REGINA – The New Democrats and their leader Carla Beck have officially staged their first campaign event following the official writ drop on Tuesday.
Beck was flanked by Regina and area candidates at their campaign event at the NDP’s Regina offices. The NDP has held severs campaign events over the past month but this was the first one following the announcement in Saskatoon by Scott Moe that the provincial election has been called for Oct. 28.
Beck’s remarks were not much different than those over the past month as she repeated her party’s slogan that it was time for a change.
“I’m going to get right to it. It’s time for change,” said Beck.” I’ve been hearing that from people right across this province lately and I’m here to say to them and to all Saskatchewan people My name is Carla Beck, and I’m running to be your Premier.”
There were not many surprises in Beck’s opening remarks, as she accused Moe and the Sask Party of taking the province “from leaders to laggards on issue after issue. Saskatchewan is in last place in education, last place in healthcare, and second last when it comes to the economy.”
There was also not a lot of new policy as Beck repeated NDP pledges to cut taxes and spend more on health and education. As for how to pay for it, Beck said Saskatchewan “does not have a revenue problem. Saskatchewan has a management problem, a mismanagement problem. After 17 years, these guys are content to let Saskatchewan fall further and further behind.”
In speaking to reporters Beck was asked about the accuracy of Sask Party claims that NDP promises were costing $4 billion
“The first thing, they’re off by a bit but close,” said Beck, who added “this is a government… I wouldn’t trust necessarily their calculator.”
“As I said, our plan is fully costed. We are confident in those numbers. We will release it shortly but we’re also confident that what we’re putting forward is a plan to effectively address the concerns that Saskatchewan people tell us are most important to them.”
Beck was also asked what the NDP plan was for roads if they were to cut the gas tax. “There is no plan to stop investing in roads. In fact, we’ve announced some places where roads desperately need some improvements,” she said.
Beck also reacted to the SaskParty announcement earlier that morning that they would raise the personal income tax exemption, the spousal exemption, the child exemption and the seniors supplement by $500 each year for the next four years.
The Sask Party said this would save a family of four $2100 over four years, but Beck questioned why such relief was being offered now and not much earlier.
“I would say this, I don’t think the Premier has understood just how much Saskatchewan people have been struggling, that they’ve been struggling for years. And this is a Premier who has not only not offered relief to Saskatchewan people, has actually made life more expensive. We have a plan to focus on the things that people tell us are most troubling to them, groceries, the children’s clothing, gas, trying to put gas in their vehicle to get where they need to go,” said Beck.
“We’ve got a plan to deliver it right away. But I would also say Saskatchewan people need a government that will work for all people in this province, and will work right across their mandate, right throughout their mandate. Not just come in on the eve of an election and offer what they should have delivered two years ago, while people were struggling.”
