NDP leader Ryan Meili and Prince Albert Northcote MLA Nicole Rancourt. (Glenn Hicks/paNOW Staff) : Glenn Hicks

By Glenn Hicks

Provincial politics

NDP aims for sweep in P.A.

Feb 28, 2019 | 5:00 PM

Saskatchewan NDP leader Ryan Meili is eyeing Prince Albert as a key battleground come next year’s election, while using the recent SNC-Lavalin scandal facing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as a launch pad to point fingers regarding ethics of the provincial government.

The New Democrat caucus is meeting in P.A. to talk strategy ahead of the new parliamentary session that begins Monday.

Meili is buoyant about the number of people set to the throw their hat in the ring to take on Saskatchewan Party MLA for P.A. Carlton Joe Hargrave.

“The MLA here has been part of some poor decisions on the part of this government, in particular the shutdown of STC as well as the introduction of PST on used cars and on insurance, “ Mieli told paNOW. “ Those are decisions Mr. Hargrave will wear going into the next election.”

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That election is still 21 months away, but Meili highlighted the importance of adding a gain in the city to potentially create a double-NDP presence alongside incumbent P.A. Northcote MLA Nicole Rancourt.

“It’s extremely important; this is an area of the province that deserves better representation than it has had in recent years within the government,” he said.” It’s one of the seats that’s a necessity for us as we look at the opportunity to move from opposition to government.”

So far Troy Parenteau is the only person to have declared but Meili said there would be others ahead of a nomination meeting in late April.

Among the major thrusts of the NDP’s work in opposition will be what Meili calls the government’s concept of a balanced budget.

“We see them saying they’ve got a balance when the operating debt grows, a debt that has tripled in the last few years; when there’s still big cuts out of classrooms and clinics; and when they’re downloading costs onto municipalities and everyone is having to pay more property tax,” he said.

Meili added the government had the ability to end the unpopular PST on construction projects which was hurting the industry.

“The slowdown in construction, the loss of jobs, the increased cost for municipalities who are now having to pay hundreds of thousands more for projects like water treatment plants; that’s a shackle on an already limping economy,” he said. “It was a terrible decision.”

Speaking to the current ethical troubles facing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in light of the SNC-Lavalin scandal, Meili said Saskatchewan faced similar concerns regarding companies exerting too much influence.

“Our rules allow for out-of-province corporations, big companies, anyone who wants, can give as much money as they want to a political party in Saskatchewan,” he said. “As a result you end up getting donors to the party winding up with big contracts. So, as we’re having this national conversation about character, integrity and ethics in government we better have a pretty close look at what’s going on here in Saskatchewan where we have the worst rules in the country.”

paNOW asked Rancourt what her thrust would be at the local constituency level heading into the new legislative session.

“I met with some Grade 3 students at Riverside school and asked them what were their priorities and some of those were a new, bigger hospital for Prince Albert and they also mentioned the cost of living and their parents were having a hard time making ends meet,” she said. “They also thought way too many children were accessing the food bank and when asked the majority of those students had accessed the food bank at some stage of their life.”

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glenn.hicks@jpbg.ca

On Twitter:@princealbertnow