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REGINA - Voters in Regina-Wascana will once again see the name Michael Kram on the ballot for the Conservatives.

This is his fourth election running in Regina-Wascana for the Conservatives, having lost in 2015 to Ralph Goodale before beating him in 2019 and winning re-election in 2021.

You might expect Kram to have a good sense of how things might trend for him and his party in 2025. So far, the incumbent is feeling optimistic.

“Yeah, it's been going very positively so far,” said Kram when we spoke to him last week for Sask Today.

“We've had over 1,000 lawn sign requests, and that's more than we've ever had before. We have more volunteers than we've had in the past, and the response on the doorstep has remained very positive. So I have to say I'm feeling very good about the campaign so far.”

Kram has been meeting people throughout the riding during this campaign. What he’s hearing, he said, is major concern about affordability. 

“Cost of living remains the number one issue, and having people make ends meet at the end of the month and have enough money left over in their bank accounts and in their wallets,” Kram said.

“That issue takes on a few different forms. It has to do with the carbon tax, it has to do with getting pipelines built in this country, and more recently it has to do with Mr. Trump's tariffs, of course.”

Kram says this is consistent with what Conservatives have been saying for hear about the “need to cancel the carbon tax, the need to get pipelines built, the need to break down provincial trade barriers.”

On affordability, Kram says the rising cost of groceries has been a particular concern. 

“Whenever I talk with the cost of groceries, it doesn't matter where you're from or where you live or how old you are. I've certainly had a lot of agreement that grocery prices have been going up far too much over the last few years.”

To deal with the concerns, Kram says the Conservatives will cancel the carbon tax — both consumer and industrial, “permanently for all Canadians forever,” which he says will bring down both the cost of groceries and the cost of living.

“So the Liberals have been proposing to pause the consumer carbon tax during the election, but after the election they're saying they will make up for it by raising the industrial carbon tax. And so that just means the heavy emitters will be paying for it up front, and then passing those costs on to consumers. So the consumers lose either way with the Liberals' platform. But with the Conservatives, we'll cancel the carbon tax for everyone forever.”

On tariffs and trade, Kram wants to see those issues resolved because of the impact on Saskatchewan industry.

“Well, Saskatchewan, we're the breadbasket of the world. I like to talk about the ‘three F's’ for Saskatchewan: Food, Fuel and Fertilizer. We need to get these products exported to all the countries in the world that we can. That includes China, that includes the United States, that includes everyone. So whenever these trade irritants do come up, we do have to resolve them as best we can. But it speaks to the importance of diversifying our export markets and not just putting all of our eggs in one basket.”

Kram also wants to see more pipelines built, and is doubtful that will happen with the Liberals.

“I saw Mr. Carney said the other day that he would not necessarily prioritize pipelines. And so I don't think it's accurate to say that the Liberals are on board for getting pipelines built in this country. Mr. Carney has also said that he would not be repealing Bill C-69, which we've called the ‘No More Pipelines Bill.’”

Kram also wants to see action on addictions issues, particularly fentanyl.

“It is concerning the level of fentanyl addictions that we're seeing on our streets. And conservatives have said that we need to have tougher sentences for the fentanyl producers and the fentanyl distributors.”

Kram is calling for “much stronger sentences for these fentanyl producers and fentanyl distributors. If you are producing fentanyl and that is literally ruining people's lives, then much stronger jail times will be part of the Conservative Party's program.”

As for policies particularly of concern to Regina, Kram pointed to his opposition in previous years to attempts to shut down the air traffic control tower at the Regina airport. 

As well, Kram spoke in support of RCMP Depot. “We should not be shutting down RCMP Depot, as the Mass Casualty Commission report had proposed in the past.”

“And we have to make sure that people in Regina and Saskatchewan are getting a fair deal from the federal government, which we have not been for the last 10 years.”

Kram himself has been in campaign mode for a while. He said he started his door to door canvassing on New Year’s Day and plans to continue it to election day.

“I'd say that election campaigns are all about having good conversations with people on their doorsteps,” Kram said.

“As long as politicians are having these conversations with the voters and listening to their concerns, and as long as that positive dialogue is happening, then that will be my strategy for the remainder of the campaign. And as for the national campaign, I have complete confidence in our leader, Pierre Poilievre, to see this campaign through to a positive conclusion on Election Night.”