By Joel van der Veen
DAVIDSON — Canada officially began the campaign period for its 42nd general election at the start of August.
But for many of those seeking office, the dropping of the writ was little more than a formality.
“I’ve been campaigning for months now,” Conservative candidate Tom Lukiwski told the Leader last week, “ever since I won the nomination in my riding.”
Lukiwski, who previously held the riding of Regina-Lumsden-Lake Centre, is one of three candidates running in the new riding of Moose Jaw-Lake Centre-Lanigan.
Likewise, New Democratic Party candidate Dustan Hlady said he had been active prior to the election call, knocking on doors, meeting constituents and appearing at events like the parade held during Craik’s Blast from the Past weekend in late July.
He, Lukiwski and Liberal candidate Perry Juttla have nearly two months to engage with local voters until the nation heads to the polls on Oct. 15.
On Aug. 2, Prime Minister Stephen Harper made the formal request to Gov. Gen. David Johnston to dissolve Parliament, thereby kicking off a 78-day campaign that will be the longest Canada has seen in more than a century.
Campaigning in the middle of summer comes with challenges, as Hlady and Lukiwski both noted that many voters are still on holidays or otherwise occupied.
“They want to enjoy the summer,” said Lukiwski, a former businessman who has held federal office since 2004. “I think that we’ll see that interest level grow, certainly, as we head into the fall.”
As for the long campaign, he said some people he has talked to weren’t even aware that it had begun, adding, “Frankly, I haven’t heard anybody really complain about it.”
With the new boundaries, Lukiwski said he’s been busy introducing himself to voters in communities that weren’t part of his old riding, and he added he’s heard many of the same concerns.
“The main thing is the economy,” said Lukiwski, observing that voters have expressed a desire to maintain a “competent and responsible government” to protect Canada from the fragile global situation, witnessed in countries like Greece and China.
“Everything seems to be related to the economy itself,” he said. “All of the other issues really pale in comparison.”
He acknowledged some differences in the issues mentioned by rural or urban voters. For instance, farmers often raise concerns about commodity and cattle prices, topics that don’t surface as often in the city.
Covering the new ground will keep Lukiwski busy during the campaign, he said, adding that he’s concerned about burnout among his volunteers.
“It’s such a large riding,” he said. “It’s a matter of managing our time . . . There’s so many constituents, and such a large tract of land.”
Hlady said he has been active campaigning in both Moose Jaw and throughout the rural areas of the riding.
“Sometimes you miss people because they’re at the lake or whatever,” he said, adding, “It’s been great, the response has been really good . . . I’ve got a lot of support in areas I didn’t expect.”
Hlady said he has consistently heard a desire for change in Canada’s leadership, noting that the polls have also reflected this and adding, “It’s a massive shift of how people perceive the current government.”
On the doorsteps, he said, he has frequently heard concerns about health care —specifically, a $36-billion cut in funding expected to result from a proposed federal health accord.
“People are really upset about that, and they’re noticing the differences these cuts are making,” said Hlady, adding that such reductions are partly to blame for the service struggles faced by communities like Craik.
He also said that continuing scandals and accusations of misconduct against the Conservatives have had a cumulative effect of either angering voters or driving them away from political engagement altogether.
Hlady said parts of the NDP platform, such as subsidized daycare programs and lowered taxes for small- or medium-sized businesses, have resonated with voters.
He added that he continues to be excited about the campaign, explaining that Canadians are being given a choice of “very different paths.”
The Liberal Party’s Justin Trudeau was the first of the major party leaders to campaign in Saskatchewan this summer, visiting La Ronge, Meadow Lake, Regina and Saskatoon last week.
On Wednesday, he joined Wascana MP Ralph Goodale to discuss the party’s plan for economic growth, which would include a new benefit program targeting “the middle class and those working hard to join it.”
Juttla, a Regina-based businessman, is running to represent the Liberal Party in this riding. Multiple interview requests were not returned prior to press time last week.