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Saskatchewan NDP leadership
April 1, 2012 - 7:53pm
So, any word on when there will be progress in this department? As it is, there are no checks on the government, as shown by the budget. I know they were waiting for their federal counterparts to finish up. But they are seriously hamstringing themselves by not being a presence in the media.
Oh yes, and hi, I'm new here. From Saskatoon. Please don't flame me too bad. :)
Go Bombers Go!
Seriously though, welcome to babble. I hope you enjoy the discussion here. I haven't heard anything about the Saskatchewan NDP, but if you hear anything, please feel free to post.
This is what i have found: Leadership convention for Feb/March 2013
http://saskndp.ca/news/item/?n=156
Looks like 5MLAs are considering running: Buckley Belanger, Cam Broten, Danielle Chartier, Cathy Sproule and Trent Wotherspoon
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/03/09/saskatchewan-ndp-leadership_n_1334064.htm
The remaining 4MLAs won't be running: David Forbes, Warren McCall, Doyle Vermette and John Nilson (interim leader)
http://www.leaderpost.com/news/Sask+gearing+leadership+race/6273723/story.html
Any thoughts on those possibles? Any word on an outsider like Meili coming back and running again?
I know Meili was asking friends on facebook if he should run again, but I am not sure how inclined he is to give it another go.
I'm personally hoping it will be someone from outside of caucus, but the NDP has a long, difficult, road back to power. For some reason the dominant narrative in the province is very anti-NDP and I am not sure how to fight that.
On a purely speculative note, I noticed that the Muclair victory in the NDP leadership race has resurrected the political career of Lorne Nystrom. Curious to see if that means anything.
A warm welcome. Speak up, please.
He is about to turn 66. But I hope he will take up his favourite cause, proportional representation. With voters outside Saskatoon, Regina and the far North having no opposition voice, a regional open-list Mixed Member Proportional system such as the one proposed by the Law Commission of Canada would not only make every vote count equally, it would also give give rural and urban voters in every region fair representation in both government and opposition.
If Saskatchewan had a democratic voting system . . .
http://wilfday.blogspot.ca/2011/11/if-saskatchewan-had-democratic-voting...
I thought that age might be a factor, but there have been more improbable political comebacks in recent Saskatchewan history - It's a definite longshot.
Now that I think about it a little deeper, I am not sure what effect the federal leadership race will have on the Saskatchewan New Democrats. I don't hear people talk about Muclair, but they don't really talk about Harper either - the Conservative brand is strong though. The next leader needs a plan or the charisma to change that.
Names don't mean everything: Doyle Vermette, for example.
And isn't Buckley Belanger of Metis ancestry as well?
ETA: Just to elaborate a bit, lots of French names on the Prairies (and many a Scottish one...) disclose Metis descent. Examples: Louis Riel, Gabriel Dumont...
I don't know if Danielle Chartier identifies as Metis (it doesn't say so anywhere) but her last name is certainly a very common Metis name.
And Unionist, that is absolutely true. Before the Canadians arrived 40 percent of people in Red River were Anglo or Metis mixed blood - larger than any other single group.
Unionist answered your question correctly, Gaian.
And I think he posted the link as well. You can also go to the Saskatchewan NDP site yourself.
If it makes any difference, I was born about 2km west of the Red, and I can vouch for him.
And yes, Gaian, Buckley Belanger is Metis as well.
And FYI Riel and Dumont are not exactly ancient history.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/story/2011/12/13/manitoba-metis-s...
nor is Poundmaker:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/prairies/cree-win-war-of-wo...
/drift
To be perfectly honest, none of the FN people I know feel represented by any party. I don't know the stats, but I would hazard a guess to say that the FN have the lowest voting percentage as a bloc. None of the parties can fairly say they represent FN people.
The thing is Gaian, I don't think Unionist's response was speculative at all. He gave you the link to the NDP's site, where you could find which of their members are Native.
And if you looked in the mainstream media you could also have found this:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/story/2011/11/30/sk-wotherspo...
As for the Sask Party, one of their Native candidates - Jennifer Campeau - was elected in Saskatoon. That doesn't speak as loudly to me as things like their hard line against First Nations University of Canada, their cuts to northern programs, Wall's campaigning against revenue sharing, and their cancelling of the Station 20 West project.
Again, you'll find that all on the CBC or Star Phoenix websites.
And this:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/story/2011/10/21/sk-ottenbrei...
Beyond that Gaian, I can't really say too much, not because I think I am misled or unenlightened, but because I am not a member of the Native community, and I don't think it is really for me to say how well-represented they feel.
