Ottawa

‘The new boundaries will enhance democratic representation in Saskatchewan’

Saskatchewan’s political scientists speak up

Political science professors at the University of Saskatchewan and University of Regina have written an open letter to defend the riding boundaries proposed by the Saskatchewan boundaries commission and respond to the dissenting report of David Marit.

We feel that arguments made in the dissenting report by Commissioner Marrit are not compelling enough to overturn the will of the majority on the Commission. He claims that the number of MPs representing Saskatoon and Regina will be reduced from eight to five. Yet, this argument ignores the realities on the ground. Marrit does not take seriously that eight MPs currently representing Saskatoon and Regina are forced to split their time and attention between the rural and urban portions of their ridings. A better way to look at the new situation, we assert, is that Saskatoon and Regina gain five MPs solely devoted to their interests and rural areas now have more MPs entirely devoted to their interests.

Marrit also states that 75% of the people who contacted the commission were against the proposed changes. However, the other commissioners note that most of that 75% came in the form of pre-formatted postcards sent in at the behest of local MPs who wanted to maintain existing boundaries.

See previously: Battleground Saskatchewan, The Conservative fight against new ridings in Saskatchewan and Everything you ever didn’t know you wanted to know about redrawing riding boundaries

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