Saskatoon

Sask Party MLAs should resign to allow for byelection, says NDP leader

Saskatchewan NDP leader Ryan Meili is raising concerns about two Saskatchewan Party MLAs running in the upcoming federal election.

MLAs Warren Steinley and Corey Tochor running in upcoming federal election

NDP leader Ryan Meili is calling for two Saskatchewan Party MLAs running in the upcoming federal election to resign this week so byelections can be called. (CBC News)

Saskatchewan NDP leader Ryan Meili is raising concerns about two Saskatchewan Party MLAs running in the upcoming federal election.

MLAs Corey Tochor and Warren Steinley are running for the federal Conservatives. They plan to resign their seats when the official federal campaign period begins in September, according to a provincial government official.

Corey Tochor, Sask. MLA and former Speaker of the House, has been nominated by Conservative Party members in the federal Saskatoon-University riding as candidate for the 2019 federal elections. (Chanss Lagaden/CBC)

NDP Leader Ryan Meili says that's not fair to their constituents. Meili is calling for them to resign their provincial seats now so a byelection can be called. If they wait until September, there is no requirement to call a byelection.

Without a byelection, the seats will remain vacant until the next provincial vote in the fall of 2020.

"I think it's pretty cynical of those MLAs and the premier to not insist on a byelection happening," Meili said in an interview Monday.

Warren Steinley is looking to unseat NDP MP Erin Weir in the Regina-Lewvan riding. (Warren Steinley/Facebook)

Premier Scott Moe has said that the two MLAs are following the rules. Moe noted NDP candidate John Solomon did the same thing in 1993.

An emailed statement from the government caucus office Monday reiterated those points.

"Mr. Tochor and Mr. Steinley continue to work on behalf of their constituents and engage citizens on the priorities they want their government to act on," read the statement.

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