Sask. candidates may be asked about criminal pasts

Candidates running for office in Saskatchewan's municipalitiesmight soon have to reveal their criminal records to the public under a bill introduced by thegovernment on Monday.

Municipal Affairs Minister Jeremy Harrisoncalled the proposed Northern Municipalities Acta first in Canada.

If the legislation passes, it would fall to individual municipalities to pass bylawsrequiring election candidates to make their criminal records if any public.

While the legislation introduced Monday covers northern municipalties, the province will alsoextend the change to elections in other parts of Saskatchewan by amending theCities Act, Harrison said.

"The option exists and each municipality is in the best position to decide if this is something that should become part of its local elections," Harrison said in a news release, adding a candidate with a criminal record wouldn't be disqualified from running for office.

Theinformation about criminalrecords will help people make "more informed choices about who they wish to vote for," he said.

Harrison said the proposal resulted from "extensive public review" and consultation with northern communities.

In the legislature Monday, Harrison said the review found that northerners "strongly advocated mandatory criminal record checks" for everyone running in northern municipal elections.

However,theproposed law wouldmake the checks mandatory only in those communities that want them.