REGINA — Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe faces a divided electorate after winning Monday's election and must start taking city issues seriously if he wants to mend relations, political experts say.
Moe's Saskatchewan Party is to form a fifth-straight majority, but it lost in the big cities while retaining its grip on rural areas to secure 35 seats in the 61-seat legislature.
The party was shut out by Carla Beck's NDP in Regina and lost all but two seats in Saskatoon.
"I think there are real challenges for Scott Moe," Charles Smith, a professor of political studies at St. Thomas More College in Saskatoon, said in an interview Tuesday.
"I think that there's a very demoralized caucus and you've got almost no urban representation notwithstanding that is where the majority of people in your province live."
The Saskatchewan Party lost Saskatoon cabinet ministers Bronwyn Eyre and Paul Merriman along with Regina’s Laura Ross, Christine Tell and Gene Makowsky.
Smith said voters tossed them out largely due to concerns in health care and education.
He said if Moe wants to appeal to Regina and Saskatoon voters again, he should start taking those issues seriously.
"Those are the two policy files that are going to dominate the agenda for probably the next four years," Smith said.
He also said Moe may need to start moving away from social conservative policies.
Moe has promised as his first order of business to ban "biological boys" from using changing rooms with "biological girls.”
He made the pledge on the campaign trail, saying he had heard of one such incident in a southeast school.
He also invoked the notwithstanding clause last year to pass a law that prevents children under 16 from changing their names or pronouns at school.
"Can they drop that, apologize for it, build bigger coalitions and be more inclusive? I think that's hard to say because I think this premier is much more comfortable on the right," Smith said.
Daniel Westlake, a political studies professor at the University of Saskatchewan, said Moe's losses are significant.
"Saskatchewan is a good province for a party like the Saskatchewan Party, but this wasn't a good election for an incumbent," Westlake said.
"You've got concerns about health care, concerns about cost of living that have been affecting every party that's running for re-election. And so those are issues that the Sask. Party is going to have to deal with."
Tom McIntosh, a political scientist at the University of Regina, has said Moe will need voices in cabinet that can bring in urban perspectives.
"How much emphasis will be put on health-care issues in the city, as opposed to health-care issues in rural Saskatchewan? Both need massive attention,” he said.
Following his win, Moe told supporters he must do better.
He said he heard the message sent by voters that there's unhappiness in how the province is delivering health care, education and making life more affordable.
In her concession speech, Beck said she's disappointed by her party's loss but proud of the gains it made, and said she'll continue to hold Moe accountable.
Smith said Beck can take the loss as a victory in other ways, noting she nearly doubled her party's seats from the 14 at dissolution.
But he said the party needs to secure ridings in Prince Albert and Moose Jaw if it wants to ever form government.
"They're going to be a very vocal and effective opposition to challenge the government's agenda. I think that's good for democracy," Smith said.
"I think that also suggests that this is going to be her party, and it's going to be her agenda that's going to push the party forward."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 29, 2024.
Jeremy Simes, The Canadian Press