Pair of former NDP MLAs back Meili, say party is ready to unite and grow after confidence vote

Two former Saskatchewan NDP MLAs say the party is ready to move forward and build with Ryan Meili at the helm to try and unseat the Saskatchewan Party government in 2024.

Last weekend, Meili received 72 per cent support from NDP delegates at the party's annual convention. A total of 124 delegates or 28 per cent voted to hold a leadership review.

"I saw the vote as perfect. It sent a message but we are not having a leadership review," said former NDP MLA Pat Atkinson.

Atkinson served in the legislature for 25 years, from 1986 to 2011.

"[Members]want us to become more nimble and political," Atkinson said.

Meilicalled the vote "a pretty clear decision."

"A vote of confidence, but not overconfidence. There's room for growth, and that's what I'm working on," Meili said after the convention on Sunday.

Meili's "vote of confidence" was more than 20 points lower than his prairie NDP counterparts.

In Alberta, members voted overwhelmingly to retain NDP leader Rachel Notley with 98 per cent, and NDP Leader Wab Kinew in Manitoba received 93 per cent of votes.

Atkinson said Meili addressed the vote and the work that is needed to unite the party.

"The leader did exactly what he needed to do. He acknowledged lessons learned, so I'm feeling very optimistic about the future."

In last October's provincial election, the NDP won 13 of 61 seats, the same number they entered the campaign with. Meili increased the party vote share by 1.5 per cent from 2016 but received slightly less of the vote than Dwain Lingenfelter did as leader in 2011.

Meili was the first NDP leader since Lorne Calvert to successfully win his seat.

Judy Bradley represented the NDP in the legislature from 1991 to 1999. On the weekend, she was elected as one of four party vice-presidents.

She took the leadership vote as a sign that people were not satisfied with the party's election result.

"I think there was some disappointment in where we have been after the last four elections."

But she said she was "excited" in the aftermath of the weekend.

"This was a very uniting convention."

Bradley was part of the NDP's election review panel which submitted a 60-page report dissecting the party's performance and making recommendations.

Atkinson said Meili's message to delegates was evidence he "listened very carefully to the election review panel."

She said the party's loss in 2016 did result in a leadership contest but not a fulsome election review or party restructuring.

"Now we need an executive and a membership that's going to go get the job done, which is electing Ryan Meilipremier of Saskatchewan come 2024."

Atkinson said the NDP needs to show itself as an "alternative to the government."

"People need to be able to relate to the NDP. If they can relate to us, we can be well-positioned by 2024."

The NDP's 'steep hill'

Meili twice fell short of winning the party leadership to Lingenfelter in 2009 and Cam Brotenin 2013.

In 2014 and 2015, Broten received 98 per cent support from party delegates. He lost his seat in the 2016 election.

Daniel Westlake is an assistant professor of political studies. Hesaid switching a leader after a third straight election loss may be the wrong move.

"They've had three leaders in three straight elections and the results have been pretty well the same. I think that suggests changing the leader over and over again isn't really going to solve the problem."

Westlake said Meili's 70 per cent approval is probably due to the party failing to make gains in the provincial election.

He said anything over 50 per cent is "up to the leader if they are comfortable with the level of support."

As for growing the party support toward 2024, Westlake said the NDP has "a really steep hill to climb."

"There are structural challenges the NDP faces that are a result of the demography of the province."

Westlake said voting trends in Saskatchewan are being played out in other parts of the country.

"If we look at federal and provincial elections across Canada, centre and left-wing parties tend to be doing better and better in urban areas and struggling in rural areas. Saskatchewan is more rural than Alberta and Manitoba."

Westlake said winning seats outside Regina, Saskatoon and the northern seats will be difficult for the party "to challenge for government."

He said another challenge, which is common in other parts of the world, is holding together a coalition of "blue-collar workers and identity politics, middle-class environmentalist voters."

"They are also going to need rural voters and that coalition is going to be really hard to put together."

Growing the party

The NDP has its strongest support in Regina, Saskatoonand the north. It did not win one seat outside of those areas in 2020.

"People need to get to know Ryan. We need to get him in front of the public all over Saskatchewan," Atkinson said.

That includes rural Saskatchewan, an area where NDP support has declined in five straight elections.

Bradley, who was the MLA for Weyburn-Big Muddy from 1995 to 1999, said to gain support back outside the major cities, the party needs to focus on the economy, jobs, the environment, social programsand agriculture.

She said the party needs to "rebuild" its rural vote.

"We've got to really listen to the people here and connect with them."

The party has also seen declining membership.

In 2016, a provincial election year, the party had 5,300 members.

During the 2017 leadership race, it had 14,100 members. A year later, the total dropped to 8,000. Both figures are a far cry from the party's peak membership in 1991 of 45,000.

Prosecuting the government

On Sunday, Meili said the party will use the upcoming legislative sitting to highlight the government's handling of the pandemic.

Atkinson said the public "is now starting to pay attention."

"Scott Moe disappeared. It was absolutely dangerous to do what he did in July. That it took him dragging and screaming until Jason Kenney did something is unbelievable."

"We are going to prosecute the government hard. They have been incompetent and inept."