Rob Norris announces run for mayor – says ‘fresh eyes and perspective’ needed at city hall

As the sounds of Eighth Street construction equipment and traffic echoed in the background, former Saskatchewan Party MLA and cabinet minister Rob Norris formally announced his intention to run for mayor in November’s civic election.

Telling the small crowd gathered outside of The Cave restaurant fundamental change needs to occur at city hall, he said his aim was to earn the trust of Saskatonians over the next several months.

“The vision that we gather for today is a call to action that leads to a more affordable Saskatoon for everyone. A more prosperous Saskatoon where families can see their children meet their full potential. A safer Saskatoon.”

During his speech, Norris called for the expansion of the Board of Police Commissioners, suggested he was firmly against defunding police, and advocated for a return to yearly capital and operating budgets. However, he did not outline any specific policies or details. Those, he explained, would be released in the coming weeks.

What he did do, was take direct aim at Mayor Charlie Clark, saying that although he’s “a nice guy, he’s just being too passive.”

“There are some tests that Charlie Clark has to measure up to. But, it’s not just about Charlie Clark, in fact, it’s about leaders having to measure up, too.”

He also touched on Clark’s record on safety for citizens, businesses and throughout residential neighbourhoods.

“We think about a safer Saskatoon. Charlie Clark has profoundly failed the people of Saskatoon when it comes to making the city safer. His tenure as mayor will be remembered by…record cases of arson, (inaudible), violent crimes, and families on edge. Businesses questioning whether they want to do business in Saskatoon.”

Mayor Charlie Clark has not yet announced whether he will seek a second term. 650 CKOM requested an interview with him. We were provided with the following statement:

“I’m not surprised Rob Norris is running for mayor, as he had announced earlier that he had put his campaign on hold. Right now, my full attention is on providing leadership during a challenging period in our city. Given what we are going through, I haven’t been hearing that our citizens are looking for the campaigning to start, considering the election is over four months away. I will be announcing my intentions at a later time.”

While Norris cited the Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce in his initial address, he won’t say whether the organization – or any other for that matter –  is backing his mayoral bid.

“I would say there are a number of people from across Saskatoon that are profoundly concerned about this rudderless journey that we are on right now. There are constituencies and members of different communities that I’ve heard from that are reflective of Saskatoon.”

As for how, when and where he would be campaigning, Norris said the primary goal was safety.

“I’m going to aim to walk on, or run on every residential street in the City of Saskatoon. We’re going to use social media, and if people want to talk to us from their doors and we’ll just be out walking. We’ll be as accessible as we can.”