THE YEAR AHEAD: Meili hopes COVID takes a back seat in the new year

The new year means a new start and a new chapter to write.

NDP Leader Ryan Meili hopes that chapter includes a new NDP MLA in the Athabasca riding.

“I’m excited to get up there. Northwest Saskatchewan is a place I used to practise (medicine) and I have a lot of space in my heart for the people of the northwest,” said Meili.

Long-time MLA Buckley Belanger stepped away from his seat for an unsuccessful bid at a federal seat, prompting a byelection this year. A former MP and the current mayor of La Loche, Georgina Jolibois, will be running for the New Democrats.

As with most of the world, Meili also hopes 2022 brings an end to the COVID roller-coaster.

“Fingers crossed, we’re not once again dealing with another wave of COVID-19 and debating restrictions and we get down to the business of learning the lessons,” said Meili.
He said he has been hoping over and over that we’re there, but it hasn’t happened.

On the other side of hopes are worries. As obvious as it might be, Meili is worried about COVID-19 and new variants.

He’s also worried about polarization in Saskatchewan that seems to have got worse the last year.

“There’re a lot of people who’ve got sucked into misinformation. We see what’s gone on in the (United) States and the movement towards Trumpism and the erosive effect of that on democracy there. We have a very strong democratic tradition (and) we have wise, intelligent people in this province but there are risks those things can happen here,” said Meili.

“I’m going to be working hard to make sure that we’re promoting smart, evidence-based policies that invite people into a shared vision of the future instead of the visions that we’ve seen created.”

What Meili wants to be able to focus on in the new year includes the economic future and opportunities in the province.

“We are a sunny place, a windy place. We’ve got geothermal, we’ve got biomass. There’s all these incredible opportunities to reduce people’s costs of power, to make life more affordable at the same time as we create more jobs. (We) should be at the forefront; instead we’re dead last,” said Meili.

Meili wants to seek out new industries and jobs, and wants to build a future that would last.

If the NDP leader had a wish for the new year of a piece of legislation to pass, Meili pointed to a private member’s bill introduced for paid sick leave.

“Provinces across the country are recognizing that it’s a bad idea, that if people are sick, to force them to go to work or to be losing money if they can’t,” said Meili.
Meili said Saskatchewan has no paid sick leave at all, but the bill would fix that.

“If you’re in that situation where you need to stay home to go get tested for COVID or another illness, or you need to stay home just to be well, the financial pressure of that isn’t weighing into your considerations but you’re just doing what’s best for you and your co-workers and your business,” said Meili.