Murray Mandryk: Moe leaning heavily on experience

Given how far ahead Saskatchewan Party leader Scott Moe is ahead of the NDP and leader Ryan Meili, there might be a temptation for the Premier to take his foot off the gas of that Chevy Tahoe that’s his campaign vehicle in this 2020 general election.

It will be tempting to just put the Sask. Party campaign on cruise control and coast to the expected easy win on Oct. 26.

As has been previously mentioned in this space, the Sask. Party is sitting on 31 seats that it won in 2016 by 2,500 votes or more. There have only been six times in our province’s history when a party that won a seat by 2,500 votes or more turned around and loss that seat in the next election.

It is also worth noting that all 18 members of the current Sask. Party cabinet are standing for re-election, including Moe, himself.

Not all of them are a shoe-in to win. Tina Beaudry-Mellor (Regina University) and Joe Hargrave are seats that were relatively close last time.

But it’s also worth noting that of the Sask. Party cabinet was returned to the Legislature in the 2016 election.

And even if a couple don’t make it, the number of Sask. Party with cabinet experience, the 18 present ministers plus several backbenchers seeking re-election who were, is a sharp contrast to the NDP.

The once so-called naturally governing party in Saskatchewan only had two former cabinet ministers on its slate and only a couple others with any experience in government. This is the unfortunate reality for a party out of power for 13 years.

But it is a situation the NDP has made worse by dismissing one of only two candidates it did have with cabinet experience.

The dumping of former MLA and cabinet minister Sandra Morin as the party’s Regina Walsh Acres candidate does not bode well for Ryan Meili for a couple reasons.

First, it’s disheartening for veteran New Democrats who value the contribution and experience of those who have put years into the party.

One can certainly argue that cabinet experience is less significant than the talent and abilities of the individuals running for office.

But the first requirement of any political party is to get its candidates elected. So the second reason why this is disheartening is it it’s easier if the person running for your party is known and recognized as someone with cabinet experience.

This takes us back to last week’s campaign launch and the theme from Scott Moe you can expect to hear over and over again during the course of this four-week campaign: Who can you trust?

“You are going to see me get out of this truck each and every morning to engage Saskatchewan people,” Moe told reporters in front of the campaign office of Regina Pasqua candidate Muhammad Fiaz.

“We are looking forward to engaging the people of the province with the question: ‘Who do you trust?’ “

According to Moe, a big part of that trust issue is the past record of NDP governments that includes the closure of 53 hospital closures and 176 school closures during the NDP the NDP’s last tenure.

Essentially, Moe is stepping on the gas and speeding past his own government’s record of deficit budgets and debts.

However, budget deficits and debt are already emerging as issues in Meili’s campaign.

“Scott Moe and the Saskatchewan Party are out of ideas, spinning their wheels,” Meili told reporters upon launching the campaign.

“There’s an old saying that when people show you what they are, you should believe them ... We’re saying you don’t have to settle for Scott Moe.”

Don’t expect Moe to standstill and take this. It will likely cause him to step on the gas a little more.