Lumsden-Morse MLA Lyle Stewart remains Saskatchewan’s agriculture minister after last week’s landslide third-term win for the Saskatchewan Party.
In fact, the entire cabinet was re-elected and will remain the same for now as the government prepares its budget.
That document is to be released in late May or early June during a legislative session.
The government ran on few spending promises, and Premier Brad Wall has already said there will be deficit budgets this year and next as the province grapples with slumping oil revenue.
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The Canadian Federation of Agriculture policy summit examined several topics the industry is dealing with right now, including trade, and saw a major commodity group rejoin the organization
“Operationally, we’ve been working hard the last number of budgets to keep increases to just barely above inflation. I think you’ll see in the budget that’s the challenge,” he said, referring specifically to health, education and social services, which account for most of the spending.
The Sask. Party took 51 of the 61 seats in the April 4 election, including all of rural Saskatchewan, where preliminary numbers indicate the winning candidates took more than 50 percent of the vote.
Overall, the Sask. Party earned 62.6 percent of the popular vote, nearly the same as its record 64 percent in 2011.
The official count will be April 16.
Notable rookie wins included former Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities president David Marit in Wood River and former SARM vice-president Doug Steele in Cypress Hills.
Warren Kaeding, a former seed grower and 1999 winner, with his wife Carla, of Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmer award, was elected in Melville-Saltcoats to replace former agriculture minister Bob Bjornerud, who did not run again.
Wall also said he was happy to see the diversity of Saskatchewan begin to be reflected in the election of Muhammad Fiaz, an immigrant from Pakistan who won in Regina Pasqua.
“I am very excited and pleased that, when we are all sworn in as MLAS, for the first time in the history of the province we’ll see a Muslim being sworn in to serve in the Legislative Assembly,” Wall said.
The NDP increased its seat count from nine to 10 this election — three constituencies were added after a boundary commission report.
However, leader Cam Broten was defeated by 232 votes in Saskatoon Westview. He issued a statement saying he would take some time to consider his future but did not speak to reporters after election night.
The only other incumbent to be defeated was the Sask. Party’s Victoria Jurgens in Prince Albert Northcote, who lost to the NDP’s Nicole Rancourt, also by 232 votes.
Contact karen.briere@producer.com
