Sask New Democrats Toss Questionable Membership Applications As Leadership Vote Approaches
The Saskatchewan New Democratic Party has tossed out 1100 membership applications that came under question as the deadline closed for eligibility to vote in the June leadership campaign.
Provincial Secretary, Deb McDonald said this morning that too many questions have surfaced concerning the membership applications and a decision was made to make them all ineligible. McDonald says that the Party continues to investigate the circumstances.
Some of the candidates are now commenting on the matter;
-Lingengelter campaign takes responsibility
-Dwain Lingenfelter's news conference ...
-Ryan Meili's thoughts ...
For ongoing coverage of the Saskatchewan NDP Leadership Race ... go HERE!
Link has WAY TOO MUCH baggage!! I certainly hope my fellow New Democrats realize he would drive a stake right through this party if he gets voted in as the leader. His politics are all about deception, cheating, and talking out of both sides of his mouth. His negatives are very high and he will drive the party down with him. New Democrats I plead you to not vote for this guy or we will be wearing his baggage for a long time. Lets start fresh, it can't hurt, this is time for renewal. Better to do it now than after the next election when we really be forced to do some soul searching.
Posted by sunnyside | 7:32 am, May 06, 2009
I am not sure what baggage Link has? This was a mistake by a campaign volunteer but instead of making somebody a sacrificial lamb for the mistake; Link took full responsibility. It is strange to have people campaign against Link because they think he is about negative politics but at the same time these same individuals are going around attacking Link on a personal level. Maybe, if individuals want to be taken seriously they should not be calling for positive politics one moment and the next taking part in negative politics as sunnyside has just done.
Posted by Unknown | 10:03 am, May 06, 2009
Brad Wall and Bill Boyd have sleepless nights over the prospect of a Lingenfelter leadership win! The fact that the NDP still won 20 seats last election when they were supposedly at their 'low water mark' tells you that they still have formidable strength and to merely assume that Wall has 2 or 3 automatic terms in power is naive!
Also, the Saskatchewan Party is well aware that 3 or 4 thousand strategically placed votes for the NDP around the province last election would have given them a 5 term in power.
Do your homework. Lingenfelter has the ability to defeat Brad Wall in the next election. Anyone who doubts it is naive.
Posted by Anonymous | 10:11 am, May 06, 2009
Okay folks, let's sit back and use the logic mum and dad would apply: how would you feel if someone did this to you? Or, in the parlance of political speak, what if Brad Wall's hand was caught in the cookie jar???
I can sure as hell tell you that John wouldn't be calling this a simple mistake. Which, as we all KNOW, it was not. A mistake is when I forget to do up my fly, or leave the lights on. It isn't when I hand over ten large to someone for a form of identity theft.
CLAYTON MATCHEE??? Are you kidding me? What clown is running that campaign?
Posted by thus always to tyrants | 1:13 pm, May 06, 2009
Lingenfelter comes with plenty of baggage. There is no need to go into it here - the Saskatchewan Party will do that more than enough if and when Link becomes leader. The question is whether his strengths outweigh his baggage.
The problem with the leadership race was that Link's campaign did not want to talk about issues. Nuclear power generation - form a committee. More women in the legislature - form a committee. We would committee everything while the Saskatchewan Party would bankrupt us with their crazy schemes.
There was nothing too talk about in the race. Link was to become leader, his campaign tells us, because he is a Titan, a near mythological being with super human powers when battling Conservatives (except when he was working for them in Alberta) who will restore the party to greatness and glory.
He will do this with his organizational prowess. The man runs an oil company! He can turn our battered party around with a snap of his mighty fingers! To oppose him is crazier than when some Greeks decided to oppose Xerxes and his empire (oh yeah, they beat him)! His victory is inevitable and his enemies will be expelled from the party, fired and blacklisted while his servants will all be rewarded richly!
His campaign is so sure of victory that they pay for 9% of the party membership, well over $10,000, to sign up two small northern first nations communities. Kevin Yates MLA, one of Link’s chief organizers and campaigners, spends a week bragging about these memberships to Sask. Party MLAs in the Legislative Assembly and then Lingenfelter offers up an unnamed volunteer to take the heat.
The party will wear this. Link will wear this in any election. To think otherwise is delusional. The party deserves a full investigation, with full access and participation from all the leadership campaigns and the central party itself. Once that investigation is complete the party will have its reputation restored by ensuring this process is fair and transparent and that appropriate sanctions are applied if called for.
But a very good piece of news for the Sask. Party should Link become leader....
Posted by LRT2 | 1:26 pm, May 06, 2009
LRT2, I am not sure where you get that ideas as I find many ideas on his website? Ranging from the enviroment to immigration to other important issues.
Lingenfelter informed the party of the issues with membership in the first place and took full responsibility!
The SP is afraid of Link because he has no issue taking them on. I think Higgins would also do a great job as leader as she has fought with the SP. On the other hand electing two individuals with no experience does not make sense.
