October 23, 2024 | Advertise with us

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Moe campaigns in battleground Prince Albert, focuses closing pitch on affordability

The Saskatchewan Party released a new ad yesterday that focuses on motivating supporters to get out and vote.

The video features party leader Scott Moe. He says in the ad, “Saskatchewan is a great place to live. Our economy is strong and our future is bright. Now you have a choice to make, you can vote to keep Saskatchewan strong and growing, or we can take a step back. Back to the NDP days of losing people, jobs, and opportunities. Watching our taxes go up and our province decline. Let’s never go back to that. Let’s keep our economy strong, and our future bright. Vote for Saskatchewan, for the Saskatchewan Party.”

The ad is running on social media, YouTube, and TV.

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Beck’s final pitch tells voters she can make change happen

NDP leader Carla Beck is featured in a new ad as voting opens across the province.

The thirty-second spot is voiced over by Beck. Clips include Beck walking flanked by supporters, standing by a baseball diamond, knocking on doors, and getting out of the NDP campaign truck. She says, “Saskatchewan is in last place, but we don’t have to be. Everywhere I go, people are telling me things have to change. They say we need healthcare that works. They say we need life to be more affordable. They say it’s time for change.” The video then switches to a full shot of the leader saying, “I say, let’s get it done. I’m Carla Beck and on October 28th, vote for change.”

The ad is running on all social channels, and on YouTube, and similar ads were seen on television.

Sponsored by Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce

The Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce has launched "Fueling Momentum 2024," a policy platform for the 2024 Provincial Election. Based on extensive consultations and research, it outlines key priorities from the Saskatchewan business community to inform all political parties.

Learn more here.

How parties are working to get out the vote (a.k.a. GOTV)

As the campaign turns into voting week, candidates and campaign staff and volunteers are no longer working to identify potential supporters. Instead, “ground game” operations are now focused on contacting identified supporters and making sure they make a plan to vote and get to the polls.

Here’s some of the ways Saskatchewan’s main political parties will be working to get their supporters out to vote.

Door Knocking

Candidates and volunteers have been knocking on doors for months and identifying potential supporters and collecting data on who are supporters, who are not, and which voters are undecided. All of that information is now being put to use to ensure supporters are aware that voting is now open and actually go and vote. Campaign canvassers will have targeted or filtered lists that will tell them which houses their supporters live at.

Important info: Campaigns like the Saskatchewan Party and NDP have sophisticated voter databases and can see almost in real time if you’ve voted or not. So if someone comes to your door at this point in the campaign, it’s almost certainly because you haven’t voted yet. If you haven’t voted yet, be honest with them, and yourself!

Phone calls

With less than one week left in the campaign and voting open every day except Sunday, all campaign phone calls are now devoted to getting out the vote. Candidates, volunteers, or staff at “phone banks” (telemarketing firms hired by parties to call supporters) will live call and ask supporters to go and vote, if they need a ride, and if they know where to go to vote. Automated phone calls, or “robo-calls” are also common during GOTV time, and often include personal messages from party leaders like Scott Moe or Carla Beck.

Texting

You may have received a friendly text from ‘Sarah’ or ‘Albert’ this week that asked something like “Do you think you are going to get a chance to vote today?” or “Do you have a voting plan?” These text messages ensure that everyone is aware that voting is underway and directly contacts people that previously responded as being a supporter. SMS marketing, specifically from political parties, is an increasingly effective and common way to connect with voters (and is not spam under Canada’s anti-spam legislation, despite what some may say).

Emailing

Emails with subject lines like ‘Time is running out’ or ‘This is our chance’ are sent to supporters to express a sense of urgency. Campaigns will now be contacting supporters on their email list, encouraging them to make a plan and get out to vote. Emails are not the most effective way to get people to vote, but it’s another reminder and tool in a political party’s toolkit.

Voting is open today, tomorrow, Friday, Saturday, and Monday. Results will be tallied Monday after polls close.

Ethics commissioner finds former MLA Gary Grewal in violation of act

A former Saskatchewan Party MLA has been found in violation of Conflict of Interest legislation by the Conflict of Interest Commissioner in a report released during voting week.

