Conservatives remain strong in Sask.: political scientist

If federal election history in Saskatchewan is any guide, taking on the Conservatives could be tough sledding this year for the other parties.

In 2008, the party won 13 out of 14 seats, with Liberal Ralph Goodale being the only holdout.

Overall, the party received almost 54 per cent of the vote and in some ridings, the Tory candidate received as much as 70 per cent.

Both the Liberals and the New Democrats vow they'll win seats this time.

However, recent public opinion polls show the Conservatives are still strong on the Prairies, suggesting the Conservatives could dominate in Saskatchewan once again.

David McGrane, a political scientist at the University of Saskatchewan, said he expects many voters will support them in the May 2 election. As to why this happens, election after election, there are various explanations, he said.

"There could be some social conservative attitudes out in the rural areas that would account for them continuing to vote for the Conservatives," he said.

Still, some people, like Saskatoon's Debbie Campbell, say the Conservatives have not earned the support they're getting.

"With the support they have in this province, they should just be giving more to us," said Campbell, who stopped to chat with a CBC reporter on the street in Saskatoon.

During a late March campaign stop in Regina, Conservative leader Stephen Harper denied that his party was taking Saskatchewan for granted.

People in Saskatchewan know the Conservative government's support for infrastructure projects and other investments was "unprecedented," Harper said.

In the last election, the New Democrats went after Harper for his 2006 promise to remove natural resources from the equalization payments formula — which they said would have meant an extra $800 million a year for the Saskatchewan treasury.

Once in power Harper didn't follow through, although Tory MPs pointed to the money the province received in other areas.

More recently, the lack of federal funding for a domed stadium for Regina, as well as no large-scale carbon capture deal, has been grist for the party's critics.

The 13 Conservative MPs have not had a high profile on some of these issues, according to McGrane.

"They've been called, repeatedly, the invisible 13," McGrane said. "They haven't really said much. The potash debate was the best example."

McGrane was referring to last year's debate over the possible takeover of Saskatoon-based PotashCorp. by BHP Billiton.

The 13 MPs said little at the time and then, when the federal government rejected the hostile takeover, they appeared to try to take some credit for that decision, McGrane said.

However, McGrane noted, the Tories have poured millions into farm programs and infrastructure, and that will buoy their support in the province.