Would Saskatchewan benefit from a third major political party?

Saskatchewan voters will be heading to the polls on October 28 for another provincial election.

For many the choice is between two parties — the Saskatchewan Party or New Democratic Party — and it’s been this way for some time.

So would Saskatchewan benefit from a third major party?

It would give voters more choice at the polls, says Daniel Westlake, assistant professor of political studies at University of Saskatchewan, but there would also be some negative trade offs.

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“The advantage to having more parties is that it gives voters more choice,” said Westlake. “There’s a cost to all these types of things in politics. One of the costs .. is that it’s a more difficult strategic decision.”

Westlake said that with the first past the post system (the winner takes all electoral system used for provincial and federal elections), making sure your vote has the most influence would be harder to do with more than two parties.

A third party could make an election more competitive or it could make it even more lopsided, Westlake said.

“If a party emerges on the left and splits the vote with the NDP, that probably makes the election less competitive,” he said. “However if you got a split amongst a vote base that’s larger and more powerful then it can make an election more competitive.”

For a smaller political party in Saskatchewan to get noticed by voters, Westlake said they have to take on topics that the big parties won’t.

“They have to find issues that the major parties aren’t covering,” said Westlake. “And they have to find voters who feel dissatisfied.”

The Saskatchewan United Party, for example, would have to find dissatisfied Sask. Party voters who aren’t scared of an NDP government to throw a vote their party’s way, he said.

Westlake said having only two major political parties in the province isn’t super concerning.

“It’s not surprising in a small province .. the reality is first past the post systems tend to favour larger parties,” he said.

“Where smaller parties emerge it tends to be because there is a particular region that is able to support a small party.

“Small parties matter, and can start to influence the outcome of elections when their vote is concentrated,” said Westlake. “Or when they draw enough of a vote in really competitive swing ridings.”

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