Former MLA adds drama to Coronation Park byelection campaign

The byelection race to replace former Regina Coronation Park MLA Mark Docherty became more interesting after recent comments by Docherty.

In February, Docherty resigned his seat to pursue other opportunities.

Less than two weeks ago, Docherty appeared on a Saskatchewan politics podcast, The Skoop, and spoke about the current state of politics in the province and his time as the representative of Coronation Park.

He talked about being asked questions by his constituents.

"They said, 'What have you done for us? What's your legacy? What infrastructure has been put in place in regards to Coronation Park?"' he said.

"And I looked and I went, oh my God, the answer is going to be nothing. I didn't know what to say and I had been advocating, lobbying," Docherty said.

On the topic of the Saskatchewan Party's "growth that works for everyone" slogan, Docherty said, "people are struggling."

"If I say that message to somebody, they kind of look at me dumbfounded. They don't understand. They're going, 'What have you done? What has this government done for us?"'

The podcast episode was released a day after Premier Scott Moe called the byelection.

Last week, the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) commended Docherty on Twitter. 

"SUMA thanks Mark Docherty for his integrity and conviction in speaking out. Mark has confirmed concerns SUMA has been raising about the continued struggles of homelessness, mental health, and addictions we see in our province, despite the economic surpluses we've seen," the tweets said.

University of Regina professor of politics and international studies Tom McIntosh called Docherty's comments "sort of unprecedented" in the history of the Saskatchewan Party.

"For someone like that to come out and say maybe we're not going in the right direction, maybe we're not representing our constituents the way we should. They have legitimate questions about what you've done for the riding."

McIntosh said former Premier Brad Wall and Premier Scott Moe have not experienced public criticism from within the party at the level of what Docherty said. 

"There's been a level of volatility in Alberta with cabinet people in and out, and fights inside the party, but we've seen none of that within the Sask. Party. Whatever is going on within the caucus, none of it is leaking out," McIntosh said.

"We've seen lots of people come and go, but none have had that kind of assessment of things on the way out."

Docherty's comments have been used by NDP Leader Carla Beck to bolster her candidate's campaign, saying the Saskatchewan Party and government slogan is not reality in the province. Beck and her Regina candidates have been repeating what Docherty said on the campaign trail.

"This was a gift to the NDP on the doorstep. The guy you liked, the guy you voted for, thinks things are going in the wrong direction," McIntosh said.

"It was an interesting thing to see, especially given the timing."

2 men who immigrated from Pakistan to Regina among candidates

Noor Burki is the NDP candidate in Coronation Park and Riaz Ahmad is the Saskatchewan Party candidate. Both men won contested nominations.

Burki ran and lost in Coronation Park in 2020, but said he did not lose his "confidence and courage."

Burki came to Canada from Pakistan in 2003. He owns Wascana Driving School and teaches high school driver's education.

He said "affordability" as a top voter concern.

"People are living paycheque to paycheque. Some people say 'we can't go camping because we can't afford it anymore.'" 

Burki noted the comments by Docherty as well.

"Mark Docherty is a great person. I personally like him and he was a great MLA and representative of the constituency. If he says Sask. Party growth doesn't work for everyone, it doesn't work in my constituency."

Ahmad came to Regina in 2013 from Pakistan and operates a pest control business with his brother.

Ahmad said running for the party was "an honour of a lifetime."

He commended the Saskatchewan Party and its record of population growth, specifically internationally.

"It is due to the quite tremendous policies of the Sask. Party government that invites people from all around the globe."

As of Sunday, Reid Hill of the Saskatchewan Progress Party was the only other candidate in the race. Parties have until Tuesday to register their candidates with Elections Saskatchewan.

Hill said in a news release he was motivated to run in part because of the health-care situation in the province.

"I saw first-hand the strains on the system. The hospitals and care facilities are understaffed, and the lack of family doctors has shown just how bad our health system has become," Reid said.

Coronation Park voting history

The NDP's Kim Trew was the MLA for Coronation Park from 1986 to 2011. Docherty took 53 per cent of the vote in 2011, but saw that vote share drop below 50 per cent in the past two provincial elections.

In 2016, Docherty edged the NDP by 147 votes. In 2020, Coronation Park was the fifth closest race in the province when Docherty knocked off Burki by 283 votes. The Green Party received 191 votes and the Progressive Conservatives took 227 votes.