On machinery

There's apparently plenty happening on the Saskatchewan NDP front today, with the Star Phoenix reporting that Dwain Lingenfelter will both announce an intention to run for a Regina seat and make organizational changes to the party while Ryan Meili likely announces his candidacy for the nomination in Saskatoon Riversdale. And I'll have more to say about those developments as they happen. But I'll take a moment to note one positive theme from yesterday which hasn't yet received public comment that I've seen.

One of the more interesting moments of the executive elections came when Wilson Olive - a longtime party stalwart and Lingenfelter supporter - was introduced by Noah Evanchuk (a key figure within the Meili campaign). And Olive followed that move toward unity by discussing a focus on developing NDP talent at all levels of political organization, including school boards, municipal councils and the like.

For long-time readers of this blog, it should come as no surprise that I see it as a huge plus to hear that message coming from within a party which has too often hesitated to make a concerted effort to develop its members and spread its values on other levels. And Olive's commitment was only reinforced in Lingenfelter's Sunday speech, where he told Jack Layton that the party would plan to deliver at least two federal seats in the next general election as well.

Of course, there's still a need to recognize that the purposes of a political party go far beyond merely acting as an election machine. But that machinery is also a necessary part of political success - and it's for the best that Lingenfelter and his team plan to work on its development at all levels rather than keeping a narrow focus on the provincial scene.

(Edit: fixed wording.)