‘Get people back to work’: NDP Leader Ryan Meili looks ahead at 2021

Ryan Meili is used to helping diagnose and heal illnesses and injuries, and in 2021, the doctor and politician will be trying to help the province recover from a global pandemic.

Meili, who is the leader of the Saskatchewan NDP and official opposition, believes the top priority for the government should be getting people back to work in 2021.

An example of one of the many industries hit by COVID-19 has been the steel industry.

“We just saw 500-plus folks lose their jobs at Evraz right before Christmas. What can we do as a province and what can we do as opposition to push the province to stand up for Saskatchewan steel jobs? Those jobs are really important and we need those folks back at work,” Meili said.

“We need to use every tool in the government’s toolbox to get people back to work once we’ve gotten past that point of the pandemic.”

Meili said his party will push the government to not only invest in infrastructure spending, but also push to ensure Saskatchewan companies are the ones on the job. Meili believes 2021 is a year to invest in people, not make cuts.

“So when they talk about Saskatchewan being strong, it’s not a slogan, but a reality,” Meili said.

The NDP has been pushing for an increased minimum wage in the province. Currently, Saskatchewan’s minimum wage is $11.45 an hour – the lowest in the country.

“(It’s about) making sure that people who have been stepping up in incredible ways, working on the front lines, are making a decent wage,” Meili said. “COVID-19 is about COVID-19 but it has also revealed in so many ways the existing weaknesses in our health-care system, in our long-term care and our schools. We’re going to continue to push this government to recognize and learn the lessons of COVID-19.”

The path towards recovery is lit by the COVID-19 vaccines, currently being administered in the province.

“It’s amazing. This is an absolute miracle of modern science that we’ve gone from identification of a new disease to having a vaccine for it. Nothing has ever happened like this before. It’s incredible,” Meili said.

While Meili and the NDP didn’t see the gains they were looking for in the 2020 Saskatchewan general election – the party stayed at 13 seats – Meili said he plans on sticking around as leader.

Following their election defeats, the previous two NDP leaders – Dwain Lingenfelter and Cam Broten – decided to step down.

“Being chosen to the official opposition and to lead this team is an incredible honour. When you go into an election, you’re looking for a different one but this is an incredible honour and it is extremely important work,” Meili said.

“There’s a lot of people out there right now who don’t need to hear what we heard from the government in the throne speech that everything is awesome. They need to hear that their struggles are heard (and) understood and that somebody’s going to fight for them and that’s my job.

“I’m very hopeful for our party. I think this was a turnaround for us. It could have always been more but this was a turnaround moment where we’re now at a much firmer foundation than we’ve been in well over a decade and I’m excited about what we’ll achieve over the next four years.”