Why did the SaskNDP do so poorly in the last election?

Election flyers

What happened in the 2020 election? There were high hopes for a brighter future and in the end when the results came in the Sask Party was on it's way to a 4th victory leading in 48 seats while the NDP trailed and only lead in 13 seats.   

Considering only about half the electorate showed up to the polls, it would be easy to blame the people for the loss, by calling them lazy and not caring about Saskatchewan and the crowns that we have built over the past 80 years or so. For many people it was difficult to get to the advanced polls and the poll stations on election day, especially in rural areas where transportation is virtually non existent. Being a COVID-19 year did not help either considering people wanted to be safe. There was the option of mail in ballots. That is for the people who are fortunate enough to have a mailing address. That is unfortunately not the case for many homeless and transient people, who do not even have the fortune of having some form of photo ID and an address to go along with it. 

A minor problem campaigns run into is the lack of understanding of the different levels of government. Western alienation is one of them. The provincial governments in both Saskatchewan and Alberta have effectively used Ottawa as their scapegoat for their own financial mismanagement. Opposition parties in both provinces can't quite say that as then it would be viewed that they are sticking up for Ottawa. (In my mind we are all Canadians regardless of whether we are from B.C. or NFLD and we should all be sticking up for Ottawa) 

Over the past couple of years, with the Saskatchewan Immigrant program, implemented when Brad Wall was premier and Stephen Harper was Prime Minister, there was an influx of newcomers in provinces such as New Foundland and Saskatchewan. Many of these immigrants are from countries which have rampant corruption. Many of these countries have government programs which don't work well due to mismanagement. Therefore it should not be surprising that many of them have an aversion to "socialist" ideals. Former premier Roy Romanow described how his parents viewed the then CCF. 

When it comes to the people who work in oil, gas and in mining, the workers have a specific skill set in order to perform their duties, whether it may be in fabrication, underwriting, welding, management, operations and the general trades. Just because someone works in oil and gas which falls in the energy sector does not mean that they would be good at solar panel installation or in a nuclear reactor. If a person is good at welding/ fabrication they should be able to pivot to building track and manufacturing grain cars for example. 

For me, the refusal to stay away from the pipeline was a problem. However I understand the need to support the pipelines for the sake of the unions and the people who work in and around pipelines. There should be a way out of the pipeline mine field. 

The SaskParty's dealings with the GTH, selling of crown assets at less than market value and conflict of interest between Riverside Dodge (Melfort) and the current MLA for Prince Albert Carlton should have been brought to light in a forceful manner. 

The greening of the economy on a massive scale would have excited some folk who did not vote in this election cycle. Ideas when it came to greening the economy could have included tax transfers to municipalities which invested in permanent separated bike lanes, integrating the new STC into the existing transit network in Saskatoon. Creating tax incentives to CNR and CPR to electrify their networks. Low interest loans to farmers who choose to electrify. Building more 2 and 3 bedroom apartments with secure bike parking and not car/ truck parking in major urban areas. 

In order to win elections, the idea is to excite the base. Some battles are won and some are lost. During the Democratic primaries in the United States in 2019, Bernie Sanders won in a red state (North Dakota). Paul Wellstone who ran and won under the Democratic Farm Labour banner ran an exciting campaign in 1989 or rather a fast campaign. 

Key numbers: 

Seats: NDP 13 SaskParty 48 

Voter turnout: 52.86% 

Total eligible voters: 817, 021

Votes cast: 443, 558