Commissioner Maurice Herauf's report says former Regina Northeast MLA Gary Grewal breached conflict-of-interest legislation when the Sunrise Motel and Thriftlodge Motel entered contracts with the social services ministry.

The report says Grewal was told in December 2023 that his companies should stop taking part in the contracts and come into compliance with the Act, but he did not.

The province has spent $732,000 on Grewal’s hotels since 2018 for social services recipients.

The Saskatchewan Party government has since changed its hotel policy, saying it now gets quotes from three hotels and directs clients to the cheapest one while considering their safety needs.

It was announced in February 2024 that Grewal would not seek re-election in this campaign.

While campaigning in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan Party leader Scott Moe told reporters, “I’d say we accept the findings. There’s no recommendations that are made,” Moe said. “This is an individual that’s a private citizen now and is not running for our party.”

The New Democrats raised the issue last year in the legislature. In April, critic Meara Conway said, “These hotels were charging two of the most inflated rates in the province—60 percent in the case of the Sunrise, over 100 percent in the case of the Thriftlodge. There’s not a single hotel across the province used by Social Services that inflated their rates more than the Thriftlodge Hotel. I haven’t seen them take any ownership of that. I haven’t seen them provide any response to those concerns.”

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New Brunswick votes in change election

The province of New Brunswick was the second of three provinces to hold general elections this month.

Susan Holt led her Liberal Party team to a solid majority government Monday, bringing an end to six years of Progressive Conservative rule. Even Premier Blaine Higgs lost his seat in the red tide of change.

The final tally is 31 seats for the Liberals, 16 for the Progressive Conservatives and two for the Greens, including Green Party Leader David Coon. Holt is the first woman to win the premier's job in New Brunswick history. 

"We're going to watch the bottom line and deliver fiscal responsibility while we invest in the services that you need, like health care and education and an affordable place to call home," the premier-designate said after her victory.

Blaine Higgs faced a tumultuous year as leader of his party. Since forming government in 2018, 14 PC caucus members have stepped down after clashing with Higgs, some of them citing what they described as an authoritarian leadership style and a focus on conservative policies that represented a hard shift to the right.

A caucus revolt erupted last year after Higgs announced changes to the gender identity policy, known as Policy 713, in schools. When several PC lawmakers voted for an external review of the change, Higgs dropped dissenters from cabinet. A bid by some party members to trigger a leadership review went nowhere.

Saskatchewan will be the next jurisdiction with an election. Affordability, healthcare, and crime, matched with a battle against a multi-term incumbent government have been consistent through-lines in all three elections so far.

Sponsored by Insurance Brokers Association of Saskatchewan

Trudeau says his leadership is not in danger

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did not appear concerned over the state of his leadership as he returned to Parliament Hill Tuesday.

Trudeau brushed off concerns heading into a cabinet meeting Tuesday as Ministers expressed their support for the leader to the media.

This news comes as former B.C. Premier Christy Clark and former Bank of Canada and England Governor Mark Carney hint towards wanting his job. Abacus Data recently reported that 57% of Canadians living in a Liberal-held constituency want their MP to ask Trudeau to step down as leader.

It has been reported that at least 20 MPs, and likely to be more, have signed a letter asking him to consider stepping down. That letter will be presented at a caucus meeting today.

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More news and info

• Saskatchewan NDP gaining momentum among decided voters, new poll says (CTV News)

• 🏠 7 in 10 Saskatchewan voters think housing should be a top priority for elected officials. That is why Saskatchewan’s Housing Leaders have launched Secure Homes, Strong Future­ – a housing policy blueprint for Saskatchewan ahead of the 2024 provincial election. Built on grassroots consultation and expert insight, this plan provides common sense ideas that will improve affordability, unlock development, lower construction costs and build more homes faster. Click here to learn more.*

• Damage to Sask. Party campaign office windows not caused by firearm: RPS (Regina Leader-Post)

• Scott Moe sees lessons for Sask. in B.C. election (CTV Regina)

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