Regina Northeast - Dwayne Yasinowski Nominated for NDP

CJME has already covered the basics of last night's Regina Northeast nomination meeting which saw Dwayne Yasinowski win a nail-biter over Bill Wells on the second ballot. And I'll be glad to see Dwayne carrying the NDP's banner.

But it's worth noting that the nomination race was as lively and intense as it was close. Each of the candidates was able to create plenty of energy in a packed hall (including 200 Regina Northeast members plus 78 guests), as David Froh's lower numbers were balanced out by the youth and enthusiasm of his supporters. And with Froh endorsing Yasinowski while Wells made a concerted effort to keep the nomination campaign positive, there's every reason to think that all sides can come together now that the riding's members have had a chance to choose their nominee.

Of course, the flip side is that the NDP will need a strong grassroots effort to counter the money the Sask Party is throwing behind its hand-picked candidate. But if last night is any indication, there should be enough member interest to get the job done.

Sunday Afternoon Links

A few links to close out your summer weekend...

- Dr. Dawg points out another example of the Con-friendly noise machine being set up by the Harper government using public resources - this time in the promotion of a set of religious-right actors who are being treated as if they speak for all First Nations communities.

- And of course, that cultivation of lackeys willing to bow to the will of Big Daddy fits in all too well with Alex Himelfarb's post on the Harper government's transition from a welfare state to a security state.

- A couple of NDP podcasts worth a listen: MP Megan Leslie and candidate Peter Thurley on housing issues, and an introduction to Edmonton-Leduc candidate Artem Medvedev.

- Finally, for those following the Saskatchewan NDP's Regina Northeast nomination race, the vote has been set for September 30.

Regina Northeast - Bill Wells Competing for NDP Nomination

I didn't get around to posting it earlier, but there's a third candidate currently entered in the NDP's Regina Northeast nomination race: former Regina City Councillor Bill Wells, who doesn't seem to have a website or Facebook page up yet but whose bio can be found in PDF form here.

While the riding only partially overlaps Wells' home turf as a councillor (at least unless the shape of Ward 10 has radically changed in the meantime), his experience as a candidate and name recognition would seem to make him the favourite among the current set of contestants. But Dwayne Yasinowski and David Froh will have plenty of opportunities to win support into their corner before the nomination meeting this fall - meaning that Regina Northeast looks to be yet another hotly contested race.

Deep thought

Sure, the $50,000 price tag for Sask Party candidate Kevin Doherty's moving expenses might seem outrageous on its face. But in fairness to Doherty, it's a delicate operation to move a moat.

Saskatchewan NDP Nomination Roundup

There's plenty of news to point out on the Saskatchewan NDP nomination front - so rather than splitting it up into several posts, let's bundle it together for your reading convenience.

- On the federal side, Regina-Lumsden-Lake Centre nomination candidate Brian Sklar has unveiled his website, featuring sharp criticism of Con incumbent Tom Lukiwski along with a policy section that mirrors Dwain Lingenfelter's provincial vision. Meanwhile, Donald Hansen's Facebook page has become an extremely lively and informative source of news and opinion.

- On the provincial side, the biggest news is the scheduling of a joint nomination meeting for all six of Regina's NDP incumbents on May 25. Of particular note, the list includes includes the Regina-Dewdney nomination, which no longer appears to be contested (as confirmed by the deletion of any "running for" from Kaitlin Stocks' Facebook page).

- Meanwhile, a couple of the candidates working toward nomination dates next month have activities on the go which deserve pointing out. Jaime Garcia has become the latest NDPer to look to a money bomb to finance his campaign in Regina Coronation Park, while Heather McIntyre will be holding a BBQ tonight in support of her Regina South campaign.

- Finally, the Regina Northeast race looks like it's about to get even more interesting in the wake of the two initial entries. At least two more entrants are apparently set to announce their intentions, including one of the NDP's long-anticipated new candidates. Stay tuned...

Regina Northeast - Dwayne Yasinowski Enters Nomination Race

As Kent has noted, there's another strong contender for the NDP's nomination in Regina Northeast, as Dwayne Yasinowski has become the second NDP candidate seeking to succeed Ron Harper. With the race officially on in Regina Northeast, the NDP can boast a fourth contested nomination in Regina - though it's interesting to note the rush of candidates in NDP-incumbent ridings when a couple of seats which the NDP held until 2007 (Regina Qu'Appelle Valley and Regina Wascana Plains) haven't yet seen any candidates step forward publicly.

