Sask. NDP's election promises borrow from Wab Kinew's winning Manitoba campaign

The NDP in Saskatchewan, if elected this fall, say they will temporarily ditch the provincial gas tax, launch a school nutrition program, provide rebates for households to buy security equipment and go after the "unexplained wealth" of organized criminals.

That's on top of promises theOpposition party has madeto be tough-on-crime and hold the line on taxes.

If those pledges soundfamiliar to Manitobans, that's because all of them could be found in the playbook the Manitoba NDPsuccessfully deployed last year, when the party wrested power from the Progressive Conservatives in a convincing election victory.

Christopher Adams, a political scientist in Manitoba, said the Saskatchewan NDP, under leader Carla Beck,is looking toemulate its neighbour's success.

"I mean, it'd be foolish if they didn't look at the Manitoba NDP forsome examples of how to run a good campaign," he said.

"The NDP in October last year ran,I would say, one of the most successful campaigns I've seen in Manitoba indecades."

The New Democrats sailed to victory last fall, winning 34 of the province's 57 seats nearly doubling the party's pre-election count and almost wiping the governing Progressive Conservatives off the electoral map in Winnipeg. The NDP added another seat in a June byelection, taking the riding that had beenheld by former Manitoba PC leader Heather Stefanson.

Nearly a year after the election, Premier Wab Kinew has made progress on a number of election promises, while enjoying the approval of nearlytwo-thirds of Manitobans, according to recent polling the highest tally of any premier in the country.

'Great ideas' from Manitoba: Sask.NDP

It's not uncommon for New Democrats in any province to draw inspiration from elsewhere, especially in the Prairies, where "pragmatism" is a guiding principle, saidCheryl Oates, who isrunning the Saskatchewan NDP's election campaign.

But she notesthe similarities with the Manitoba campaign areintentional.

"That's because they were great ideas, and in many cases they worked and they made a lot of difference for people," said Oates, who advised the Manitoba NDP election campaign in 2023.

"And people in Saskatchewan are facing issues that are not different from Manitobans. We're faced with the high cost of living and an affordability crisis, a health-care crisis."

Oates said she's confident the promises inspired by the Manitoba NDP will make a difference in Saskatchewan.

For example, temporarily lifting the gas tax the type of movepreviously the domain of right-leaning governments is one of the few things a government can do to control inflation, she said.

"When Premier Kinew took the gas tax off, that's a real impact. The public is saving money every time they fill up the car."

New Democrats on the Prairies havelooked outside ideology to find "really practical solutions" to whatpeople care about, even if it's not the traditional left-leaning approach, said Oates.

"I lookat it more as a response to what the voters are looking for in a party rather than [moving]the party towardthe centre" of the political spectrum, she said.

The Saskatchewan Party, which hasgoverned for17 years, has rejected the NDP's calls to temporarily suspend the gas tax there, arguing the revenue is needed to pay for road repairs.

Recent polls suggest Saskatchewan is on the verge of its tightest election in years, as the NDPappears to have narrowed the popular-support gap with the governing party. Theelection must beheld on or before Oct. 28.

While the election has yet to be called, the New Democrats kick-started theirelection campaign in late August.

Some of the party'snotable promises includecreating a school nutrition program, a Manitoba NDP election promise that became a reality this month.

As well, the NDP in Saskatchewan is promising a security equipment rebate program for households, small businesses and places of worship. The party isbudgeting $2 million if elected, the same amount Manitoba's government has spent.

A Saskatchewan NDP government wouldalso target suspected criminalsby forcing them to account for "unexplained wealth," the party has promised though Saskatchewan's NDPis planning a task force while the ManitobaNDP's approach was to change legislation.

Both parties have pledged to balance the provincial budget in four years. The Manitoba NDP's first budget, delivered in April, projected an $800-million deficit.

TheSaskatchewan's NDP decision to start its campaign before writs are issued marking the official start of the campaign periodalso echoes a Manitoba NDP move.

The fact the official start to Saskatchewan's election campaign is in the hands of the government"puts any opposition party on the back foot," Oates said.

"We want our announcements to be in our control."

Controlling the message

Adams, an adjunct professorof political studies at the University of Manitoba, noted Kinew's NDP used the pre-election period to define the party as a moderate onethat would be careful spenders and tough on crime.

He sees the NDP in Saskatchewan alreadymaking the same case. In the opening days of its campaign, the party haspromised not to hiketaxes and unveiled a tough-on-crime platform.

Any party seeking office inSaskatchewan must win rural seats, as sweeping every ridingin the province's two largest centres Regina and Saskatoonisn't enough. Most of the Saskatchewan NDP's support is in urban areas.

"That means that the leader can't stay in the major cities, and we can't have policies that only appeal to an urban audience," Oates said.

She said she's in talks with the Manitoba NDPabout bringing over somestaff to help her party's campaign. It is common practice across political parties in Canada for staff to take leave from their positionsto assist in election campaigns elsewhere.

The Manitoba NDP declined to comment.