By Brady Knight

Hundreds descend on Regina for NDP convention

May 23, 2015 | 1:46 PM

A sense of excitement was in the air as delegates slowly trickled into the Queenbury Convention Centre in Regina on Friday afternoon.
 
Four hundred delegates are expected at the Saskatchewan NDP convention this weekend.
 
Provincial NDP leader Cam Broten says there’s a great feeling among everyone in attendance, especially after seeing Alberta elect their first-ever NDP government earlier this month.
 
“When you look at the Alberta campaign and look at the approach they had in that campaign, there’s lots of good lessons for us here in Saskatchewan,” he said.
 
The convention kicked off with a speech from Peter Julian, the federal NDP house leader. He says the Sask Party has been making mistakes – such as the LEAN program – and not apologizing for them.
 
“That’s what happens when a government has been in power for too long,” he said. “You see a government that’s tired and making mistakes and not even apologizing for them, which I think indicates an increasing amount of arrogance.”
 
Although there were plenty of jabs at the Sask. Party and federal conservatives Friday afternoon, the focus of the weekend is on their own party. The convention will be the last one for the NDP before the next provincial election.
 
“I think a convention before an election is most important in the fact that it’s about coming together,” said Broten. “Keeping a strong focus on what matters most.”
 
There are 105 different resolutions up for debate on Saturday afternoon, ranging from the establishment of a seniors advocate to the creation of a grain marketing co-op owned and operated by Saskatchewan farmers. Resolutions can be proposed by any member of the NDP party.
 
But Broten didn’t specify when asked if the caucus would adopt any major policy changes after the convention.
 
“There’s a lot of resolutions put forward, because we as New Democrats care about this province and we want to see good changes,” he said. “Changes that help people, changes that allow families to get ahead and that’s where the discussion will be this weekend.”
 
The convention wraps up on Sunday afternoon.
 
panews@jpbg.ca

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