REGINA — Saskatchewan Party Leader Scott Moe tried to fend off attacks during tonight’s election leaders debate, as his main challenger probed for soft spots in the long-governing party’s record.
Saskatchewan’s NDP Leader Ryan Meili accused the incumbent premier of having a hidden austerity agenda as the two parties campaign toward the Oct. 26 vote.
Meili said now is the time for the province to invest in health care, smaller class sizes and infrastructure that will get people back to work.
Moe warned that reckless spending by the NDP would harm the province’s economic recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said the Saskatchewan Party has a plan to recover the economy, while making life affordable for families with cuts to power bills and home renovation tax credits.
Meili tried to score points on the topic of youth suicide, criticizing Moe for not meeting with an Indigenous protester who set up a teepee camp on the lawn in front of the legislature earlier this year to bring attention to the issue.
Moe countered that he sent two minister to meet with Tristen Durocher and get his feedback, even as the province was taking the young man to court to have his teepee removed.
The debate was a first for Moe and Meili, who both won their party leadership contests two years ago.
Moe, who moved into the premier’s office when Brad Wall retired from politics in 2018, has recently faced tough questions on the campaign trail about his past.
He apologized to the family of a woman killed in a car crash that he caused in 1997, and he disclosed an impaired driving charge from 1994 that was stayed.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 14, 2020.
The Canadian Press
