The Honourable David Marit is the Saskatchewan Party candidate for the 2020 provincial election on Oct. 26.
Marit is politician and former agricultural producer. He became the MLA for Wood River on April 4, 2016. Previous to Marit’s appointment, Yogi Huyghebaert served as the MLA for the southern Saskatchewan constituency created by the Representation Act of 1994 out of the former constituency of Assiniboia-Gravelbourg along with half of Shaunavon’s district.
Marit had been an ag producer in South Central Saskatchewan for most of his life until 2019. In addition, Marit has worn many hats in the provincial government. Moreover, he’s served in local levels of government as well.
During his term as an MLA, Marit has taken on a variety of portfolios.
Marit became the Minister of Highways and Infrastructure on August 23, 2016. He also acted as the Minister responsible for SaskBuilds and Priority Saskatchewan. Two years later, Marit was appointed as the Minister of Agriculture and the Minister for the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation on August 15, 2018.
Previous to his involvement in provincial politics, Marit functioned on the RM Council in 1993. He was elected to the SARM Board (Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities) in 1999. Marit operated as the SARM president from 2006-2014 until winning the nomination for the Saskatchewan Party in Wood River.
When Marit acted as the SARM president, he took particular care in voicing concerns over the maintenance of rural roads in the prairie provinces, further noting the lack of transportation options producers in Saskatchewan had as railways were limiting their lines through the province and elevators were transforming into centralized outfits.
When he was the president of SARM, Marit wrote an article in the November 11, 2010 issue of the Western Producer, outlining his apprehensions over the state of roads and bridges in rural Saskatchewan, since producers and everyday motorists relied so heavily on their upkeep.
“In landlocked provinces such as Saskatchewan and Alberta, reliable and safe road infrastructure is vital to the survival of commerce and industry. Few transportation options exist besides roads.
“Rail line abandonment and elevator consolidation over the past 15 years means thousands more trucks are using our road and highway system. Also, the wear and tear on our roads is greater than ever before, because the allowable weights for trucks have increased due to marketplace demands.
“The industries housed in rural areas generate positive economic benefits to all levels of government through the revenues they generate, the people they employ, the taxes they pay, etc. These industries depend on rural roads for safe and efficient transportation of required materials and in transporting their goods to market.
"If rural roads are not maintained and replaced to a safe and reliable standard, businesses and local, provincial and federal governments will feel the negative impacts.”
