Meili resigning Saskatoon Meewasin seat as well as NDP leadership

Just moments after leaving the Saskatchewan legislature for the last time as an MLA, Ryan Meili said he was “feeling good.”

Meili announced Thursday morning that he will be resigning his seat as the MLA for Saskatoon Meewasin, as well as stepping down from the leadership of the Saskatchewan NDP.

Meili called it a special day.

“It’s really nice to be able to say some words, put it on the records why I came to do the work I did. It is time for me to move on and do other things,” said Meili.

“I’m so grateful for the opportunity to have been the leader of the NDP, to have been leader of the opposition, to have been a doctor leading in the middle of a pandemic. It’s been the challenge and opportunity and honour of a lifetime.”

Meili announced he would be resigning the party leadership when the NDP lost the Athabasca byelection in February – a seat the party had held since 1989. At the time, Meili said he would be staying on as an MLA.

But Meili said he’s been thinking hard about stepping down as an MLA for a couple of months.

“The Athabasca byelection was sort of the chance to make the change,” said Meili.

The soon-to-be-former politician also talked about the province being in a new phase of the pandemic.

“People are ready to move on (and) are ready for a different phase of life. They’re really looking for a new voice and a new phase. And I think it’s an opportunity as people are frustrated with Scott Moe, sick of the Sask. Party, for them to see in the New Democrats something new, exciting and hopeful,” said Meili.

A new NDP leader will be elected next month at the leadership convention, and Meili’s last day as an MLA will be July 1.

After that, Meili will be taking some time off.

“Step back, take a couple of trips, and think through next steps,” said Meili.

The outgoing leader – a practising physician – said he thinks he’ll continue to see patients, as that’s something he missed. Meili also talked about possibly writing another book.

Meili’s family, including his wife and two young sons, were in the gallery as he made his announcement and as other MLAs made heartfelt speeches about the work Meili did in his position. Meili said afterward that he’s happy to be able to spend more time with his family.

“It has been tough, and particularly the time away and not being able to be with them as much as I’d like to. I’m really excited to get to hang out with (them). They’re my favourites, and I can’t wait to spend more time with them,” said Meili.

Meili said he wasn’t quite sure about what he was most proud of in his time in the legislature, but spoke about being a leader and a doctor during a pandemic.

“Especially in those early months of the pandemic, we really needed a voice that had health as its primary focus. We needed someone to be speaking up at a time when the government really didn’t want to talk about it, and they wanted to constantly downplay and spin that everything was going wonderfully … And as much as that was tough to do, I’m really glad that I was here and able to be that voice,” said Meili.

As for the new leader, Meili believes it’ll be important for them to be able to present a positive vision of what they’ll be able to achieve.

Premier Scott Moe was one of those who stood and praised Meili on Thursday. He wished Meili the best, and said he admired Meili’s perseverance in getting to the legislature and the fact that he lives true to his beliefs.

“Whether we agreed on those beliefs or not, he most certainly did live to them and he stood by them,” said Moe.

While they certainly disagreed on a lot, and not always politely, Moe said he believes they likely agree on more than they disagree on.

“Maybe this spring is a time for us all to just pause for a moment, realize that, and carry on respectfully with one another,” said Moe.

End of session

Thursday was also the end of the legislative session.

Moe pointed to what he called a significant investment in health care and mental health care made in the budget this spring as an achievement.

Moe also said, with the plans revealed in the budget, that there’s a “solid course” charted on health care in the province.

As far as the NDP’s accomplishments, Meili said the party really kept its focus on affordability and people who are having trouble paying their bills right now. The NDP asked questions nearly every day on that topic.

“This government didn’t come up with any measures to address that,” Meili said.

Meili said his party also kept a spotlight on COVID and the impacts of COVID, like wait lists and health-care providers leaving the profession and the province in the wake of the pandemic.