The Saskatchewan NDP launched a comprehensive Policy Review today. The Policy Review was a key commitment made by NDP Leader Dwain Lingenfelter during the 2009 leadership race. It will be the most far-reaching policy renewal undertaken by the NDP since the lead-up to the 1991 provincial election.

“New Democrats are at our best when we are reaching out to people across Saskatchewan and listening to their concerns, their ideas and their dreams,” Saskatoon Massey Place MLA and Chair of the Policy Review Task Force Cam Broten said. “That’s exactly what this is all about: it’s about listening to Saskatchewan people, engaging in a conversation about the future of this great province, and then moving forward to turn those dreams into reality.”

The public phase of the Policy Review follows an internal consultation with party members about how best to move forward with such an initiative. The process will include:

• Policy gatherings in communities throughout Saskatchewan, involving guest speakers and breakout discussion groups;
• A website containing video and relevant documents from the policy gatherings;
• Kits available so that groups of people could host discussions on their own and feed information back into the process; and
• Opportunities for input by email and mail.

Key themes for discussion will include:

• The jobs of today and tomorrow;
• Energy, environment and the economy;
• Farming and the rural economy;
• The role of government in the economy; and
• Kitchen-table issues for Saskatchewan families (including health, education, and social programs).

“This is an exciting process for our party membership and for people throughout the province,” NDP President Jane Wollenberg said. “Saskatchewan people deserve a party that is listening to them, grappling with the challenges facing our province and laying out a visionary alternative to the current government.”

The first Policy Review gathering will occur in Moose Jaw on Saturday, March 6th from 12:00 to 3:00PM and will focus on kitchen-table issues for Saskatchewan families. Further details will be announced at www.saskndp.ca/policyreview.