NDP leadership hopeful Kaitlyn Harvey ready to take party in new direction

NDP leadership hopeful Kaitlyn Harvey feels being on the outside looking in on the Saskatchewan Legislature gives her an advantage in her bid to lead the province’s official opposition.

The Metis Lawyer in Saskatoon with a background in constitutional and environmental law and climate policy joined CTV Regina Morning Live on Wednesday, to talk about her plans if she becomes the NDP’s next leader.

“I’ve got a lot of freedom to do things that someone with a seat [in the Legislature] might not have, I’ve got a lot of connections around the province with people that I know have not felt included in Saskatchewan politics,” Harvey said.

Harvey knows the NDP has a lot of work ahead of them to gain ground on the Sask Party, which has been in power since 2007.

“A lot of people in Saskatchewan have really felt like their voices have not been heard. We see that with the low voter turnout,” she said.

“People have not felt like our politicians are really putting forward any kind of plan that they can get behind and we need to be reaching out to those people and connecting with communities and finding out what it is they need and put those things into practice.”

Harvey feels if they can connect with those (excluded) groups, the NDP has a good chance of gaining significant ground in the 2024 provincial election and maybe even forming government.

If Harvey is elected leader of the NDP she said her first order of business would be sitting down with everyone at the table and finding out what it is they need in order to do the job that they want to do.

The NDP leadership convention will be held in late June.

Current leader Ryan Meili announced he was stepping down shortly after a byelection in the northern riding of Athabasca went to the Sask Party. Athabasca was previously NDP territory for two decades.

Harvey’s only competition at the moment is Carla Beck, who is currently the MLA for Regina Lakeview.