Murray Wood: Saskatchewan NDP might be better off with a new name
While Carla Beck has been trying to bring the Saskatchewan NDP closer to the centre, Murray Wood says the federal NDP ha...
Saskatchewan’s NDP may be gaining a bit of ground according to a recent poll, but even the party’s leader admits the province isn’t ready for an NDP government yet.
“I think people are ready for a change, there is some fatigue with the Sask. Party, they see them as a party that’s been in there for a long time, maybe out of ideas. Are they ready to go on to the NDP yet? No, and that’s the challenge for us,” leader Ryan Meili said on Gormley on Friday.
Meili said the party has gone through struggles, including a string of different leaders causing problems for the NDP in establishing who it is and what it’s offering.
Over the past while, Meili said he is feeling a change when he goes out in the province to talk to people. The crowds he’s seeing and conversations he’s having are much different than before.
He also pointed out the party has won seats in the last three byelections.
Part of the change, according to Meili, is that people are getting sick of the Sask. Party and it’s losing some of the benefit of the doubt people had given.
Meili explained the way the NDP is going to move into “possible government” in people’s minds is by acting like it.
“That’s how we’ll win, is not just by knocking the Sask. Party, but actually putting forth a vision of what we see as the future for Saskatchewan,” said Meili.
He said he’s working on showing people the NDP is a credible alternative and that it’s ready to govern.
Meili said the party has already started putting out ideas from the party’s platform for the next election in 2020.
