Student candidates largely shut out

The four main parties fielded about a dozen student candidates; five ran for the NDP, four for the Green Party and one for the Sask. Party. The Liberal Party ran at least two, although they could not be reached for confirmation.

Of these student candidates, only the Sask. Party candidate won. Jennifer Campeau, a University of Saskatchewan PhD student, will represent Saskatoon Fairview in the 27th Legislature. She beat NDP labour critic Andy Iwanchuk, who had represented the constituency for eight years.

Of the two main parties, the Sask. Party had relatively modest education platforms, promising the creation of new scholarship and grant programs that would contribute to postsecondary students’ finances. The NDP, on the other hand, pinned its hopes on a tuition freeze, similar to what it had in place under the Calvert government. The University of Saskatchewan administration, among others, rejected this policy.

Only nine women elected

Only nine of the province’s 58 seats in the legislature will be held by female candidates following the Nov. 7 election. This is a drop from the 14 female MLAs who sat in the legislature prior to the campaign.

Seven of the nine MLAs will be in government while two will be seated in the opposition benches. The Sask. Party and NDP fielded 10 and 14 female candidates, respectively.

Both Deb Higgins and Judy Junor, senior members of the New Democratic caucus, were defeated on election night. The Sask. Party, meanwhile, has at least two senior women remaining: caucus chair Doreen Eagles and June Draude, one of the eight founding members of the party.

—
Photo: Sask. Party