Ryan Meili stepping down as MLA of Saskatoon Meewasin
NDP leader Ryan Meili announced he is resigning from his position as MLA of Saskatoon Meewasin.
Meili is also stepping down as the leader of the official opposition, as the spring sitting of the Saskatchewan Legislature ends.
“It is time for me to move on and do other things and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to have been the leader of the NDP, to have been leader of the opposition and to be a doctor leading in the middle of a pandemic, it’s been the challenge and opportunity and honour of a lifetime,” Meili said.
Representatives from both sides of the aisle offered their appreciation for Meili and his family for their sacrifice and service to the people of Saskatchewan, during proceedings Thursday.
“As a leader, as an activist, as a doctor in Saskatoon and right across this province, as far away as Mozambique Ryan Meili has made a lot of sacrifices in the name of helping others," NDP MLA Carla Beck said.
Premier Scott Moe also wished Meili the best – commending his perseverance.
“The fact that he did live true to his beliefs whether we agreed on those beliefs or not he most certainly did live to them and he stood by them and those two traits, perseverance and being true to the beliefs that you have, I think are admirable in any individual,” Moe said.
“We largely as politicians likely agree on more than we disagree on and I would say that extends across Saskatchewan.”
Meili served as the MLA for Saskatoon Meewasin for five years and as leader of the provincial NDP for four.
He was elected as leader in 2018, after two failed attempts to get the job.
A new NDP leader will be elected in June. Two names are on the ballot: Regina Lakeview MLA Carla Beck and Saskatoon lawyer Kaitlyn Harvey.
Following the leadership vote, a by-election will be held in Meili’s constituency. A date has not yet been set.
It will be a critical seat for the NDP to maintain as Meili’s departure leaves the party with just 11 out of 61 seats in the legislature.
“I won’t be that MLA, but I’m going to be helping out in that campaign to make sure we win,” Meili said.
Meili said his final day in the seat will be July 1.
The outgoing leader added that he is going to take some time off to think through his next steps.
“It will be medicine and some degree of advocacy for health because I don’t really know how to do anything else,” he said. “I’ll definitely be seeing patients, that is something I’ve missed and I enjoy so much.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
ByteDance prefers TikTok shutdown in U.S. if legal options fail, Reuters sources say
TikTok owner ByteDance would prefer to shut down its loss-making app rather than sell it if the Chinese company exhausts all legal options to fight legislation to ban the platform from app stores in the U.S., four sources said.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.