By Ed White
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) – Prime Minister Scott Moe’s right-wing Saskatchewan Party is expanding its grip on power in the western Canadian province after winning a narrow majority in Monday’s election, preliminary results showed on Tuesday.
The party, which won 32 seats, has been in power in Saskatchewan since 2007. The opposition New Democratic Party under leader Carla Beck won 22, seven of which were unclear.
Moe’s victory is expected to continue his government’s promotion of the province’s prodigious agricultural, minerals and energy industries, all of which have expanded in recent years.
Saskatchewan owns more than 40% of Canada’s cropland, is the world’s second or third largest uranium producer depending on the year, is Canada’s second largest producer, and is the world’s largest producer and exporter of potash.
North America’s first rare earth refinery went into production in Saskatoon in 2024.
Saskatchewan is home to the headquarters of a fertilizer manufacturer Nutriene (NYSE:) and uranium miner Cameco Corp (TSX:).
Moe’s victory will likely continue a headache for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose government has repeatedly clashed with the Saskatchewan government over a number of issues.
The elections revolved around healthcare, education and affordability. Moe introduced the issue of access to locker rooms for transgender people in schools, saying he would require children to only use facilities dedicated to their gender at birth, and that this would be the “first task of his administration”. Beck described Moe’s move as “the ugliest form of politics.”
The incumbent prime minister also won the British Columbia election on Monday night, after the NDP earned just enough seats to form a majority government more than a week after the vote.
