麻豆视频

It can be the best of times, and it will be the worst of times, at times.聽

The 2016 provincial general election campaign is upon us, or will be in the very near future.聽

Thankfully, it will not be the long version we were forced to endure with last fall鈥檚 72-day federal campaign or, heaven forbid, the multi-year campaigns Americans have to suffer through regularly with no end in sight.聽

While the Sask. Party numbers have slipped slightly within the past few weeks, our populace will, no doubt, be heading to the ballot boxes with some assurance this will be the governing party once the votes are counted.聽

The question we ask from vantage points outside Regina and Saskatoon, is: Will the New Democratic Party succeed in upping their total from the paltry nine seats they currently hold in the 58-seat (now to be 61-seat) legislature? After all, they are the Official Opposition, and, the only opposition. This has been a two-party province for the past decade. We鈥檙e not certain this is what the population necessarily expected, but that鈥檚 what we got.聽

According to the strategic analysis we receive from political pundits and analysts, the NDP are hitching their wagon to the urban horse once more, hoping to gain ground in Regina, Saskatoon and their immediate surrounding constituencies and, to a lesser extent, Prince Albert and Moose Jaw and one northern riding.聽

Of course, rural NDP candidates, including those in southern Saskatchewan, will argue that they aren鈥檛 conceding anything to the Sask. Party. But statistics gleaned from the past two provincial elections, tell them the NDP will have a very high hill to climb in rural and small city settings if they intend to steal seats.聽

The Sask. Party established their rural fortresses years ago as the NDP, almost matador-like, waved them through without much of a fight. The fact the New Democrats went through a controversial leadership race didn鈥檛 help unify the party following the disastrous leadership term of Dwain Lingenfelter that didn鈥檛 do much to either unify the party or set a clear path for his successor.聽

The Brad Wall juggernaut was well established by this time. That point was made in the last election.聽

We don鈥檛 expect a similar rout this time, but it probably still won鈥檛 be that pretty for the NDP who have lowered their sights and are appearing to aim at being a more credible opposition for the next four years with more MLAs and a solidified policy platform on which they can rebuild credibility.聽

And we should not forget those parties lurking in the background, seeking recognition. They just might succeed.聽

We speak, of course, of the more highly profiled Green Party with its full slate of candidates who have defied odds and lack of cash and simply refused to go away.聽

There is the revived Progressive Conservative Party with its slate of a dozen or more candidates led by politically aware leader Rick Swenson, who has steered through a few political mazes in the past and remains as feisty as ever. Their candidates may be rookies, but they could rock the establishment boat on the right side of the political spectrum.聽

We have PC and Green Party candidates in Estevan and southeast Saskatchewan who might do a little boat rocking once the battle begins.聽

The Liberal party is determined to resurface too, with 47 candidates, mostly in the two major urban centres. Again, they could pose a threat to the status quo.聽

Early indications though suggest Saskatchewan is heading back to familiar territory, but then, with each changing generation, there come surprises. And if you doubt that, just glance to our western neighbour.聽

Anything is possible.