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Elections Sask. publishes 2023 fundraising numbers

Money goes a long way in politics. Elections Saskatchewan has published the political party fiscal returns for 2023, also known as how much cash the parties raised.

The Saskatchewan Party led the way, raising over $3.6 million in 2023. This is $600,000 more than in 2022 due to almost doubling the amount of individual contributors to over 15,000. The Sask. Party saw over 800 corporate and union donations. The largest donation was $24,400 which came from Parrish and Heimbecker Ltd.

The Saskatchewan NDP took in over $1.4 million last year, $100,000 more than in 2022. Over 5,000 individual contributions and just over 100 corporate and union donations led to their total. The party’s largest donation was $43,000 from USW District 3.

Saskatchewan United raised $550,000, largely on the back of a $200,000 single donation from Adonai Resources Group, a Regina company led by Jon Hromek - the Sask. United’s deputy leader and former candidate in Lumsden-Morse. It’s believed that this could be the largest annual donation in modern Saskatchewan history.

The Buffalo Party raised $36,000, The Greens and Progress parties raised $17K each. The Progressive Conservatives raised just under $5K, with $124K sitting in trust.

We will unpack more from the fundraising results on Monday.

(Elections Saskatchewan)

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NDP motion to pause gas tax is defeated

Every day this session NDP leader Carla Beck has begun question period asking the Premier to pause the PST on gasoline and diesel, a move that would save consumers 15 cents a litre.

The NDP put forward a motion in the Legislative Assembly yesterday that stated “That the Assembly calls upon the government to suspend the collection of the provincial fuel tax from gasoline and diesel for a period of six months in order to help families struggling with the high cost of living.”

The motion was defeated, with 9 members voting in favour and 31 voting opposed. The vote went along party lines.

The Saskatchewan Party government defended the decision saying that the funds collected from the fuel tax are used to build and repair highways in the province and that the budget sees annual affordability measures.

Sask., Alberta sign MOU to share nuclear energy information

Alberta cabinet minister Nathan Neudorf was on the floor of the legislature to witness the final sitting day of the week as a guest of the government yesterday.

Neudorf was in the province representing Alberta as the province signed a memorandum of understanding with Saskatchewan to share nuclear energy information.

“Saskatchewan has a long-standing cooperative relationship with Alberta on energy development, and we share similar challenges and opportunities related to decarbonization,” Crown Investments Corporation Minister Dustin Duncan said. “I look forward to continued collaboration with the Government of Alberta on meeting the power needs of our provinces, while growing our economies and introducing new nuclear industries.”

Minister Neudorf said, “Alberta is proud to partner with Saskatchewan on further exploring how we can ensure our power grids are affordable, reliable, and sustainable.”

Nuclear power was the focus of Sask. United MLA Nadine Wilson’s weekly questions in the house, where she said small nuclear reactors were '“untested” and a “gamble.”

(Global News)

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Constituency Profile: Regina University

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SUMA represents over 80% of Saskatchewan residents —cities, towns, villages, resort villages, and northern municipalities—that come together as one urban voice. We’ve been here since 1905, advancing collective member interests with various government bodies, improving local governance, and fostering municipal growth. We are the hubs where you live, work, and play. We're where your children go to school, where you attend medical appointments at the clinic, and where you stop for coffee.

We are urban. To learn more visit www.suma.org.

Each week leading up to the 2024 election, The SKoop Political Briefing will highlight a constituency that has nominated a candidate from at least both major parties. Today, we look at Regina University. This constituency has changed from the last election following the Saskatchewan Boundary Commission’s redistricting. Regina University includes the neighbourhoods south of Victoria and East of Arcola with the constituency ending at Prince of Wales Dr.

The incumbent: Gene Makowsky. Makowsky is a familiar face in Regina, first elected in 2011, he was re-elected in 2016 and 2020 under the Saskatchewan Party banner. Currently the Minister of Social Services, he has served in various cabinet roles including Parks and Sport, and Advanced Education. In 2015 he was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame for his record-setting career with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

The challenger: Sally Housser. Somewhat of a star candidate for the NDP, Housser was the voice of the NDP on The SKoop Podcast. She is a public affairs professional and former press secretary for both Rachel Notley in Alberta, and Jack Layton federally. Housser also served as the Sask NDP Chief of Staff. She won a contested nomination for the NDP this March.

The takeaway: This will be a competitive race. According to 338Canada Polling, the riding is leaning towards the Sask. Party with the recognizable incumbent holding his own as the Sask Party dips in support in the provincial capital. This riding is “on the menu” for both parties and will likely become a tossup closer to the election.

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More news and info

• Health minister expands on plan to fund travel when kids need out-of-province care (CKOM)

• Abacus: Conservatives lead by 21% as the Budget fails to change opinions

• Macklem says he doesn’t think federal budget will have much of an impact on inflation (Canadian Press)

• Saskatchewan’s boundary dam carbon capture project underperforms, report says (StarPhoenix)

2024 Election Candidate Tracker