It was an election Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck will never forget.
On Monday, her party failed to form government but succeeded in nearly doubling their total seat count in the legislature. The party fully swept Regina, and nearly did the same in Saskatoon.
Her party is on track to win 27 seats in the 61-seat legislature, short of the 31 required to form a majority.
Global News sat down with Beck Thursday to discuss the election and her plans moving forward.
Q: As the leader of the NDP, you didn’t get the premier’s seat but you and your party nearly doubled your seat count. How does that make you feel?
A: “We’re really proud of the campaign and the gains that we saw. We’re going to add a whole bunch of new MLAs who are excited to take on this new role, and we are proud of the issues that we raised in the campaign.
“There were there were a lot of people who wanted to see a campaign that didn’t focus on what was super divisive, but actually address the issues that are important to people in this province and we did that. And we’ll continue building.”
Q: Do you still consider these seat gains a win?
A: “You know, I’m pretty stubborn. I’ve said if you ever watch me try to get groceries, I don’t like to take two trips. We always knew that we had a big mountain in front of us and we went for it. The goal was to form government. But that said, the gains that we’ve made and the campaign that we ran, we’re incredibly proud of and we will continue to build on that.
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“The role of the opposition is a very important one. And I’ve heard from a lot of people that they’re encouraged to see a stronger opposition in the province. It’s a role that we take seriously. And our job is to bring focus on the issues that people want us to focus on and holding the government to account. We take that very seriously and we’re going to be ready to hit the ground running.”
Q: This is going to be a much larger opposition. How do you think that’s going to change the dynamic in the Legislative Assembly?
A: “We will have more MLAs, we will have more resources and more time. When I was first elected here in 2016, I think there were nine of us when we came in. And as a brand-new MLA, I think I had five credit portfolios. We have incredibly gifted people coming in that are hard working, focused on the issues and have been knocking thousands of doors for four years in some cases. They’re ready to hit the ground running.
“We are going to be a very strong opposition. And that’s something that people in this province sometimes, regardless of how they voted, can agree that we really need in the right now. We’re focused on doing that work. As I said to the MLAs on election night, never forget what an honour it is to be elected, to have your neighbors elect you to represent them. It’s an honour we take seriously, and we are going to be ready to go when one session is called again.”
Q: What does the future look like for you and the NDP?
A: “We’ll get ready for the first session. We’ve got a crew that’s already hitting the ground running. They’re very eager to learn, to represent their constituents in the legislature. We’ll continue to learn lessons from the campaign, continue to focus on the things that people in this province want us to focus on and I think you’ll see a lot of outreach continuing. That’s been the case not just during the campaign, but over the last two-and-a-half years.
“It’s an honour to get to do this work. We take it seriously and we’re ready to do a good job for the people of Saskatchewan.”
As for the Saskatchewan Party and Premier Scott Moe, Thursday marked the first meeting of the new caucus, which includes 16 brand-new MLAs.
“Many Saskatchewan people voted for a strong economy and a bright future with the Saskatchewan Party. Many others voted for change,” Moe said in social media post.
“Our new government will deliver both.”
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