One can understand why rural folks might not care too much about the rebuilding of the Saskatchewan NDP.
After all, the NDP and the rural Saskatchewan actually began parting ways decades ago. While the NDP was resisting change and virtually demanding that rural Saskatchewan stick to the philosophies of the Wheat Pool and the co-operative movement, rural Saskatchewan was clearly headed in a far more entrepreneurial, marketing direction.
(It is an interesting coincidence that the annihilation of the NDP in rural Saskatchewan came mere weeks before the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce presented the Weyburn Inland Terminal with a lifetime achievement award for entrepreneurship. The farmer-owned terminal, the first of its kind in the province, set up shop in Tommy Douglas's Weyburn three decades ago in the face of massive opposition from the then Allan Blakeney government and New Democrats that predicted such large terminals would be the ruination of rural Saskatchewan life.)
And while the Saskatchewan Party in the 2011 campaign unfairly blamed the 1990s budget cuts to rural Saskatchewan on an NDP government without taking into account the fiscal disaster left behind by the previous Progressive Conservative administration, there is also little doubt that Roy Romanow-Lorne Calvert governments took rural Saskatchewan for granted.
One might forgive the bad highways and closure of 52 rural hospitals as the reality of the fiscal challenges the NDP was left to deal with. But why did an NDP government hold an election in the middle of harvest? Why did it repeatedly refuse to address the education tax on agricultural land even when it had the economic capacity to fix the problems?
Rural Saskatchewan people often felt like second-class citizens under NDP governments, a feeling best reflected in the fact that three-quarters of them voted Saskatchewan Party in the most recent election.
But are public interests going to be served in this new legislature with a nine-seat Opposition, none of whom are from rural Saskatchewan? This may be why the rebuilding of the NDP is an issue for us all.
Of course, some will argue that a strong Opposition is something we need to worry less about in the so-called New Saskatchewan. They will point to Alberta to the west and note that province has done rather well without much of any opposition in the past 40 years.
Well, also consider the rise of the Wild Rose Party is directly attributable to Alberta residents' dissatisfaction with the ruling Progressive Conservatives. And let us not forget the volatility of our resource wealth or the fact that Albert is a different province, one with a comparatively small rural area to service that's made it much easy for Alberta governments to meet the needs of its rural residents.
Even if past NDP governments have sometimes failed rural Saskatchewan, it is job of and the interest of any opposition to point out where a government is not delivering. A strong opposition in the legislature is more capable of doing that.
Admittedly, nothing says that strong opposition has to be New Democrat. But given that the Liberals and Progressive Conservatives fell to historic lows this election and that the Greens didn't come close to electing anyone, the simply practical reality is the best hope to keep the Sask. Party government in check, at least for now,is the NDP.
And for whatever legitimate complaints or philosophical differences rural people and others have with the current NDP, it is likely important to remember that this is party with a deep tradition that's served the people's interest in both opposition and government where it has delivered things like rural electrification and medicare.
Yes, the recent vote suggests a lot of people might not have much interest in the NDP and its plans to rebuild. But we all should be interested in seeing a strong opposition.
