Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Competitive advantages

Giant Political Mouse has already posted about the latest entry in the Saskatchewan NDP's leadership race, as Dr. Ryan Meili has joined the fray. And having spent several months expressing my concern about the dangers of a coronation, I'll note on the entry of a fourth impressive candidate just how rare such a strong leadership field is in Saskatchewan - at least among parties other than the NDP.

After all, both the Saskatchewan Party and the Liberals have replaced leaders in the past few years - but neither has been able to muster a contested race in so doing. Instead, Brad Wall was acclaimed, while Ryan Bater's appointment for the Libs looks to be a formality as soon as his party gets around to it. And I'm not aware of any contested leadership races for the Greens - though I'll certainly correct the record if I've missed any.

In contrast, the NDP is now looking at a second consecutive race which features a choice among former members of cabinet as well as strong outside competition. And whoever ends up winning in the end, the party figures to be far better off than its competitors for once again providing its members the opportunity to choose its future direction.

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