If elected this fall, the Saskatchewan NDP says it would temporarily repeal the provincial gas tax, start a school lunch program, offer discounts for families to buy security equipment and go after the “unaccountable wealth” of organized criminals.
This comes on top of the Opposition’s promises to get tough on crime and keep taxes flat.
If these promises sound familiar to Manitobans, it’s because they can all be found in the playbook that the Manitoba NDP successfully deployed when it won power from the Progressive Conservatives in a landslide election last year.
Manitoba political scientist Christopher Adams said Leader Carla Beck’s Saskatchewan New Democratic Party is trying to emulate the success of its neighbour.
“So, it would be foolish to not take the example of the Manitoba NDP and learn how to run a good campaign,” he said.
“It’s fair to say that last October the NDP ran one of the most successful election campaigns in Manitoba in decades.”
The New Democrats won 34 of the province’s 57 seats last fall, nearly doubling the party’s pre-election tally and all but wiping the ruling Progressive Conservatives off Winnipeg’s electoral map. The party picked up one seat in a June by-election, winning a district formerly held by Heather Stephenson, the former leader of the Manitoba Conservative Party.
Nearly a year after the election, Premier Wab Kinew has made progress on many of his campaign promises and, according to a recent poll, enjoys the support of nearly two-thirds of Manitobans — the highest approval rating of any premier in the country.
‘Great ideas’ from Manitoba: Saskatchewan NDP
It’s not unusual for New Democrats in any province to take inspiration from other regions, particularly the Prairie provinces, where “pragmatism” is a guiding principle, said Cheryl Oates, campaign manager for the Saskatchewan NDP.
But she points out that the similarities with the Manitoba campaign are intentional.
“Because it was a great idea, it worked well in many cases and it made a big difference for people,” said Oates, who served as an adviser to the Manitoba NDP’s 2023 election campaign.
“Saskatchewan people face the same challenges as Manitobans. We face a rising cost of living, an affordability crisis, a health care crisis.”
Oates said he believes the commitments made by the Manitoba NDP will make a difference in Saskatchewan.
For example, she said, temporarily scrapping gasoline taxes is one of the few tools the government can take to curb inflation, the type of measure that has previously been the domain of right-wing governments.
“Premier Kinew’s decision to abolish gas tax has had a really big impact. People are saving money every time they put gas in their car.”
Oates said Prairie Region New Democrats have looked outside of ideology to find “really practical solutions” to the things people care about, even if it’s not a traditional left-leaning approach.
“I see this as more about what voters want from political parties. [moving] She said she plans to move the party toward the “middle ground” of the political spectrum.
The Saskatchewan Party, in power for 17 years, rejected an NDP request to suspend the gas tax, arguing the revenue is needed to pay for road repairs.
Saskatchewan is on track to enter its closest election in years, with the NDP appearing to have closed the gap in support with the governing party, according to recent polls. The election is due to be held by Oct. 28.
The election results have yet to be announced, but the New Democrats began campaigning in late August.
Among the party’s notable pledges is the creation of a school nutrition program, a Manitoba NDP election promise that was fulfilled this month.
The Saskatchewan NDP has also promised a discount program on security equipment for homes, small businesses and houses of worship, and has budgeted $2 million for it if elected, matching what the Manitoba government has spent.
The Saskatchewan New Democratic Party government has also pledged to target criminal suspects and force them to account for “unexplained assets,” although the Saskatchewan New Democrats plan to set up a task force and the Manitoba New Democratic Party is seeking to change the law.
Both parties have pledged to balance the provincial budget within four years. The Manitoba NDP’s first budget, tabled in April, projected an $800 million deficit.
The Saskatchewan NDP’s decision to begin campaigning before the writ is filed echoes that of the Manitoba NDP.
The fact that the official start of Saskatchewan’s election campaign is in the government’s hands “puts any opposition party on the back foot,” Oates said.
“We want to control our own presentation.”
Message Control
Adams, an adjunct professor of political science at the University of Manitoba, noted Kinew’s NDP used the pre-election period to present itself as a moderate party committed to prudent spending and a tough stance on crime.
He sees the Saskatchewan NDP already making the same argument: On the first day of the election campaign, the party promised not to raise taxes and released a tough-on-crime policy platform.
Political parties seeking election in Saskatchewan must win rural seats because it is not enough to win every constituency in Regina and Saskatoon, the province’s two largest centres: Most of the Saskatchewan NDP’s supporters are in urban areas.
“That means leaders can’t just stay in major cities and have policies that appeal only to urban audiences,” Oates said.
She said she is in discussions about bringing some staff over to the Manitoba NDP to help with the party’s election campaign – it’s common practice in Canadian political parties for staff to take time off work to help with election campaigns elsewhere.
The Manitoba NDP declined to comment.
