Sheri Benson, NDP

Personal details. Name, age, hometown

Sheri Benson, 56, born in Brandon, Man., but consider my hometown to be Saskatoon where I have lived since 1977 (considering I was three when I left Brandon).

Tell us about yourself

I went to university to become a social worker and early in my career I worked in mental health and housing. Before running for election, I was the CEO of United Way in Saskatoon. My work at United Way focused on working together with business, individuals, unions, working people and community leaders to find solutions to challenges our community faces. I am very proud of my leadership to bring direction and focus to ending homelessness in Saskatoon and along with local Indigenous community leaders to change for the better and ensure respectful relationships with Indigenous peoples and Indigenous communities.

What’s a little-known fact about you?

I took a guitar lesson from Liona Boyd and my nickname is Safety Sher!

Why should voters hire you?

My track record over the past four years has demonstrated my commitment to my constituents from helping thousands of local constituents access services and benefits they are entitled to from CPP, disability benefits, CRA, EI benefits, Old Age Security and the Canada Child Benefit, to name just a few. I have taken every opportunity to reach out to constituents and take their concerns to the House of Commons and I have successfully made changes, from getting the government to finally ban asbestos to demanding a plan to help veterans who are homeless, to keeping the pressure on for safe, affordable inter-city transportation.

I am accessible to my constituents and I am a strong voice for their concerns in Ottawa.

Who should we call for a reference?

A random sample of Saskatoon West constituents … As the MP for the past four years they would be the best and most honest on their assessment. I am confident that you would hear that I have helped thousands of local constituents, gave recognition to citizens and organizations making a difference every day for Saskatoon West and stood up in the House of Commons to demand action on issues of concern.

For a biased reference, you could call my two daughters.

What is your greatest strength?

I am friendly, approachable and down to earth! And I am optimistic. I always try to find the “silver lining” and give people the benefit of the doubt.

What is your greatest weakness?

My campaign staff tells me I spend too long on the doorstep with constituents when canvassing!

Where do you stand on:

Gun laws? While the NDP don’t think an assault weapon buyback is a bad idea, hunting is an important part of life for thousands of families in our province. New Democrats won’t change that.

We’ll focus on cracking down on smuggling and preventing gang violence instead of targeting gun owners.

We need to address the root causes of gun violence in our communities. We can do that by:

Confronting issues like poverty and racial discrimination
Investing in things like affordable housing and mental health services, and
Making sure young people have access to quality job opportunities

The need for more pipelines? The global oil and gas market is undergoing a massive shift, which is making our domestic market less competitive. The NDP have released a bold plan to fight climate change. Our plan will create thousands of new jobs, save families money, and take on big polluters.

Western alienation? Liberal and Conservative governments have been divisive and pitted region against region. The NDP’s plan will bring provinces together with commitments like pharmacare, dental care and a commitment to making life more affordable.

China? What should our approach be with some of our markets blocked? The Liberal approach hasn’t worked and the Conservative ‘get tough’ rhetoric isn’t helpful. We need real dialogue, a commitment to human rights, and a re-opening of markets.

Are we facing a climate change crisis? Is carbon tax the answer? Climate change is an enormous concern for Canadians. We’re facing more and more climate-related disasters like fires and floods, and our Arctic is heating up three times as fast as anywhere else.

It may seem daunting, but we absolutely can meet our targets to keep people safe and make sure that no part of the country gets left behind.

Taxing polluters is a good idea; however, this current carbon tax is not a good fit for Saskatchewan.

It’s a day off and you can do anything you want. What would it be?

Depending on my week, either a comfy chair by a fireplace (cold and snowy out) with a great cup of coffee and a really good mystery novel OR since I live far away from family, spending the day making a big dinner for my kids and grandkids and just hanging out, eating too much and being together.

Who inspires you?

I am so impressed with young people and their knowledge and engagement in issues that matter to them and there are very many young leaders in my constituency. I know traditional media and we older folks dismiss young people claiming the younger generation is apathetic. But apathy exists in every age category.