Sask. NDP to elect first female leader on Sunday

A leadership convention in Regina on Sunday afternoon will determine who will be the first woman to lead the Saskatchewan NDP: MLA Carla Beck or Saskatoon lawyer Kaitlyn Harvey.

The leadership campaign was prompted by incumbent leader Ryan Meili's announcement in February that he would be stepping down from his position. Last month, he said he would be leaving politics altogether, resigning from his seat in Saskatoon Meewasin as of July 1.

That's the seat Harvey hopes to fill as the first female Métis leader of the party.

She's pitching a focus on Saskatchewan's climate change future to the NDP caucus, an issue she says is being ignored by the provincial government and underplayed by Beck and her supporters.

"People want a government to do something about climate change," she said in an interview with CBC News. "They see the risk to our oil and gas sector, to our economy, to our farmers, to our communities that rely on resource development."

Beck, who has represented the Regina Lakeview electoral district for six years, has received endorsements from more than half of the NDP caucus.

However, neither candidate has been endorsed by Meili. 

Beck says she is focused on rebuilding the party and finding "common ground" to build trust with voters.

"I want to see this province thrive. There's an opportunity being left on the table. We're seeing young people leave our province. I want this to be a place where my kids build their future," Beck said.

"What is also very clear to me, through six years in Opposition, is in order to make real and lasting change we have to be able to form government."

LISTEN | Political panel discusses upcoming NDP election and what will face the winner