Saskatchewan NDP hosts annual convention in Regina

The Saskatchewan NDP held its annual convention in Regina through the weekend.

Attendees heard from guests such as the Saskatchewan NDP president Judy Bradley, who said the convention was a great success.

“We’ve got record numbers that came out, which is excellent. Lots of new members, which is excellent. Great leadership review and endorsement of Carla Beck, our leader. I’m excited,” said Bradley.

“We had lots of great debate, but we also invited the community … we had SARM, SUMA, we had STF, we had doctors speak to us, we had steelworkers. So, a lot of listening going on and a lot of excitement on where we’re going.”

The convention touched on topics from the complex needs that Saskatchewan teachers are advocating for to health care in.

“The top-of-mind issues for Saskatchewan people … are remaining fairly consistent. Cost of living, affordability, the inability of people to pay their bills, the want of good jobs, good opportunities, a strong economy, health care. Health care is a is a huge issue,” said Sask. NDP leader Carla Beck.

“The things that we have been focusing on and … consistently has been around building those solutions.”

Saskatchewan NDP education critic Matt Love said the top issues that teachers in the province are voicing is classroom sizes and the complex needs inside of them.

“We have we have overcrowded classrooms across this province … we’re seeing children and youth with complex needs related to complicated learning needs, complex medical needs, students who are new to the English language, students in need of behavioural supports,” he said. “We’re seeing teachers talk about violence in the classroom, and yet we have a government that isn’t willing to sit down and talk with teachers about those needs.”

Love said the NDP government would reverse education cuts, but noted that it will take some time to get there.

“We’re looking at ten years of chronic underfunding cuts in Saskatchewan classrooms,” he said. “The NDP will reverse that trend.”

This year’s theme was Ready To Deliver — listening to Saskatchewanians, engaging with people and understanding what the issues people bring to their attention, said Bradley.

“We really did appreciate that, and we got some great ideas, too, on what we can work on,” said Bradley. “We really are in a listening format right now and we’re excited because we’re just getting lots of positive feedback. We’re a government in waiting.”

In a recent poll conducted by Insightrix, the Saskatchewan NDP party had a six-point increase in voter support, out of a sample size of 803 Saskatchewan residents.