Canadians shouldn't expect a major shift in policy direction when the Saskatchewan Party takes power after its provincial election triumph, says a political analyst.
"I don't think we're going to see a great change in the province of Saskatchewan," the University of Regina's Ken Rasmussen told Canada AM on Thursday about the centre-right party's victory over the governing centre-left NDP.
On Wednesday night, Saskatchewan Party Leader Brad Wall told his supporters, "And now for something completely different!" -- a nod to the Monty Python's Flying Circus phrase. The Saskatchewan Party is a 10-year-old coalition of former Progressive Conservatives, former Reformers and right-wing Liberals.
But Rasmussen believes the Sask. Party will not be initiating a "Common Sense Revolution"-style of governance like Ontario's Progressive Conservative premier Mike Harris did in the 1990s.
"The Saskatchewan Party is a mainstream conservative party. It's shed its Reformist past. It's a party that wants to govern and recognizes that Saskatchewan is not a naturally conservative place."
The Saskatchewan Party captured 37 seats of 58, leaving the NDP -- who had governed for 16 years -- with 21 seats. The Liberal Party remained shut out for a second consecutive election.
In doing so, the Saskatchewan Party captured more than 50 per cent of the vote, compared to about 37 per cent for the NDP. The Liberals captured about nine per cent of the vote and the Green Party about two per cent.
Rasmussen said managing Saskatchewan's current economic boom was a major campaign issue, along with health care.
Wall had made promises to reduce wait times, a vow that's proved difficult for other premiers to carry out in other provinces, he noted.
NDP Leader Lorne Calvert, the current premier, had made an election promise to cap drug prescription costs at $15.
Rasmussen said that proved to not be a big health-care priority for Saskatchewan voters.
In his acceptance speech, Wall talked about improving health care, fixing roads, cutting property taxes and giving more money to schools.
He also stressed the need to keep young people in the province.
"We made a commitment to implement what will be in this country the most aggressive youth retention plan to keep our young people here, to encourage youth entrepreneurship," Wall said.
In defeat, Calvert told his supporters in Saskatoon on Wednesday that the party could hold its head high.
"Our province .... tonight is stronger, more optimistic and more hopeful than before we came," said Calvert, party leader and premier since 2001.
"The lives of many families in our province are better tonight than they were four years ago. Our children are coming home, our Aboriginal people are gaining strength, our province is greener, our province stands taller in Canada, and together we have built a solid foundation for the future based on our values."
However, the 54-year-old one-time United Church minister told reporters that it wasn't likely he would lead his party into another election.
"I'm going to sit down with the party. The likelihood is not great that I would lead the party in the next election, but that decision is not made."
David Karwacki, the Liberal leader, promised to hold the new Sask Party government to account even though he failed to gain a seat in the legislature for the third straight time.
"We are going to continue to fight for everyday working people, that's what the Liberal party is about. It's about building the skills in everyday working people so they can succeed in Saskatchewan, so this boom doesn't leave people behind," he said Wednesday.
With respects to his own future, Karwacki said, "We'll pick up the pieces, I'll talk to Liberals and we'll go from there."
With files from The Canadian Press
