Saskatchewan Party change would strip voting power from permanent residents, youth

REGINA — Premier Scott Moe defended Thursday a possible move that would allow only Canadian citizens and adults to be voting members of his Saskatchewan Party.

A motion at the party’s convention this weekend proposes that permanent residents and those under 18 not be allowed to vote.

Voting members get to vote at meetings and hold office in a constituency association.

“It’s not limiting anyone,” Moe told reporters. “(They) can certainly still hold a membership in the Saskatchewan Party.”

Moe said it’s a prudent measure that aligns with election laws, as permanent residents and youth can’t vote in provincial or federal elections.

“This is a motion that comes from the grassroots of the very party. It’s not a motion that myself or any elected member really brings,” he said.

The Opposition NDP said the idea is discriminatory and would discourage permanent residents and young people from taking part in political parties.

“My question is to Scott Moe, what is driving this motion forward?” said Brittney Senger, the NDP’s ethics critic. “It’s deeply troubling to me that it is coming forward.”

The NDP says permanent residents and those as young as 13 can be voting members in the party.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2025.

Jeremy Simes, The Canadian Press