After Saskatchewan NDP leader Ryan Meili announced he was stepping down as the party leader, Indigenous Sask. NDP MLA for Saskatoon Centre, Betty Nippi-Albright tweeted she was considering running for leadership. But she has announced that the time isn’t right.
“It was very interesting how many people reached out to me once they heard that our current leader was stepping down,” said Albright-Nippi.
Nippi-Albright had support from the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, which tweeted their support for Nippi-Albright’s decision to run.
“Here is the opportunity for Saskatchewan to finally have a bold, charismatic, and strong … Indigenous voice leading in provincial politics,” according to FSIN’s tweet. “Someone who will do the right things for our next generation. That leader is Betty Nippi Albright.”
A few days after, Nippi-Albright announced that she decided not to run.
“Every time I’ve spoken out on bullying … racism, I’ve been vilified,” said Nippi-Albright. “I don’t think at this time, Saskatchewan is ready to have a vocal Indigenous woman lead them, let alone be the premier of this province.”
Nippi-Albright stated that she will continue serving as the MLA for Saskatoon Centre and continue using her voice as an MLA calling out the Saskatchewan Party.
In a recent Twitter post, Nippi-Albright stated that the Saskatchewan Party needs to work on their breach of Treaty Rights, lack of Reconciliation & meaningful duty to consult process, sale of Crown lands, refusal to act on missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls and fixing systemic racism.
“I’m grateful that I had this opportunity for folks to reach out to me, asking me to run,” she said. “I will continue working hard … being a voice. We need that. We need representation in this province. We need more vocal Indigenous women in provincial politics and I will keep doing my part.”
— With files from Global Regina’s Connor O’Donovan.