Scott Moe and the Saskatchewan Party are running on their record, but NDP Leader Carla Beck has been sharpening that double-edge sword.
The problem with long-in-the-tooth governing parties that choose to run on their record is that they inevitably have to run on their entire record — not just the selective parts.
Herein lies the problem for Saskatchewan Party Leader Scott Moe, who kicked off the campaign with a commitment to “run on the Saskatchewan Party’s” 17-year record in power.
There’s been a lot in that record for the NDP to target: Record debt. Tax increases. Focussing on pronouns used by kids in schools when voters would have preferred a focus on health care, education and the cost of living.
And bad behaviour of governing MLAs is also now part of that record — which the NDP has been all too eager to talk about.
In a massive 21.5 by 17-inch glossy Sask. Party pamphlet outlining “our Plan for a Strong Economy and a Bright Future,” Moe eagerly points out a long long list of Sask. Party achievements accumulated over almost two decades:
- “Population grew by 250,000 people since the Saskatchewan Party took office in 2007”;
- “Nearly 100,000 more jobs in Saskatchewan since 2007”;
- “1,000 more doctors and 6,000 nurses practicing in Saskatchewan since 2007”;
- “1,000 more teachers since 2007”;
- “69 new or replacement schools and 32 major school renovations”;
- “21 new long-term care facilities for seniors.”
Each ticked box neatly reflects the Sask. Party’s narrative of a “responsible Finance Management Plan (that) will see the budget return to balance by 2027.”
If a governing party has done all of this, why wouldn’t voters believe it will do it again?
At times, the Sask. Party seems to be running on the NDP government record more than its own record. But this may still may be effective.
Few voters would likely be able to fact check that it was actually under an NDP government that the province started to grow again, crossing the magic million-person barrier in July 2007.
Even fewer might realize that while the NDP did raise the PST to nine per cent in 1993 to deal with the near-bankrupting deficits left behind by the previous Progressive Conservative administration, the NDP later reduced the PST to five per cent; it was the Sask. Party that raised the PST to six per cent in 2017 under then-premier Brad Wall and further broadened it under both Wall and Moe.
In 1982, Allan Blakeney’s NDP struggled to run on its record of the family of Crown corporations. The public didn’t buy it. In 1991, Grant Devine’s PCs ran on a record of growth through a strong public sector economy. Again, the public didn’t buy it.
This is in no way to suggest that Moe and the Sask. Party are now destined for the same fate. But NDP Leader Carla Beck’s campaign claims that Moe’s government had the worst economic record before, during and after the pandemic may have as much traction with voters as Moe’s flashy brochure.
And then there are other problems that are part of the Sask. Party record …
Here is where it becomes disadvantageous for a long-term governing party to run on its record: when that record is one the people no longer much like.
Mandryk is the political columnist for the Regina Leader-Post and Saskatoon StarPhoenix.
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