Connection and trust: NDP leader looking to extend momentum from ’22 to ’23

When 2022 started, Carla Beck didn’t have the Saskatchewan NDP leadership on her mind.

But come June 26, she stood on stage at the leadership convention, beaming to a crowd of party supporters with her family and colleagues by her side. Speaking in December, Beck said that was a surreal day.

“When I look back at that day, I’m very, very proud of the work that we did during the leadership and the work that we have done since. It’s an incredible honour to be the leader of the Official Opposition, to sit in this office and do the work of bringing a team together to present ourselves as the government in waiting,” said Beck.

She’d spent a lot of time talking with her family and colleagues and decided to run for the party leadership because she felt there was an opportunity for the kinds of things she brings to the table.

“Being collaborative, going out across the province – which really has been a focus that we’ve had over the last six months – connecting with people on issues that we share, finding that common ground, and building solutions (and) building trust is a strength that I have and is what we’ve really focused on over the last six months,” she explained.

However, when asked about accomplishments from 2022, instead of her leadership win, Beck picks out the party’s win to keep the Saskatoon Meewasin seat.

“Not only retaining that seat but winning the seat by the largest margin that we’ve seen in that constituency, the victory was decisive but also it was an opportunity for our party to come together,” said Beck.

Beck and the rest of the NDP spent much of 2022 travelling around the province to meet people in their communities. Beck said she put 40,000 kilometres on her vehicle alone. She said the party really took its lead from what people were saying were important to them.

“Affordability was huge, you know, the pressure that people are feeling around pocketbook issues, the concerns over health care, and jobs right across the province,” said Beck.

Those concerns and the push to keep talking to the people of the province is something Beck and the NDP are going to pull into 2023 as well.

“I do see such potential in this province and I hear that no matter where we go. People are incredibly proud of their communities. They want to see a bright future for themselves and for their children in this province,” said Beck.

Beck doesn’t want to rely on the work the party does in the Legislature because those high-level messages don’t always break through.

“There are people who watch that very closely but a lot of people in the province are busy trying to get their kids to hockey or trying to ensure that their parents have access to health care,” said Beck.

The NDP leader wants to keep connecting with people and put the party in a position to be that government in waiting in 2023.

“(The goal is) to show people that we are serious about not just being a better Opposition, but we’re serious about putting ourselves in a position to be government in 2024,” said Beck.

Beck has no illusions about how much work is in front of the party. She said the only fear she has for the new year is around how much pressure there is to get it right.

“We are the alternative to this Sask. Party government and I don’t know if that’s fear as much as pressure and a feeling of responsibility to do the work that we need to do,” said Beck.

She’s looking forward to that work and is taking the challenge and responsibility very seriously.