Sorry to disappoint you. Maybe you should follow some ot the Native Press - Doug Cuthand,
http://www.thestarphoenix.com/columnists/Doug_Cuthand.html
Eagle Feather News http://www.eaglefeathernews.com/
APTN http://www.aptn.ca/
Missinippi Broadcasting http://www.mbcradio.com/index.php/mbc-news
The Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations http://www.fsin.com/
Metis Nation of Saskatchewan http://www.mn-s.ca/main/
Two articles that might give you a bit of perspective:
http://metisonline.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1489:...
http://www.ammsa.com/publications/saskatchewan-sage/first-nations-want-o...
Hopefully that will give you something to chew on.
Not to sound defensive Gaian (because I am not, that is not at all my intent) but what part of the world are you writing from where things are at all better and more accomodating?
Of course the NDP, like all parties to a greater or lesser degree, leans toward the dominant culture. But it is that way everywhere. More importantly, is also not one monolithic thing; it is made up of many people, with many perspectives.
And of course I speak for myself, and while my personal fortune and ego are not tied to the NDP, I do consider them the best political option around these parts.
When I said that we aren't all that removed from the days of Riel and Dumont I meant it , because even though most of my family did get here after confederation, I am still aware that the west was the victim of a shitty deal, and the galling truth that what happened - being overrun by fanatical, racist, law-breaking carpetbaggers in a battle that was given away - was in the long run slightly better than what would have happened otherwise - being swallowed up by the United States. And that when people elsewhere look here and see intense and entrenched racism, that is the legacy of something which was done to this place.
You mentioned Native people and the Conservative party (which doesn't actually exist as much other than a shell here in SK). I'd suggest Sheila Jones Morrison's book "Rotten to the Core" as a good first start. It is no coincidence that a significant part of that story involves events that happened in 1885.
Yes, Gaian, though the provincial Conservatives are not the same as the federal Harperites. They only ran five candidates in the election last year.
As for the NDP leadership race, I haven't a clue. A lot of things can happen in a year, and given the results of the last election, I'd say a lot of things need to happen.
Good idea, although Ashton is from Manitoba, and federal. You could also write Belanger or Vermette, seeing as they are actually sitting NDP members in Saskatchewan.
In any case, you keep asking until you hear what you want to hear. Good luck. In the meantime it's a little early (for me anyway) to start thinking about next year's convention, especially since the focus until a week or so ago has a rather long campaign to choose a federal leader, and right now, there is a newly-tabled budget to deal with.
The Sask NDP better get it right this time
We need a leader there who is going to bring that braying ass premier down to size,
better yet defeat him
Just got a call from the Saskparty polling
For me, the NDP getting it right will be too little, too late.
The SK Party goverment axed our tax credit with this year's budget. Since we are now that only province without a film and television incentive program in the entire country (and among only a few regions in North America, Eurpose and Australia), I am now in the position where my clients, commissioning broadcasters, will not work with me. Why? Because it will cost them considerably less to go with a doc maker in any other province.
I'm pretty pissed at the SK Party - Wall and his merry band. Incandescent with rage, actually. But I'm even more angry, if that's possible, with the NDP for choosing a leader who would render that election not only unwinnable, but create a complete rout. With the reduced numbers of NDP in opposition, there is nothing anyone can do for us.
I knew what the SK Party was - we all did. So we can't be surprised when they wade in and decimate a cultural industry. But the NDP? I supported them in every election I voted in, and Dwain Lingenfelter's unwinnable kick at the can was more important than me, my family, the business I've poured 15 years of my life into.
Make no mistake - we're just the beginning. The cultural sector will be gutted on all counts.
I will very likely be leaving the province by the next election. Well in advance of it, actually.
Thanks for nothing, SK NDP. You rotten f-ing bastards.
Maybe you should've joined when Lingenfelder was running for leader. Like you say, too late now.
Fuck you. How do you know what level of involvement I've had or not had? Is the NDP only there for it's members? For all the hype, you'd be led to believe that the NDP is there to serve the people of this province. Evidence shows it's there to serve the vanity of its old boys' club and as far as I'm concerned it's not fit to lead. They let their supporters down.
You shouldn't have to be deeply involved for that not to be the case.
Hey, we are all embarassed and disappointed by the SNDP but WTF do you expect? They have been in power for like a gazillion years here in Sask and power corrupts everything...even the NDP. Another big loss in 3 years and they might be ready to change.
You have to burn the grass for it to grow back greener
Timebandit is not a man.
The problem is not having lost the election - it's the fact that there are only 9 seats left. 9 seats. Running Lingenfelter didn't just lose them the election, it got them squashed. A stronger opposition would have made the hatchet jobs they're embarking on harder to accomplish.
You don't like how angry I am. Okay. Can you tell me how I'm supposed to react when I'm told that, after 4 generations of contributing to this province, I should get the fuck out? That I should uproot my kids because the SP doesn't like the way my industry works everywhere else? Shall we sip our tea and be civilized about it? Personally, the NDP deserves every bit of fury that's thrown at them for this. They've betrayed us.