NDP's Meili would focus on health, minimum wage

For New Democrat leadership candidate Ryan Meili, it was curing patients of illness while working as a family doctor and then sending them back into the conditions that made them sick that got him into politics.

“One of the big things that drove me to be involved in politics was realizing that what makes the biggest difference in our health isn’t doctors and hospitals, it’s how much money people make, how far they go in school, whether they’ve got a decent job and whether they have a safe place to stay and those decisions are really impacted the most at the political level,” said the Saskatoon Meewasin MLA.

Meili was in Nipawin Dec. 10 along with competitor Trent Wotherspoon to participate in a debate hosted by the Carrot River Valley New Democrats.

The candidate said it’s time to take a new approach to politics that’s focused on improving the quality of life for people in Saskatchewan. That means establishing a $15/hour minimum wage, a plan to reduce poverty, investing in early childhood development and creating a pharmacare program – hopefully in partnership with the federal government and/or other provinces.

“One of the biggest things to remember is that a lot of them, done right, will pay for themselves,” Meili said. “We often think an investment in early childhood as a cost but in fact for every dollar you put in, you get eight or nine dollars back to the economy in the long-term.”

He added there’s an immediate economic impact as it would help people get back into the workforce.

The key would be to pick the right investments and examine corporate taxation and non-renewable resources for more revenues.

Meili said reconnecting with rural areas like the Northeast is key to victory in the next election. If elected premier, he would develop a water management strategy to deal with the more frequent wet years. He’d also develop a strategy to help farmers adapt to changes in climate and markets by expanding the use of rural extension centers, more focus on plant breeding research and developing new farming techniques, and supporting producers in reaching markets.

The leadership candidate said while it’s easy to criticize the governing Saskatchewan Party, that’s only the first step.

“People want to not just know what we’re fighting against, they want to know what we’re fighting for,” he said. “I really believe that the only path to victory for the NDP is to not just criticize the Sask. Party but go beyond opposition by proposing the big ideas, by having a bold vision that’s credible and that’s a real alternative to the Sask. Party.”