Pundits see tough road ahead for Saskatchewan NDP

The political panel on CBC Radio's Saskatoon Morning is predicting years of "wandering in the wilderness" for the Saskatchewan NDP.

In many ways the NDP platform was like Sask Party lite.- Greg Poelzer

• 'This is not the result we hoped for': NDP leader Cam Broten responds to election loss

• Cam Broten steps down as Saskatchewan NDP leader

Professors Charles Smith and Greg Poelzer made the comments in the wake of the NDP's poor performance in the provincial election, and the subsequent resignation of party leader Cam Broten.  Broten failed to win his own seat in Saskatoon.

"I don't think he had much of a choice," said Poelzer, executive chair of the International Centre for Northern Governance and Development at the University of Saskatchewan.

"I think the only surprise for me was that he didn't step down on election night," added Smith.

The hard work begins now

For Smith, a professor of political studies at the University of Saskatchewan, the hard work begins now as the NDP tries, not only to find a new leader, but in fact to find a new way forward politically.

"The party is going to have to look in the mirror and ask some hard questions and really think through, you know, what they stand for."

On that point, Poelzer agrees.   

"I think the NDP have got a lot of soul searching. We saw that over the weekend, in fact, in Edmonton at the federal level, of how the NDP is going to be relevant as a party in the 21st Century in Saskatchewan."

Some evidence, the panel argues, can be found in the performance of the NDP in the last provincial election here in Saskatchewan. Both men believe that the NDP did a poor job of distancing themselves from the Saskatchewan Party and offering voters a clear alternative.

"In many ways the NDP platform was like Sask Party lite. Given the choice between Coke and New Coke, people are going to choose the authentic Coke every time," quipped Poelzer.

Finding a new leader will be no easy task

The long rebuilding process, according to the panel, begins with leadership. The first step is finding a strong interim leader who can do all the heavy lifting in the legislature. Most important, both say, is the selection of the permanent leader.

Poelzer said none of it will be easy, and may take years.

"There are divisions within the party in terms of what direction the party needs to go."