WEYBURN - Buffalo Party candidate Andrew Shanaida didn’t at first intend to run in the provincial election, but stepped up when asked by the party leader to be a candidate for the Weyburn-Bengough riding.
The Weyburn-based journeyman machinist has been a supporter of the party and helped to write some of the policies, with the goal “to help restore common sense to a complacent political landscape via a new party.”
Born and raised in Weyburn, he and wife Alison lived in Alberta for a time, and returned to Weyburn in 2004 to own and operate his business in the city.
There are three main points in the party’s platform Shanaida wants to stand on in this election: the right to develop and process our resources; decentralization of essential services and programs; and looking into the proposed new wind turbines for Weyburn by Enbridge.
On Saskatchewan’s resources, he said the Buffalo Party’s objectives are “to secure the right to develop and process our resources at our discretion. This includes alternative energy, but only the ones that make sense.”
Shanaida said taking control of resources would ensure the availability of these resources at affordable costs, “free from global market pricing, foreign influence or unelected globalist policies and constraints, such as carbon taxes or BS cap and trade hidden carbon taxes.”
On the issue of decentralization, the goal is to help communities to grow and keep pace with economic demands, such as being able to fund infrastructure projects.
An example of this would be to approve a much-needed traffic rail overpass, versus approving a bypass that would take traffic away from a community. Another example is to train and increase hospital workers, EMT services and support staff to take the burden off the existing health care crisis.
In looking at the proposed wind turbines, Shanaida has concerns over the involvement of the Six Nations Energy Development LP, and also the location of the turbines on a key migratory bird corridor through the region.
“If elected, I will do my best to keep up and provide the best solutions possible which are in the best interests of the constituency, and not let myself get swayed by a handful of those who stand to benefit from their own myopic agendas at the expense of our community’s future,” said Shanaida.
Voters shouldn’t be worried about the issue of “splitting the vote” either.
“Don’t let yourself fall back into the trap of ‘settling’. A vote sacrificed, based on choosing the lesser of evils. Ask yourself if it is time to stand your ground and vote for what your heart and your mind is telling you is right. Are you at that point yet?”
