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NDP consultations results to become policy

Mar 8, 2011 | 10:58 AM

Healthcare, infrastructure and affordable housing, oh my – that’s what is on the mind of Saskatchewan NDP leader, Dwain Lingenfelter.

The NDP conducted a year-long policy consultation across the province and, at the end of March, will solidify their findings into party policies.

The interface wasn`t just through town meetings, the party invited residents to voice their opinions on policy changes at MLA offices, caucus offices, through letters, emails and through the NDP website.

Lingenfelter said the input they received from individuals online was some of the most important in the consultation.

“The most interesting part of it was the online input we were getting, and I think that was largely younger people who had ideas that they wanted to put into the mix.”

He said they encouraged ideas from everyone, not just NDP supporters.

“We didn’t want to get ideas just from our own members so we have a lot of input from people who are not traditional New Democratic Party supporters. And I think that’s what makes the document so exciting,” said Lingenfelter.

He outlined three specific problems they heard from people in and around Prince Albert: lack of healthcare, infrastructure improvements and affordable housing.

“The most important issue in Prince Albert and surrounding area is basically the same as in the rest of the province, and that’s healthcare, or lack of,” said Lingenfelter.

He mentioned the problems with there being no long-term care homes in Prince Albert and a shortage of doctors.

There have been several recent announcements from the provincial government regarding healthcare, but Lingenfelter feels the current plans that are “throwing more money at the healthcare system” aren’t working.

Lingenfelter also touched on promises the current government has made about building a second bridge in Prince Albert, but made no promises for his party to address this.

However, he did mention plans regarding the lack of affordable housing in Saskatchewan.

“(The NDP has) come forward with a program to cap the rent with rent control… one of our first moves as a new government would be to put rent control across the province including Prince Albert,” said Lingenfelter.

One of the other big issues he mentioned was renewable resources.

Lingenfelter advocates a push toward shifting SaskPower toward renewable resources like solar, wind, geothermal and hydro power.

“I think by shifting our own utility, SaskPower, to be a much greener and cleaner company, taking away the amount we produce from coal or even natural gas, that it would do a lot to help in terms of having a cleaner energy source, so we’ve committed to 50 per cent renewable by the year 2025,” he said.

All of the input and opinions the NDP collected will be discussed at a party meeting later in the month.

There, Lingenfelter said, they will take the biggest issues they heard from the people and develop them into a platform for the upcoming provincial election.

Lingenfelter said he expects big policy changes to come out of the consultation, and added they will be announcing them in the months leading up to the election.

lschick@panow.com