If his career in politics doesn鈥檛 pan out, Ryan Meili can always apply for the role of Saskatchewanderer. He鈥檚 gained invaluable traveling experience as part of a summer tour through Saskatchewan. He鈥檚 logged more kilometers across the province this year than most people will travel in double that time.
鈥淚 feel like a tourist in my own province,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a big [place].鈥�
The Saskatchewan NDP leader has been bouncing around the province ever since the legislative session wrapped up in May. He鈥檚 been shaking hands, greeting supporters, and chatting with political officials and everyday people for months. Meili鈥檚 trying to make the most of his time away from the legislature before the new session begins in the fall.
鈥淚鈥檓 really enjoying the chance to get out to all the communities,鈥� he said. 鈥淸You] get such a deeper sense of the kind of province we are.鈥�
Meili鈥檚 summer tour landed in Melville and Yorkton on Aug. 8. Meili spoke with Mayor Bob Maloney and city council before hosting a meet-and-greet barbecue at the city centre park at 5 p.m.
Meili weaved through the crowd at the park, introducing himself to Yorktonites and listening to their questions and concerns about the province鈥檚 future. He鈥檚 spoken with dozens of people in communities around the province and he鈥檚 noticed several recurring themes.
鈥淭here are lots of pretty consistent concerns that we鈥檙e hearing in different communities,鈥� he said.
A major concern, and one that鈥檚 greatly impacted Yorkton, is the reductions to the grants-in-lieu program. The Sask Party chopped the program down in its budget last year. Meili said he wants to find a solution to the program鈥檚 reduction while not fully committing to completely revitalizing grants-in-lieu.
鈥淚 want to have that discussion [on grants-in-lieu],鈥� he said. 鈥淭he right system that makes sure communities have the funding they need that鈥檚 reflective of the services they provide...needs to be put in place.鈥�
Meili said he鈥檚 also heard complaints about changes to the PST and how it impacts construction contracts. Such contracts are no longer exempt from the PST.
鈥淲e鈥檝e seen [the construction] industry struggling because of an economic slowdown and a PST just adds more of a burden to that industry,鈥� Meili said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a really big hit across the province.鈥�
Meili thinks towns like Yorkton can secure stable revenues if they receive consistent government financing.
鈥淲hat we need to...deliver to towns like Yorkton is a reliable source of funding so they know year to year [what to plan for],鈥� he said.
Meili, who became NDP leader in March, spent a large part of the last session criticizing the Sask Party鈥檚 stubborn resilience to the federal carbon tax. While the government鈥檚 gained support from Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Meili still thinks the Sask Party鈥檚 refusal to negotiate is the wrong approach.
鈥淸The Sask Party doesn鈥檛] have a backup plan [for the carbon tax] if they鈥檙e not successful,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the issue that concerns me.鈥�
While the NDP can point out flaws with the Sask Party until they鈥檙e orange in the face, Meili knows criticisms alone won鈥檛 snag his party enough votes to win elections down the road. The party needs an appealing platform to attract Saskatchewan voters.
鈥淧eople...are ready for a change,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the job for me...to really develop a vision that people in Saskatchewan can say, 鈥榊up, that鈥檚 actually what I鈥檓 looking for.鈥欌��
To that end, Meili believes his tour is crucial to developing a winning vision. By visiting communities across the province, he hopes to craft a platform based on real, face-to-face conversations with Saskatchewanians.
鈥淪askatchewan鈥檚 a great big place and everybody has their own specific needs that need to be met,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 have to be out here to see what鈥檚 on people鈥檚 minds.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important to me.鈥�
