Premier Brian Pallister is preparing for a general election even though he hasn’t officially called one yet.
In a press conference Tuesday, Pallister said that he will restrict government advertising; a move essentially puts a voluntary pre-election blackout period into effect.
This announcement comes a day after he thanked MLA’s not planning on running for re-election for their service. Pallister refused to narrow down a possible election date.
If the Premier intended on following the fixed election date of October 6th, 2020, he would be required to impose a 90-day blackout period where, by law, the province could not advertise or publish information on its activities. Pallister said the clerk of the executive council will ensure any communication coming from the government will not be biased.
Even though he has imposed the media blackout, Pallister promised he would meet with media on a near-weekly basis, adding that his ministers would be available as well.
The legally mandated blackout period does not apply if the fixed election date is ignored and the vote is held on a different day, which is what Pallister plans. The premier said the advertising restriction is a measure of fairness.
