The New Democrats literally couldn’t wait to get started on Rob Feist’s campaign in the Battlefords.
The NDP held a grand opening of their office Saturday, March 5 – three days before the writ was dropped to begin the 27-day provincial election campaign.
Their office is on 1482 100th Street and a large group of local NDP supporters were on hand. Among those there was Vicki Mowat, NDP candidate from Saskatoon Fairview who had known Feist from their extensive involvement in the army cadets.
Feist was buoyant about the turnout at the launch event.
“I think people are very excited as we kick off our campaign to take back the Battlefords and bring an energetic and excited voice back to our community to represent the people of the Battlefords,” said Feist.
Feist grew up on the family farm near the Battlefords and completed his first year of post-secondary at North West Regional College before moving on to the University of Saskatchewan, where earned his law degree. He articled with Richard Gibbons and was called to the bar in 2013.
Feist says he is running for the legislature out of concern for what’s happening locally and provincially.
“I’m very concerned about what’s going on in our communities, and provincially. I am very concerned about the deficit that’s being run. We have a $450 million plus deficit as of the last fiscal update, the provincial debt has gone up $2 billion in the past year alone, which is a massive increase past Grant Devine levels. So we need better fiscal controls and we need to look at waste in government.”
As for traditional NDP issues, “health care, seniors care, child care, education all seem to face not massive direct cuts, but death by a thousand cuts where we see money slowly being pared out of the services family see as critical in communities around Saskatchewan.”
Feist also sees the crime issue as “not being addressed by the Sask. Party government. Crime continues to increase and we don’t seem to have a response from our local MLA or from our government, and we certainly need people to be focused on local crime prevention strategies.”
He also again expressed concern over the continuing funding woes with The Lighthouse Serving the Battlefords.
“It is amazing to me that this government would continue to put our Lighthouse at risk and potentially have it shut down at the end of March,” said Feist.
Already, Feist has been out campaigning and door-knocking in neighbourhoods in the riding. The issues he hears about range from the crime issue to worries about the care in old age homes and the health care system, issues with primary, secondary and post-secondary education, and others.
“I am hearing that people are looking for change and hearing that people are looking for a voice that is really engaged in the community,” said Feist. “I hear that people have brought issues to the attention of the premier and the provincial government and gotten very little response. I hear that people have brought issues to our provincial representative and gotten very little response.”
Feist said his team was ready and the staff was in place, and the campaign infrastructure was ready to go.
“We’ve got boots on the ground, we’re going to get more boots on the ground to push forward and really go door to door, house to house, kitchen table to kitchen table, and push the New Democratic message and give people a sense that real change is possible, intelligent change is possible as we move into the April 4 election.”
Feist has committed to the CUPE debate on March 23 at the Dekker Centre and says he looks forward to meeting Sask. Party MLA Herb Cox on the debate stage as well.
