This year Canadians will head to the polls on Monday, Oct. 19, to elect members to the House of Commons of the 42nd Parliament of Canada.
There are a total of 338 federal electoral districts, or ridings, across Canada. Within Saskatchewan are 14 of these seats, which are based on population densities.
Locally, Carlyle and area is found within the Souris-Moose Mountain riding, which covers the majority of southeastern Saskatchewan.
Recently announced in the riding were (in alphabetical order) Steven Bebbington with the Liberals, Bob Deptuck with the Green Party, Dr. Robert Kitchen with the Progressive Conservatives (PC), and Vicky O’Dell with the New Democratic Party (NDP).
Steven Bebbington
Bebbington, the Liberal candidate, is from Earl Grey, which is a village north of Regina. Although this is outside of the Souris-Moose Mountain boundaries, he is determined to encourage younger voters to get out and vote, having just turned 26-years-old on Aug. 22.
He has been an employee for the past eight years with the Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region and because of this he is enthusiastic about healthcare as a priority in his campaign. Other concerns he’s heard and hopes to address relate to agriculture, wildlife, and the maintenance of highways in the southeast.
Bob Deptuck
Deptuck (Green Party) is this year’s candidate for the Souris-Moose Mountain riding. Originally from Saskatoon, he has settled in Rocanville where he has lived for nearly a decade.
An employee with Potash Corp. he has spent much of his life learning about the environment and has led him to the Green Party. Focuses for Deptuck revolve around reform to the running of government and the economy, while centring on the over importance of the health of the environment. His riding, Souris- Moose Mountain is heavily dependent on resource extraction. Though these jobs are essential, ways to make the extraction of resources more environmentally friendly is a necessity according to the Green Party.
Robert Kitchen
Kitchen (PC) is a chiropractor from Estevan who has, since an early age, found his political beliefs aligned with the Conservative party. The Souris-Moose Mountain riding has been Conservative for a number of years with MP Ed Komarnicki having held office since 2004. In early 2013, Komarnicki announced he would not be running again. Prior to this a member of the PC party has held the riding since 1979, although between 1993 and 1997 a Liberal MP Bernie Collins held office.
Kitchen is dedicated to continuing the leadership of the Conservatives in the riding and hopes to continue this legacy. Healthcare is one of the major issues he is focusing on and although healthcare is largely a provincial matter, there are federal healthcare levels as well, which includes seniors in general and dementia. Additionally he is focused on the Canada Pension Plan, housing, and helping families cope with senior care.
Vicky O’Dell
O’Dell is a Weyburn resident and is this year’s NDP candidate in the Souris-Moose Mountain riding. As a healthcare worker she sees the need for change from a Conservative government.
While researching parties she found that her beliefs were in line with the NDP which includes restoring funding to CBC, restoring a $36 billion to federal healthcare funding to provinces, and creating a national child care system.
Go vote
This year’s election will be held on Monday, Oct. 19. Regardless of your political leanings, democracy is to represent the people and it best does that when voters take to the polls.
