Wall’s exit likely to impact NDP leadership contest
With rival party selection slated for May, some members are wishing it was sooner
Saskatchewan’s two main political parties will soon be having leadership races at the same time, and political watchers contend that may not be the best-case scenario for the NDP.
With Premier Brad Wall’s announcement Thursday that he is retiring, the departing Saskatchewan Party leader has opened the door for a replacement.
Details about when exactly that vote is taking place are still unknown, but party officials expect a new leader to be chosen sooner rather than later. The unofficial word at the moment is that Wall’s replacement will be chosen in December or January.
If that is the case, the Sask. Party will have chosen a new leader significantly more quickly than the Opposition NDP, which has not had a permanent leader since April 2016.
The NDP chooses its new leader in May.
The party has been without a permanent leader since Cam Broten resigned and Trent Wotherspoon took over the role on an interim basis. He held that position until June, when he stepped down, likely in order to run to be the party’s permanent leader. Nicole Sarauer has held the interim job since.
Going so long without a leader was a decision that at least some NDP caucus members surely did not like, and others within the party are wishing the leadership race was happening faster. University of Saskatchewan political scientist Charles Smith, who has ties to the NDP, says it was a bad decision to wait this long, especially now that the Sask. Party is choosing its own leader.
He characterizes the party waiting this long as a “miscalculation” and contends the Sask. Party leadership race, which will determine the province’s next premier, will receive more attention because “the stakes are higher.”
But in Wall’s departure, there is some silver lining for the NDP.
For one, the formidable politician won’t be at the helm of the Sask. Party in the next election.
“Good news is for the last 10 years, the Sask. Party has been branded by the Sask. Party as the Brad Wall machine, the Brad Wall party,” says Smith.
“The premier has been the face of the government … Him leaving gives the NDP an opportunity to run against a relatively unknown new leader who won’t have the same political cache as Mr. Wall did.”
With rumours of Wall’s departure circulating for months, the NDP caucus has been aware the premier’s exit could offer the remaining Sask. Party members a clean slate on contentious issues, such as the recent budget.
To that end, there has been at least some effort to ensure decisions of the Wall government — such as the recent budget — were worn by the entire Sask. Party caucus, and not just the outgoing premier.
Him leaving gives the NDP an opportunity to run against a relatively unknown new leader who won’t have the same political cache as
Mr. Wall did.