional stronghold.

Voters in Elmwood-Transcona, a Winnipeg seat, elected Leila Dance of the NDP. Dance won with 48% of the vote, beating the Conservative candidate by just over 1,200 votes. The Conservatives saw a 15% increase in voter support in the riding, a traditional NDP stronghold. The Liberal Party received just 4% of the vote in this by-election.

The by-election in LaSalle—Émard—Verdun in Montreal witnessed a nailbiter of a three-way race between the Bloc, Liberals, and NDP with all three parties in the lead throughout the night. In the end, the Bloc Quebecois’ Louis-Philippe Sauve picked up the riding that belonged to former Liberal Justice Minister David Lametti and former Liberal Prime Minister Paul Martin. The Bloc won with 28% of the vote. The Liberals placed second with 27% and the NDP placed third with 26%.

This is the second ‘safe’ Liberal seat lost in a by-election this year following the results in Toronto-St. Paul’s. With the victory, which was announced early Tuesday morning, the Bloc has 33 seats that when coupled with the Liberals' 154 seats create a majority in Parliament.

Bloc leader Yves-Francois Blanchet says he will evaluate what the Bloc can gain from the Liberals in exchange for his party's support, adding that among its demands is more money for seniors. The Conservatives will be putting forward a vote of non-confidence next week.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reflected on the loss and said, "Obviously, it would have been nicer to be able to win and hold (the Montreal riding), but there's more work to do and we're going to stay focused on doing it.” When asked what went wrong for his party, Trudeau responded "I think there's all sorts of reflections to take on that."

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Two former MLAs running for Sask. United Party

The Saskatchewan United Party made news this week after announcing two former Saskatchewan Party MLAs will be running under the SUP banner this fall.

Greg Brkich will be the candidate for Saskatoon Southeast. He was the MLA for Dakota-Arm River from 1999-2020. In the release, he said, “This is not Brad Wall’s Sask Party anymore.”

Denis Allchurch will be the candidate for Meadow Lake. He was a Saskatchewan Party MLA for Rosthern-Shellbrook from 1999-2011. He lost a nomination race to then-candidate Scott Moe in advance of the 2011 election. In his statement, Allchurch cited “the corruption and mismanagement in the current Sask Party government” for his decision to run, adding that he believes “Scott Moe has taken the Sask Party down a liberal path.”

The critical perspectives of Brkich and Allchurch differ from another former Sask. Party MLA that recently had issues with his party. In recent interviews, Randy Weekes has indicated that he believes Moe and the Sask. Party have in fact moved too far to the right, and was critical of the government’s pronoun Bill 137 and of COVID safety measures.

The Saskatchewan United Party now has 21 nominated candidates ahead of this fall’s vote.

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Beck Unveils Details for ‘Hire Saskatchewan’

NDP leader Carla Beck is continuing to announce new policy. This week’s focus is the economy. She was in Martensville on Tuesday to announce her plan to Hire Saskatchewan, a plan she has previously touted.

Beck’s Hire Saskatchewan plan will retool the province’s existing procurement Crown, SaskBuilds, to ensure that Saskatchewan workers and businesses are put first for public contracts, like building and maintaining public infrastructure. Successful bidders for public projects would be chosen based on value and benefit to local communities and families, not just on offering the lowest price.

Beck said, “Saskatchewan is the best, it doesn’t matter if you’re talking about the stuff we produce or the people we have doing it. That was clear when I was growing up on the farm and I continue to see it every day. It’s about time we put Saskatchewan workers, companies and products first. I want to bet big on this province and get us out of second last place on job creation. It’s time for a change.”

This follows her Monday announcement to offer a ‘kick-start loan of $40,000 for entrepreneurs. Beck’s announcement was made on the shop floor with workers and the leadership of Supreme Steel, a local Saskatchewan success story that fabricates and installs steel for rigs, bridges, buildings and much more.

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More news and info

• Moose Jaw Votes: Three residents have submitted paperwork for upcoming city election (SaskToday)

• Justin Trudeau will let the Conservatives try to topple his minority government next week: sources (Toronto Star)

• Byelection win: Bloc Quebecois to squeeze Liberals for gains, not trigger election (Canadian Press)

• Legacy Christian Academy teacher charged with assault with a weapon (CKOM News)

• Appeal hearing between UR Pride and Sask. gov't set to begin Monday (CTV Regina)

2024 Election Candidate Tracker