Former premier Devine wants to run again

Last Updated Tue, 20 Jan 2004 19:14:10

ESTEVAN, SASK. - Former Saskatchewan premier Grant Devine announced Tuesday
that he is venturing back into politics, seeking the nomination for the new
Conservative Party of Canada in the federal riding of Souris-Moose
Mountain.

Devine, 59, said politics is still in his blood, and his priority is to
provide a viable alternative to Paul Martin's Liberals. "I'm pleased
to make this decision today and I'm excited about the future," he
said. "With a lot of work, I plan to win the nomination. And with even
more work, I plan to win the riding."

He was quick to defend his record as premier of a scandal-plagued Tory
government from 1982 to 1991. "People in government do make
mistakes," he said. "The prime minister makes mistakes. The
president of the United States makes mistakes. MLA'S, school principals
make mistakes. They happen. And what you do is you learn from them, you
apologize and you get on with the future."

After his government was defeated by Roy Romanow's NDP in 1991, 15
politicians and caucus workers were charged with fraud and breach of trust.
Some did jail time in connection with a scheme to file phoney expense
claims. Devine was not charged in the scandal but the Progressive
Conservative Party of Saskatchewan was crippled by it.

Today the Saskatchewan Party is the official Opposition to the NDP
government of Lorne Calvert.

At least two other people want the Conservative nomination in the
Souris-Moose Mountain riding for the upcoming federal election. One is a
lawyer with 30 years' standing in Estevan, and the other is a political
aide to Conservative MP Roy Bailey, who is leaving politics.


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