Jeremy Harrison is throwing his hat in the ring to be the new leader of the Saskatchewan Party.
The Meadow Lake MLA and current Minister of Economy made the announcement Saturday morning.
"Premier Brad Wall has been the steadfast and charismatic captain of our team for the past decade, providing incredible leadership to help grow our economy," said Harrison. "We have to keep going. We need a strong Saskatchewan. We need a growing Saskatchewan. That is why today, here at home, I’m proud to announce my candidacy for the leadership of our Party, and for the Premiership of Saskatchewan."
Harrison will now join Regina University MLA and Social Services Minister Tina Beaudry-Mellor as the second candidate to run for the Saskatchewan Party. Beaudry-Mellor announced she would run for the leadership on Tuesday.
Harrison says one of his key focus points during his campaign will be to fight a federally imposed carbon tax.
“A massive new federal carbon tax will have a devastating impact on our economy. And make no mistake, this is a revenue measure, a way to get money out of your pocket and into the hands of federal politicians and bureaucrats. It will do little to nothing to reduce emissions," he said. "As Premier, I will fight Ottawa’s carbon tax with everything we have."
Harrison grew up in Meadow Lake and graduated from Carpenter High School in 1996. He was first elected as the MLA for Meadow Lake in 2007 and has held other government roles such as Minister Responsible for Tourism, Innovation, Trade, and the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority. Harrison holds a bachelor of arts in Political Science, a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and a Law Degree from the University of Saskatchewan. He also served as a Member of Parliament for northern Saskatchewan from 2004-2006.
