By Juliet Kadzviti

ELECTION 2016: Rosthern-Shellbrook candidates ready for last campaign stretch

Apr 1, 2016 | 5:00 PM

Heading into the final days of the election, the Rosthern-Shellbrook candidates are meeting with constituents to hear about their major concerns.  

SaskParty candidate Scott Moe is looking to be re-elected. He was elected as MLA in 2011, with just over 65 per cent of the vote.

Moe said interacting with his constituents has shown the economy and health care are big concerns for them.

“We are always discussing health care and access to the medical professionals that we have. We have made progress, with 650 more physicians working across the province and some in our constituency. We have 3000 more nurses working across the province, some of those in our constituency.

“We have nurse practitioners now, working in our constituency and I think it’s enhancing our access to those medical professionals in communities.”

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Moe said if he was re-elected he would continue working for his constituents.

“What I would continue to do is get out into the community and talk to the people and represent them… that is my responsibility, to carry their voice forward,” he said.

Rose Freeman, the NDP candidate, who lives outside Shell Lake and owns her own business, is running for the first time and called campaigning a “learning experience.”

She is also spending the last few days of the campaign meeting with people.

“I’ve been out door-knocking quite a bit this week and making a few phone calls this week as well.”

Freeman said during her campaign, constituents have said healthcare and access to medical facilities are their biggest concerns.  

“We are a rural riding and we do have a lot of seniors, so predominately what I’ve been hearing is in regards to health care. A lot of it has been based around the Shellbrook Hospital and the Victoria Hospital.”

Freeman said part of her campaign platform is improving the lives of the constituents.

“We have talked a lot about cutting LEAN…We want to have a lot more frontline workers, so that we can put more workers in hospitals like Shellbrook and Prince Albert to help with the actual medical needs, which is where we should be spending money in our healthcare system.”

Freeman said she believes the riding needs a candidate that is more vocal.

“I think rural Saskatchewan does need a louder voice or we are all going to disappear, rural Saskatchewan tends to be the cost of doing business not the place where you do business and I think that needs to change. Rural Saskatchewan is one of our best kept secrets.” 

Jade Duckett is the Green Party candidate in this riding. According to the party’s website, he is a former filmmaker and has been involved in political activity for 29 years and volunteered for several organizations.

paNOW reached out to Duckett, but did not get a reply.

Orrin Greyeyes is the Liberal candidate in this riding. According to the party’s website, he decided to run because “Saskatchewan needs positive change.” He is an entrepreneur and a former urban councillor for the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation.

paNOW reached out to Duckett, but did not get a reply

-with files Nigel Maxwell

jkadzviti@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @julietkadzviti