There was a shakeup last Friday in the race for the leadership of the Saskatchewan Party.
Rosthern-Shellbrook MLA Scott Moe announced his entry into the leadership race with the backing of 21 members of the Saskatchewan Party caucus.
Among those caucus members supporting Moe is Larry Doke, MLA for Cut Knife-Turtleford and new minister of government relations in the provincial cabinet.
He was among the long list of names on Moe’s campaign website endorsing him. Other cabinet ministers backing Moe include Minister of Advanced Education Kevin Doherty, new Minister of Finance Donna Harpauer and Minister of Health Jim Reiter.
“I am proud to call Scott a colleague and friend. He has become a leader in our caucus and Cabinet and I know he is the best person to lead our team and the Saskatchewan Party forward,” said Reiter in a news release. “The strong team of Saskatchewan Party MLAs that have come forward to endorse Scott is evidence of this.”
Moe, who holds a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from the University of Saskatchewan, has held a number of roles in the government including minister of Advanced Education, minister of Environment, and minister responsible for Saskatchewan Water Corporation and Saskatchewan Water Security Agency.
“I am inspired every day by the people of our great province and everything we have been able to achieve in the last ten years,” said Moe in a statement. “The Saskatchewan Party’s founding members and Premier Brad Wall knew the potential this province had and that vision is as true today as it was 20 years ago. Renewal is not just about one person, it’s about stepping forward together as a team to stand with Saskatchewan and ensure the foundation that Premier Wall built remains strong.”
Moe’s entry into the race coincided with the dramatic departure of Meadow Lake MLA Jeremy Harrison. In a surprise move, Harrison announced Friday he was dropping out and backing Moe for the leadership, and he joined Moe at his launch event outside Saskatoon on Friday.
In a news release from his own campaign, Harrison said Moe is “the candidate in this race who most closely shares both my values and principles.”
“I know that Scott will fight the federal carbon tax with every tool at our province’s disposal. I also know Scott is a person of deep integrity who is committed to ethics and accountability in government.”
There are four other candidates in the race to take over from Premier Brad Wall: Ken Cheveldayoff, Gord Wyant, Alanna Koch and Tina Beaudry-Mellor.
Cheveldayoff had scheduled a campaign event for North Battleford for Wednesday evening.
Wyant, meanwhile, pledged Tuesday that he would call a full public inquiry into the Global Transportation Hub if elected leader.
“I’ve heard from many people who are concerned about the land transactions related to the Global Transportation Hub and I share those concerns,” Wyant said in news release from his campaign. “There is an old saying: sunshine is the best disinfectant. Without prejudging the outcome, I believe the only way to lift the cloud over the GTH is to shine a very bright – and very public – light on the entire matter.”
