There’s enough ex-Sask. Party MLAs around that — if they were to run and win back their old seats — they could form their own government.
Something is going on under Premier Scott Moe’s watch … something much bigger than yet another Sask. Party MLA seizing the opportunity for a coveted Saskatchewan Conservative federal MP seat. There’s much more to this story than that.
Yes, politics is a business of changeover. But 22 out of the 48 Sask. Party government caucus members elected just four years ago? The Sask. Party only had seven retiring MLAs going into the 2020 election.
Go back just eight years to the 2016 election (the last one in which Brad Wall was leader). There are now just 18 veteran Sask. Party MLAs from that day seeking re-election in 2024 for the governing party.
There are now enough ex-Sask. Party MLAs kicking around that — if they were to run and win back their old seats — they could form their own government.
That wouldn’t happen, but it might be fair to say the Sask. Party has become its own worst enemy.
Of course, the Sask. Party would prefer to categorize this voluminous outflow as a bit of an anomaly. In the natural course of things, parties do hit a peak. It’s a struggle to remain there.
Moreover, the government caucus seems a largely harmonious bunch, on the surface, clearly pulling together during the pronoun bill siege and other controversies.
Bonk’s Moosomin seat has never been represented by anyone other than a Sask. Party MLA … and, frankly, has never been represented by anyone other than a conservative MLA.
Given the strength of the Sask. Party in such seats, where it can run just about anyone and win, no one is realistically suggesting these departures will have much effect on the expected fall election outcome.
But Bonk shouldn’t have been just a Sask. Party placeholder in rural Saskatchewan.
Before politics, he worked on four continents, living in Europe for a decade and working as an advisor on international trade and market access. He lived in Europe for nearly a decade and specialized in helping companies with interests in post-Soviet Eastern Europe and Central Asian countries transition to a free market economy. He speaks four languages.
Moe’s tenure will go down as a rather tumultuous one, and not just because of his uproarious relations with Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The cumulative effect hasn’t just been a few public incidents of MLAs like Greg Lawrence or Ryan Domotor running afoul of the law or Nadine Wilson running afoul of caucus.
Once a leader who had the majority of caucus standing behind him when he announced his leadership candidacy in 2017, there are now whispers that Moe is only listening to the likes of Harrison and a few others.
There’s a lot more swirling around these many departures than meets the eye.
Mandryk is the political columnist for the Regina Leader-Post and the Saskatoon StarPhoenix.
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