A parliamentary judgment on controversial proposals for electoral boundary changes in Saskatchewan before the 2015 federal election have been delayed, at least for a few weeks.
The House of Commons procedure and House affairs committee has listened to a string of Saskatchewan Conservative MPs arguing that proposals by the majority of a three-member electoral boundary commission to carve out five strictly urban seats in Saskatoon and Regina violates the rural-urban mix tradition in Saskatchewan.
Opposition MP critics and New Democratic Party planners have speculated that Conservative MPs, currently holding 13 of 14 provincial seats, are concerned that if rural areas are taken out of rural-urban seats, Conservatives could lose a few seats in more NDP-leaning urban areas.
Read Also
Alberta Crop Report: Two sides of the same weather coin
Wet weather in the northern half of Alberta and dry weather in the south delayed harvest across the province during the week ended Aug. 19, 2025.
On April 29, committee chair Joe Preston told the Commons the committee cannot meet its deadline of a 30-day study period before a report to Parliament and asked for another 30 days.
The House will approve the request this week, delaying a parliamentary recommendation into May or June.
Once the committee, with a Conservative majority, decides whether to accept or reject Conservative MP complaints about proposed new boundaries, the recommendations will be sent back to the boundaries commission to either accept or reject.
Its report will be final.
Conservative MPs have suggested the commissioners be urged to reconsider their proposals to create urban-only ridings, arguing that the rural-urban mix has served the province well.
The commission itself was divided with two commissioners recommending urban-only ridings and David Marit, president of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities, arguing in a rare minority report for retention of existing rural-urban ridings.
With the Commons committee plea for more time as it looks at proposed electoral boundary changes in all provinces, the issue will not be dropped back in the laps of the Saskatchewan commissioners for some weeks yet.
