Clarke demands northern debate, SaskParty says no
SaskParty leadership hopeful Rob Clarke has demanded the party add a northern debate to the calendar, in order to ensure northern and Indigenous issues are not overlooked.
The SaskParty candidates have already debated four times, meeting in Swift Current, Melfort, Saskatoon and most recently North Battleford. Two more official debates are scheduled to be in Weyburn and Regina Nov. 30 and Dec. 7. Clarke, who officially entered the race late last week, sent a letter to the party’s administration requesting a new, northern debate be added to the calendar in order to ensure the leadership race includes all parts of the province.
“As a leadership candidate you’ve got to hear from all people, from all walks of life, from all corners of the province,” Clarke told paNOW. “They drew a line from Melfort to Saskatoon to North Battleford and neglected the North.”
Northern economic development should be treated as a key issue during the leadership race, Clarke said, noting the other candidates appear to be overlooking the North entirely. The former MP and RCMP officer described the province’s First Nations and Métis communities as a massive untapped resource, and said the province could see huge benefits from a closer and stronger relationship with its Indigenous and Métis peoples.