Meili stays out of byelection
Jeremy Warren, Saskatoon Star Phoenix, June 9, 2009
After wading into the NDP leadership campaign and coming a close second, Ryan Meili is taking more time with his next campaign.
Meili won't seek the nomination for the soon-to-be vacated Saskatoon Riversdale seat held by former NDP leader Lorne Calvert, but he announced Tuesday his intention to run in the 2011 election.
A small group of supporters and volunteers mingled at Meili's 20th Street West campaign office for the announcement.
"We've had an amazing campaign," said Meili. "We went from a handful of people in my living room to a group of volunteers and then thousands of supporters."
After finishing second to Dwain Lingenfelter at last weekend's leadership convention in Regina, Meili said he might lose the momentum of his campaign but will spend time involved in the party's planned policy review.
He's not distancing himself from the party, but intends to get down to the grassroots and develop an election platform.
Meili declined to declare where he will seek the nomination, but it will be a Saskatoon riding vacated by a current NDP MLA or one held by the Saskatchewan Party.
"I'll have a good look at the electoral map of Saskatoon and decide," he said.
Meili cited personal and professional reasons for not running in the byelection.
For one, he's getting married this summer.
But more pressing is Danielle Chartier's nomination campaign in the Saskatoon Riversdale riding. Chartier, a third-generation Riversdale resident, has been knocking on doors and selling memberships since February.
"I've been selling memberships . . . win or lose, I've done the work to prepare," she said at Meili's office.
The deadline to sell memberships for the nomination is Monday at 5 p.m. The nomination meeting is June 29.
Chartier has done the work and deserves a spot in the legislature, said Meili.
"Danielle is a strong candidate and I'm offering my endorsement of her candidacy," he said.
Meili will bide his time organizing the party and developing the party's platform through a policy review that Lingenfelter said will take place this fall.
"This will be a platform that reflects our social democratic principles," said Meili.
He wants to focus on democratic renewal and "connecting the members to the leadership."
Saskatoon Centre MLA David Forbes, who supported the Meili campaign, said MLAs are evaluating their commitment to run again and a spot could open up for Meili.
"He's a smart, articulate young man and he's taking the stance of challenging status-quo thinking," said Forbes, who confirmed he'll seek re-election in 2011.
"We really need to reinvigorate the party and that starts with policy and engagement. What is it we really stand for as a party?"
Meili finished behind Lingenfelter on the leadership contest's second ballot with 45 per cent of the vote.
The RCMP confirmed it is looking into a complaint made about memberships sold by a Lingenfelter volunteer in northern Saskatchewan, a move Meili hopes will put the issue to rest.
"It's not the most comfortable of outcomes, but it might . . . close the story," he said. "I'm sure the party will be co-operating fully."
It's no secret some NDP members left the convention with hurt feelings about the outcome, but everyone is still in to win, said Forbes.
"It'll take a few days to come down (from the convention) a bit, but I'm excited and people came back from Regina excited," he said.
Regina MLA and former finance minister Harry Van Mulligan announced Monday he will vacate his seat June 30, which would prompt a byelection and give Lingenfelter an opportunity to win a seat in the legislature.
