SASKATOON -- Saskatchewan Party leader Scott Moe and New Democratic Party leader Ryan Meili met in Regina Wednesday night for the first, and only, provincial debate ahead of the provincial election on Oct. 26.

According to local political analysts, there was a lot to take away for Saskatchewan voters.

“If you look at the debates across the United States, Canada, even recently in British Columbia, I think frankly Saskatchewan had the best debate,” said University of Saskatchewan political studies professor Greg Poelzer.

“I thought both leaders were very strong, both leaders were able to put forward their platform in a reasonably simple way, and this made it easier I think for the Saskatchewan voter to actually make a choice between two very fundamentally different visions.”

According to University of Saskatchewan public policy professor Ken Coates, the quality of the debate is a result of a race that isn’t particularly close.

“I think the reason there was less acrimony is because the election is not as tightly contested,” he said. “The premier can actually stand somewhat aloof from the fray, and can be quite confident in making the statements, and quite cautious, he doesn't have to make bold promises or sweeping statements. The NDP on the other hand is doing anything they can to get noticed, and trying very hard to differentiate themselves from the Saskatchewan Party.”

The latest Angus Reid poll shows Saskatchewan voters are leaning heavily towards the Saskatchewan Party with 60 per cent of vote intention, while just 33 per cent intend to vote for the NDP, and seven percent looking at another party.

Coates believes both Moe and Meili likely accomplished what they set out to do in the debate, with Moe giving the “indication that Saskatchewan is not deviating from the path, that it sees the right way forward”, while Meili appealed to his voter base, making it “clear to his constituents that he was standing up for them” and heard their “complaints and comments.”

But, he says, neither party leader was able to bring anything new to the table that could sway more voters to change their support.

“Sort of the best you can look for is a sort of a 60/40 split, Saskatchewan Party getting 60 per cent, the NDP getting 40 per cent, and how you move 10 per cent from one side to the other is really, really hard to know,” he said.

“Even political scientists and policy analysts are sitting here going, ‘Well I'm not quite sure what it is Ryan Meilli could say and do that would actually budge those 10 per cent of the people in the right areas.”

Poelzer believes the Sask. Party is in line to win the election with strong support from rural Saskatchewan, but the NDP could gain seats in larger centres because of voter apathy.

“It's going to be really looking at turnout, turnout, turnout, that's going to be key,” he said. “I think Ryan Meili’s been successful in energizing his base, and what the Sask. Party and Scott Moe need to do is make sure there's not complacency on the Sask Party voter.

“If the Sask Party voter thinks it's in the bag, they're going to win because everyone predicts they’re going to win, especially in the urban areas, and they have some difficulty turning out because you think, ‘Oh my neighbour’s going to vote for me anyhow’, that’s going to be the big challenge for the Sask. Party.”