By Glenn Hicks

Prince Albert not on Sask Party debate list

Sep 19, 2017 | 2:00 PM

Prince Albert is not on the list of locations for the six Saskatchewan Party leadership debates taking place from next month through to December.

Executive director of the party Patrick Bundrock said they chose Melfort for the October 26 debate as it gives the most equal access for members across a large region.

“It allows for travel quite conveniently for the constituencies within that region,” Bundrock said. “We have previously held our regional meetings [in Melfort] and we‘ve gotten great feedback that that is a great spot for equal access.

Prince Albert is a major centre with a relatively large population but Bundrock said the consideration was for all members in the region to have the opportunity to travel between an hour and hour and a half “to keep it fair.”

Some people may feel the Sask Party is deliberately avoiding P.A. but Bundrock rejected that.

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“Absolutely not, we’ll be live streaming our debates and making sure everyone has a chance to participate,” Bundrock said.

In an email local Sask Party MLA Joe Hargrave said the candidates can’t go everywhere in the province and the most important thing is for them to visit P.A. to meet people and hear people’s concerns and ideas.

He said it was important for the people “to hear each candidate outline their plan for the future of the Sask Party and the province.”

Local NDP MLA Nicole Rancourt said the Sask Party has long ignored the people of P.A. and she can’t believe they’re not having a debate there.

“If they can’t come to Prince Albert for a debate it makes me wonder how much time they’ll spend in Prince Albert once they become premier,” she said.

So far there are five leadership hopefuls in the race to succeed Brad Wall: Tina Beaudry-Mellor, Ken Cheveldayoff, Alanna Koch, Scott Moe, and Gord Wyant.

The six debates will take place as follows:

Thursday, October 19, 2017, in Swift Current

Thursday, October 26, 2017, in Melfort

Saturday, November 4, 2017, in Saskatoon (plenary session at

Saskatchewan Party convention)

Thursday, November 16, 2017, in North Battleford

Thursday, November 30, 2017, in Weyburn

Thursday, December 7, 2017, in Regina