Federal NDP association eyes local politics
Members to be active in run-up to Oct. 22 municipal election
Municipal politics aren’t supposed to be partisan in nature, but that hasn’t prevented many local politicians from proudly showing their political stripes.
“I think it’s a problem,” said Don Sawyer, newly elected president of the St. Catharines New Democratic Party federal riding association.
“It’s paid lip-service, but of course everybody says ‘he’s a Liberal’ or ‘he’s a Conservative’ or ‘that guy’s supported by the NDP.’”
And if one political party is doing it, Sawyer said others need to follow suit — including the NDP.
“We need to have strong progressive voices that are principled and incorruptible and are looking out for the interests of the community as a whole, rather than special interests which seem to be right now ruling the roost, to say the least,” he said.
Although the next federal election is still more than a year away, Sawyer said riding association members plan to be “really active in the run-up to the municipal election” on Oct. 22.
“We would like to get involved at that level as well as promote those candidates that represent and embody NDP principles,” Sawyer said. “That’s the thing. I don’t know that it has to be partisan, but it has to based on certain political ideologies, certain moral views.”
Sawyer said the association also hopes to get more people filling out municipal election ballots, that typically attract fewer voters than provincial and federal elections.
“Often, I think we forget that the government levels that affect us the most are closest to us,” Sawyer said. “If we can use the NDP platform to get the views of candidates out to the public so they can get motivated to go out and vote, that’s something we can hopefully contribute.”
It’s one of several changes Sawyer hopes to bring to the federal organization, after being elected association president during the annual general meeting, Saturday.
Sawyer, who previously worked with the NDP when he lived in British Columbia, said he hoped to get involved with the political party again after moving to St. Catharines a little more than a year ago. He couldn’t, however, find a federal riding association to join.
But with the help of national NDP organizer Shannon Cruickshank, Sawyer soon found other local party faithful — including vice-president Dennis VanMeer, secretary Cathy Martin, and financial officer Ron Brydges — to get the riding association running again.
Cruickshank said she looks forward to working with the local riding association to create “a political force that will champion NDP ideals of fairness, inclusion and positive change at the local, regional, provincial and national levels.”
“I am delighted to welcome St Catharines back,” she said.
Sawyer said people typically think that “after an election’s over, we don’t need to worry about this until four years from now.”
But that won’t be the case under his leadership.
Instead, he said association members will work year-round within the community to promote “the principles of fairness and justice and inclusion.”
“Those are principles that are important year-round, and at all levels of government,” Sawyer said.
“I think that’s what will sustain the federal riding association — getting involved at all levels and trying to push for positive change in St. Catharines.’”