People who signed petitions to establish the Saskatchewan Party will help set party policy.
Leader Ken Krawetz said last week questionnaires will be sent to a cross-section of voters who expressed interest in the party.
“The responses we gather will form the basis of the Saskatchewan Party’s policy platform, a platform that will truly be driven by the members of our party,” Krawetz said.
“I believe that we have a real advantage in that we are starting our policy process with a clean slate, unlike the old parties that have entrenched positions they have to defend.”
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He said the eight MLAs who make up the official opposition also plan to take a “new and different approach” to their duties.
In addition to holding the government accountable, the opposition members will be seeking input on key issues within each of their critic areas.
For example, health critic Don Toth will be looking for ideas on how to ensure quality health care while keeping costs under control.
Krawetz said ideas and questionnaire responses will be discussed at the party’s founding meeting and policy workshop in November.
As of last week, the party was still several hundred signatures short of the 2,500 it needs to register as an official party.
Krawetz said he isn’t worried.
“We purposely have left the meetings alone for a week, week and a half because agriculture is key in this province and you cannot expect farmers to leave swathers and combines to come to a meeting,” he said.
“We’ve allowed the agriculture community to get busy with what they’re doing and then the middle of September is when we start up again.”
Experience in agriculture
Five of the eight MLAs are actively involved in agriculture. Bill Boyd, who represents Kindersley and was the leader of the former Tory party, is the new agriculture critic.
Krawetz called agriculture the most important area of responsibility when he announced critic duties last week.
Boyd will also be the critic for labor, the public service commission and the board of internal economy, which looks after MLA salaries and expenses.
Krawetz will look after education and executive council. Deputy leader Dan D’Autre-mont is responsible for energy and mines, environment and Sask Water. Bob Bjornerud will be the critic for highways and transportation, municipal government, SaskTel and Saskatchewan Transportation Company.
June Draude is the economic development critic, along with Indian and Metis affairs, the Women’s Secretariat and SGI. Rod Gantefoer will look after finance and the Crown Investments Corporation.
Ben Heppner is responsible for justice, the liquor and gaming authority, intergovernmental affairs and Saskatchewan Property Management Corporation. Health critic Toth will also look after social services, SaskPower and SaskEnergy.
The Liberal party’s new agriculture critic is Thunder Creek MLA Gerard Aldridge. He will also look after highways.
