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Scott Moe will lead Saskatchewan as the province’s next premier.
The Rosthern-Shellbrook MLA was chosen as leader of the Sask. Party at Prairieland Park in Saskatoon on Saturday, beating Alanna Koch on the final ballot with 53.87 per cent of the vote.
“I am truly humbled to be a part of this team, and the trust you have placed in me to lead this party and this province,” he said in his acceptance speech.
Moe created a splash when he launched his leadership campaign last fall, with the support of 23 MLAs.
He ran on a campaign of adding $30 million to the education system to hire more teaching assistants, and on restoring the PST exemption on insurance.
Moe also promised to encourage climate change policies like carbon capture, but to stand against a federal carbon tax.
“And Justin Trudeau, if you’re wondering how far I’ll go, just watch me,” he said.
Moe was the only candidate not to respond to a 650 CKOM / 980 CJME questionnaire’s Global Transportation Hub (GTH) query, while others promised to take action at the end of an RCMP investigation.
The Shellbrook man was congratulated by outgoing premier Brad Wall on stage before he took the microphone. During his speech, Moe echoed Wall’s sentiments on how Saskatchewan has transformed into a “winning” province.
“Our potential in this province knows no bounds,” he said.
“We will never be afraid to set targets, we will not be deterred by obstacles in our path.”
Moe started the night just behind Alanna Koch, who held the lead through the first three ballots as Rob Clarke and Tina Beaudry-Mellor were eliminated from the race.
However, even on the third ballot Koch’s lead only stood at 54 votes over Moe.
The landscape changed when Gord Wyant’s votes were redistributed on the fourth ballot. Moe collected 1,436 of Wyant’s supporters, while Koch gained just over 1,000.
Get ready for big movement. Wyant is eliminated, while Koch leads Moe by just 54 votes! #skpoli #yxe pic.twitter.com/9VJTNXWede
— 650 CKOM (@CKOMNews) January 28, 2018
Cheveldayoff’s elimination secured Moe’s victory, when he picked up another 2,100 votes to launch him into the premiership.
The result came as a surprise to some, given he placed third in an Insightrix poll sponsored by 650 CKOM / 980 CJME last week.
Moe will be sworn into office sometime in the coming weeks.
NDP calls Moe ‘more of the same’
The interim leader of Saskatchewan’s opposition NDP says Scott Moe represents very little change for the Saskatchewan Party.
“I want to congratulate Mr. Moe on his win tonight,” Nicole Sarauer said Sunday. “But, for the people of Saskatchewan , it`s going be the same bad management and cruel and heartless cuts.”
Sarauer pointed out that Moe not only voted for, but helped write the Sask Party’s recent austerity budget.
“Scott Moe, like everybody else who was running to be the next leader, has been at the decision-making table when some of these very devastating cuts and tax hikes have been put into place,” Sarauer said.
The Saskatchewan NDP chooses its new leader in March.