Sask NDP in the Leiglsature

James Woods has an interesting little article goin every Friday in the Leader Post these days. It seems to just be a bit of scuttlebutt from around the legislature. I found this very interesting.

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NDP Leader Lorne Calvert has fired the most questions from the Opposition benches. He was followed by corrections critic Kevin Yates, who apparently remains in good enough graces despite his acknowledged behind-the-scenes stumping for Dwain Lingenfelter as NDP Leader when Calvert was still premier.

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Is this an attempt by the caucus to keep a lid on things? I don't get to see the house every day (I try to watch QP via internet streaming at work) but I haven't really seen Deb Higgins or Frank Quennell ask any questions yet. Maybe if they declared for leader they would et more questions :-)

At the end of the day, Calvert is probably one of the better questioners for the NDP so it is probably a good thing that he is asking the most.

Oh well, no matter what I assume the NDP convention will be better than the Liberals':

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What if you didn't hold a convention, and nobody knew?

The provincial Liberal Party has had a low profile since failing to elect any MLAs to the legislature in last fall's election, a repeat of what happened in 2003.

The party has found a new leader, Ryan Bater, but Liberal faithful won't be gathering to celebrate that fact this weekend.

The party's annual convention was originally scheduled to take place in Regina today.

But when reporters called to find out the convention schedule, they were informed it had actually been cancelled more than a month ago, due to the fact it would come so closely after the hubbub of the federal election.

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Yep, you wouldn't want to have a convention 6 weeks after a federal election. That would be crazy :-)

What if you threw a leadership contest and nobody came?

From the Leader Post:

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Ryan Bater will be the new leader of the provincial Liberal party after a contest that was over before it ever really began.At the 5 p.m. close of nominations on Friday, Bater was the only candidate, meaning he will be acclaimed as leader at the party's November convention.

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Congratulations, I think :-)

At least he has a sense of perspective:

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"As far as being negative though, people should be reminded that both Brad Wall and Roy Romanow were acclaimed as leaders of their parties and went on to lead their parties to success," he said of the current Saskatchewan Party premier and former NDP premier.

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HA HA HA HA.

I know Roy Romanow sir, and you are no Roy Romanow.

You're not even a Brad Wall.

Sask Liberals lean to the Right

Or so says the headline in this leader-post story.

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The Saskatchewan Liberal Party has begun a period of introspection after party candidates were shut out for a second consecutive provincial election last November. And, suggestions emerged Saturday the party could be nudging toward more right-wing ideals.

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That's right, return to the glory days of Thatcher, nothing like 40-year-old discredited ideas.

Of course, that would be a step up for the Liberals in Saskatchewan. They are the only group I know that with one elected official (federally or provincially) out of 74 and having gone zero for 4 in the last 4 provincial by-elections and election, that can make a virtue of their looserdom:

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"We have one of those unique windows in the life of a political party where you don't have the baggage of the past and you really have a clean slate." - Ryan Androsoff

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Good job Prairie fire, good job. :-)

Saskatchewan Green-Liberal Merger?

You know you are not doing so well as a political party when the greens try to buy you out.

The Greens!

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What was far most interesting was that the Greens used the occasion to officially serve notice they'd like to see a formal merger with the Liberal Party of Saskatchewan.

[snip]

Interim Liberal president Frank Proto was quick to note in an interview Tuesday that this isn't the first time he's heard such overtures since the November election.

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Needless to say, this isn't getting a super warm reception from John Murney. I would link to other Saskatchewan Liberal Blog reactions, but I don't know any.