Posted by Unknown | 1:57 pm, May 06, 2009
No John, the media reported the story, Link was unavailable for comment for 1 day, then he contacted the party. It was the first of many inconsistencies at his press conference that the media is steamed about.
I don't see any fear from the SP. They seem quite delighted to face Dwain.
Dwain started his campaign with a negative attack on the SP - fair game. The only two campaigns, however, asking the tough policy questions are Meili and Pedersen.
Anyone who think that Dwain is viewed in a 100% light with the public is smoking stuff that isn't legal yet.
Posted by thus always to tyrants | 6:40 pm, May 06, 2009
No, his campaign informed the party of the issue and any no comment was in order to work with the party.
Go talk to the SP privately and you know they are worried.
I believe Lingenfelter has released and continues to release policy. Same for Higgins, Meili and Pedersen. All candidates continue to talk about the issues relevant to Saskatchewan.
Every candidate has some positives and negatives. Will this mistake be a future issue? Potentially, but certainly the fact Lingenfelter took full responsibility and apoligized for the situation will resonate with the public.
Posted by Unknown | 7:52 am, May 07, 2009
Tyrant that is a joke. You are either a saskparty troll or you are a yens yahoo.
Let's see who thinks that Pederson or Higgins or Meili can defeat Wall after one term in power?
The NDP party starts the next election at 20 seats. They need to find 9 to form a government. Lingenfelter is the only one of those 4 who even has a slight sniff of doing it.
You are wrong when you say the saskparty isn't scared of Lingenfelter. They are. Lingenfelter is the only one who can do it. So get real.
Posted by Anonymous | 11:34 am, May 07, 2009
I certainly think any one of the four candidates is much better then Brad Wall. I think Lingenfelter and Higgins both offer the best shot at beating Wall based on experience.
Posted by Unknown | 12:08 pm, May 07, 2009
Lingenfelter is no NDP'R. He was working for the most capitalist of organisations, BIG OIL. Are you people going to be fooled by this. Lingenfelter is a con man, he is conning the unions.
Posted by Unknown | 6:22 am, May 08, 2009
Darcy, I do hope that was a joke given the NDP when in goverment rely on a number of energy forms including oil to pay for programs.
Posted by Unknown | 10:58 am, May 08, 2009
Parkadeboy,
Your whole approach is symptomatic of everything that is wrong with Link's campaign.
Disagree with us and you must be a Sask Party supporter. Question whether a 60-year-old man who has been out of politics for 10 years can win the next election, even though only one government has ever been defeated after one term in power in the history of the province, and then you are disloyal to the party. Call for a debate of ideas and you don't want to win bad enough.
People both within and outside the party are tired of these shallow lines of reasoning.
Posted by hunter s | 9:58 pm, May 08, 2009
Hunter s ... you can't both attack Lingenfelter personally ("whether a 60-year-old man who has been out of politics for 10 years") and then demand a debate of 'ideas' in the same sentence and not look foolish.
If you are a NDPer you are sure acting like the way the Saskatchewan party is acting.
Whose campaign are you in? Let us know which candidate is attracting opinions like yours who have no problem with personal attacks under the disguise of wanting to debate ideas? Are you for Pederson or Meili? I would like to know.
Posted by Anonymous | 10:05 am, May 09, 2009
parkadeboy,
Link being 60 and out of politics for 10 years are facts. And, so is the fact that only one government has been defeated after one term in Saskatchewan. So, even if Link does become NDP leader, the odds are heavily stacked against him.
Calling people who disagree with you Yens yahoos or Sask Party supporters qualifies as character assassinations.
So, since Link, according to you, is the best person for NDP leader here are some questions for you:
All three other candidates in the race have put forward substantive policy proposals, so why hasn't Link?
Just how would Link make Sask a better place were he to become premier?
If Link becomes leader but loses the next election, what would he do then? Would he stay on as leader?
Posted by hunter s | 7:26 pm, May 09, 2009
Hunter, you should visit http://www.dwainforleader.ca/news/policy/ and review the policy proposals that Link has released.
Posted by Unknown | 8:58 am, May 11, 2009
John,
I have read the policy section on Link's web page, several times, and find it to be quite convoluted and full of general statements rather than specific policy planks.
As a strong supporter, perhaps you can break down some of Dwain's specific policies for me and put them into more concise language? More to the point, can you tell me what Link's policy ideas are regarding nuclear, essential services legislation and post-secondary education?
Posted by hunter s | 1:56 pm, May 13, 2009
Hunter, if you knew Lingenfelter had policy on his website then why would you lie and say he didn't? What happened to doing politics in a new and positive way?
Posted by Unknown | 5:51 pm, May 13, 2009
John,
I never said Link had not tried to put forward some sort of policy, I said he has failed to put forward substantive policies. And, your comment has just reaffirmed my point.
Posted by hunter s | 11:50 am, May 14, 2009