In any event, kudos to Dwayne for entering what's shaping up to be another hotly contested nomination battle. And with two or more candidates putting their efforts into building the NDP in Regina Northeast, the party's chances of overcoming the Sask Party's strategy based on billboards and public announcements look better by the day.

(Edit: fixed label.)

The guest list

Let's take a leisurely stroll through Thursday's Hansard and see which guests' names turn up now that nobody is trying to shut important voices out of the Legislature. Say, what's this?

Hon. Mr. Boyd: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, during the Standing Committee on Crown and Central Agencies hearings on SaskPower future generation plans in late 2009 and early 2010, we heard that our electrical utility would be pursuing emissions-free hydroelectric generation as part of its medium- and long-term plans.

Well, Mr. Speaker, it’s my pleasure to welcome some very special guests to the Legislature here this morning that are seated in your gallery. They are here today for an announcement that we are very pleased to be hosting in the Legislative Building at 11:30 this morning regarding a significant agreement on hydroelectric power between three First Nations in this province and additional folks as well.

Joining us today are...Guy Bruce from SaskPower; Kevin Doherty from SaskPower; Wayne Rude from SaskPower; and Ray Desjarlais from SaskPower.

Let's see. Kevin Doherty from SaskPower...Kevin Doherty from SaskPower...why does that name ring a bell?

Ah yes, that Kevin Doherty from SaskPower. Who's apparently being invited to participate in public announcements on behalf of a public utility even as his name and face are being blasted from the rooftops as part of the Sask Party's 2011 campaign.

Now in fairness, the fact that Doherty was introduced based on his role at SaskPower rather than his capacity as a candidate suggests that the Sask Party hasn't gone quite as far as its federal cousins in directly using public announcements to promote unelected non-representatives who have nothing to do with the subject matter of an event.

But it's still rather dubious that Doherty is being chosen for media presentation at a government-sponsored event while he's actively involved in a political campaign on behalf of the governing party. And it'll certainly be worth keeping an eye on just how often Doherty's current job is used to raise his profile for electoral purposes.

Regina Northeast - David Froh Seeking NDP Nomination

It was just days ago that David Froh had a strong defence of the NDP's resource development record published in the Leader-Post (yes, if you listen carefully you can hear veins bursting with rage at NDP Watch). Now, he's announced his entry in the NDP's Regina Northeast nomination race, with both a campaign website and Facebook group already operational.

Of course, I fully expect the Regina Northeast nomination to be at least as hotly contested as most of the NDP's other open-seat ridings in advance of next year's election. But David's combination of NDP roots and business connections should make him a competitive candidate for the nod. So kudos to him for making a run, and I'll look forward to seeing who else emerges in the race.

A graceful departure

Within a day after public questions first surfaced about his plans, longtime Regina Northeast MLA Ron Harper has announced that he'll be stepping down after the 2011 election. We'll find out soon just who will seek the now-open NDP nomination in a riding which the party has regularly won in a romp until an unusually close race in 2007 - but for now, Harper deserves credit for his 16 years of hard work in the party and the Legislature.

On questionable recruitment

Kent is right to note that with the Sask Party obviously taking aim at Regina Northeast, the Saskatchewan NDP will need to figure out in fairly short order whether its 2011 candidate will be incumbent Ron Harper or a new face. But it's worth noting that there are some serious questions being raised about the challenger already appearing on Sask Party billboards. Here's Len Taylor from Thursday's question period:

The Premier brought in one Kevin Doherty back to the province to run as a candidate in Regina Northeast. To entice Mr. Doherty to run for the Sask Party, the Premier gave him a job as vice-president of corporate relations at SaskPower. Kevin Doherty is now being paid by the Saskatchewan people through their power rates, Mr. Speaker, to actively campaign for the Saskatchewan Party.
...
So to the minister: did the efficiency secretariat think it was a good idea for the Premier to use a vice-president position at SaskPower to recruit a Sask Party candidate, or is this yet another example of the Premier breaking trust with Saskatchewan people?