Gravelbourg & District Tribune

The big news this past week was the announcement of a federal election. Vote day is April 28 which doesn’t leave us much time to review policies and candidates.

 

Most of Gravelbourg and region was at one time part of the Cypress Hills - Grasslands riding but things have changed with the new redistribution lines.

 

Gravelbourg is in the Moose Jaw - Lake Centre - Lanigan riding. Lafleche is the Swift Current - Grasslands - Kindersley riding that runs to the Alberta border and way up to Kindersley and Assiniboia is now in the Souris Moose Moutain riding that runs east to Manitoba border.

 

These changes will be a bit confusing for this first election. The normal trading region is now split and a whole gambit of candidates will be running around in the area.

 

The House of Commons has 338 ridings. Bloc Québécois 33; Conservative Party of Canada 120; Green Party of Canada 2; Independent 3; Liberal Part of Canada 152; New Democratic Party 24 and four seats are vacant. The province of Saskatchewan has 14 ridings all held by the Conservative Party of Canada.

 

It could end up having the Bloc Quebecois party holding the balance of power in the house. Our stupid first-past-the-post electoral system is as outdated as the American system with their electoral college votes.

 

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose. Oh well.