The province’s only election debate ahead of voters going to the polls was held last night and featured the two main political leaders, the NDP’s Carla Beck and the Sask. Party’s Scott Moe.

Beck said the province’s residents deserve better than what Scott Moe’s 17-year-old Saskatchewan Party has left them. Moe defended his government’s record and said his party wants to lower taxes to put money back into the pockets of Saskatchewan residents while the NDP is going to take that money and spend it. He said when the NDP can’t balance the budget, the taxpayers will have to.

“The most affordable place in Canada to live that is the goal of the Saskatchewan Party. There are measures that are in place today and there’s measures that will be in place should we form government October 28th. Unlike the NDP party that has put forward a platform that simply has grabbed 800 million dollars out of thin air. No one can explain where it came.”

Carla Beck continued to hammer home the issues around health care. She said Scott Moe didn’t even have the respect to talk to nurses who were raising concerns about safe staffing levels.

“Let’s look at results, Scott Moe says he wants to run on his record, let’s look at his record. The longest waitlists for surgery in the entire country. The most people dying on wait lists in this province. Women with lumps in their breast deciding if they can pay out of pocket and get the health care they need.”

Beck reiterated her campaign promises to make life more affordable by suspending the gas tax for six months and removing the provincial sales tax from children’s clothes but will also spend billions more on health care and education.  Her promises are to cost $3.65 billion over four years, but she said she would balance the budget at the end of her term.

Scott Moe has said if reelected his party will lower personal income taxes and offer tax credits for those looking to buy homes or start families. The Saskatchewan Party platform is costed out at $1.2 billion over four years.  Moe says their plans will balance the budget in 2027 and he notes two of their budgets were balanced over his last term.

Friday is the last day to register in advance to vote and last day to apply for Vote by Mail or Homebound voting application.  You can register to vote when you go to the polls with the proper identification.  The provincial election is October 28th but voting week begins on October 22nd.