Despite being booted from the federal NDP caucus and leader Jagmeet Singh saying he will not be allowed to run in for the NDP in 2019, Regina Lewvan MP Erin Weir still plans on seeking the nomination.
“I really believe that it should be up to the local membership to decide who to nominate as our candidate,” Weir said.
“I think the real question is for Mr. Singh. What does he intend to do? Would he simply disregard more than 2,000 NDP members in Regina Lewvan and appoint his own candidate?”
Weir added that if he loses the leadership vote then he will respect the will of the membership and not run at all.
The Regina MP has completed sensitivity training, and said he is now more aware of the need to pay attention to non-verbal cues.
Weir was suspended from the caucus in February after fellow New Democrat Christine Moore sent an email to her caucus colleagues saying she had heard numerous complaints about Weir allegedly harassing staffers.
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Singh has said that he is not confident Weir would not repeat harassing behaviour.
Weir countered that the investigation found things that need to be worked on, but nothing that threatens workplace safety.
Last week, 68 former Saskatchewan NDP MPs and MLAs wrote a letter in support of Weir, calling on his reinstatement. They accused Singh of not following the party’s constitution and not engaging in due process.
A number of NDP activists have also written response pieces, applauding Singh for standing firm in his removal of Weir.
When asked if he is worried about being a distraction or point of division amongst the NDP in the 2019 election, Weir kept his focus on Singh’s actions.
“I fear that Mr. Singh’s decision to expel me has created problems and distractions for the federal NDP in Saskatchewan,” Weir said.
“My sense though is that the great majority of party members both young and old recognize that this investigation was incredibly flawed, and at the end of the day the findings don’t justify expulsion from caucus.”
Singh removed Weir from the NDP caucus in May, but in that time Regina residents will have noticed Erin Weir signs that still contain NDP branding.
Because he was applying to be accepted back into the party, Weir said that he was hesitant to change the signs. Now that Singh has “dug in his heels” Weir said his signage will need to be updated in the coming weeks.
With files from The Canadian Press
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