NDP fires riding association president in Regina Walsh Acres

About a month after the Saskatchewan NDP removed a candidate for the Regina Walsh Acres riding, the party has removed the president of the riding association as well.

Barb Dedi said she got an email from the party last week telling her she’d been removed from her position.

“Initially I was really saddened and I was really shocked. (It was) just disbelief. (I) just cannot imagine my party doing this,” said Dedi.

Party leader Ryan Meili said it was due to a harassment complaint that was brought forward last year. He said it doesn’t have anything to do with Sandra Morin, who was the party’s candidate in the riding before she was removed.

“The timing is unfortunate because you can make those connections, but there is no connection. The anti-harassment policy and process is completely independent from the political side of the party,” Meili said.

“We take harassment very seriously. It’s not something to take lightly at all, and it’s unfortunate that this situation is there.”

Morin was voted in as the party’s candidate in the riding about 15 months ago, but recently Meili declined to sign her nomination papers. Neither side would say why, citing confidentiality agreements, but Morin did say there’s no new information that has come up since she was vetted prior to winning the nomination.

Dedi has been steadfast in her support of Morin, claiming Meili is violating the party’s constitution and that he’s being a bully, so she believes the timing of her removal is suspicious.

“There’s no coincidence that they’re forcing me out of Regina Walsh Acres at the same time as Mr. Meili wants to overrule the members and pick his own candidate instead of the one that our members voted for over a year ago,” said Dedi.

Dedi said Meili should be focusing on the campaign and not “bullying two senior women of the party.”

Dedi said she has been working with the NDP for more than 40 years and while she still supports the party, she can’t support the leader.

In an interesting wrinkle, Dedi will be succeeded as president by Morin, who is currently one of the association’s vice-presidents. Morin will be the interim president until the AGM is held later this fall.

Dedi said she thought about letting this go but can’t. She said she has been fighting injustice all her life and now she’s going to be fighting for herself and Morin.