With the next Saskatchewan election already set for Nov. 7 this year, Saskatchewan New Democrat leader Dwain Lingenfelter said the campaign has already started.
Hitting the campaign trail now means trying to connect with voters over the summer months.
"It's an interesting challenge," admitted Lingenfelter who was in Yorkton Monday, meeting local press with Yorkton NDP candidate Chad Blenkin.
Lingenfelter said he is looking less to having people come to him over the summer, and more to getting his party's message out by fitting "into things that are already happening," across the province. He said he is booked for the next three months taking part in community parades, powwows and other events.
"We have a very vigorous summer set up," he said.
With the election four months away Lingenfelter said it is difficult to gauge which issues will galvanize into keys to the campaign, but he added there are certain things he is already hearing from voters.
"There are issues. There's no doubt about it," he said.
"The main issue here in Yorkton amid right across the province is affordable housing."
Lingenfelter said people are "struggling to get a down payment for a house," as housing prices rise.
And for renters they are often seeing rents climb 10 per cent a year.
In terms of rents Lingenfelter said it is time for what he termed "next generation rent control," adding 80 per cent of Canadians are already protected by some form of controls in place in Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba and British Columbia.
Health care also remains a key issue offered Lingenfelter, with particular concerns raised over surgery wait times, and the need for doctors in rural Saskatchewan. He said in terms of health care professionals more must be done in terms of retention and recruitment for rural centres.
Lingenfelter said there is also a growing feeling workers in the province are not being treated fairly in terms of sharing in what is widely viewed as a vibrant economy.
The situation is one where the lowest income earners, those on minimum wage have been told their wage is being frozen for two years and teachers have been told they should settle for 1.5 per cent instead of three, said Lingenfelter. By comparison he said those workers are questioning how health region managers can be given a 60 per cent wage increase, the Premier's staff 40 per cent and the head of the Potash Corp 159 per cent.
"People think the economy is doing well, but they're not getting a fair share," he said, adding the government is facing a dilemma because of the wage inequities.
