(Submitted photo/Larry Neufeld)

By Glenn Hicks

election

Changes to voting system and cooperation key for Green candidate

Oct 15, 2020 | 12:00 PM

The Green Party candidate for the Rosthern-Shellbrook riding in the provincial election says getting the voting system changed is a key part of the campaign. He also labels the Saskatchewan Party’s stance on the federal carbon tax a hindrance to creating a green future for the province.

Larry Neufeld, a Regina resident who works in insurance and is vice-president of a local charity, says first-past-the-post voting means one party governs for all but without a mandate from all voters, whereas a proportional representation system would address that.

“It gives everyone the chance to be heard. Right now [the current system] creates a false majority and situations where you’re not representing truly the entire province, yet you’re speaking for the entire province when that government forms,” he told paNOW. “[Proportional representation] also invigorates democracy too, it gets more people interested in voting … because right now there’s lots of people feeling they aren’t being heard with only two parties in the legislature.”

Neufeld, who is running in the riding held by Premier Scott Moe, criticized what he called “the tunnel vision” of the Saskatchewan Party government regarding their continued legal opposition to the federal carbon tax.

“It doesn’t believe in cooperation… which is very disheartening to see. We should be cooperating with each other,” he said. “Carbon pricing is not the be-all-end-all… [but] it’s one tool in the toolbox and something that we should use to fund and gear us towards a transition to a new green future.”

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The Saskatchewan Party argues the carbon tax threatens jobs, does not fall under the jurisdiction of Ottawa, and the province has its own carbon reduction plans.

“Moe’s constant bashing of carbon pricing is not helpful and threatens to make Saskatchewan the laggards of Canada,” Neufeld said.

When asked how much traction he thought the Green Party could achieve given the dominance of the two parties in this election (Sask. Party and NDP), he said it was all about offering a unique and different vision on the campaign trail.

“There’s a lot of, unfortunately, partisan focus between the two [main] parties. Our focus is on a more cooperative approach. I think people are sick of the usual politics they’re seeing right now between the two parties who seem to cooperate very little.”

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glenn.hicks@jpbg.ca

On Twitter:@princealbertnow