Sciarpelletti: Members of the Star Blanket Cree Nation and residents of Lebret met the new NDP leader right here at this gym this afternoon. The party’s roots were first established in Saskatchewan, and marked the first leg of Avi Lewis’s tour across the country. But the provincial and federal NDP are not completely aligned when it comes to stances on fossil fuels. In March, Lewis said he is unequivocally opposed to any new fossil fuel development. The leader of the provincial NDP called this ideological and unrealistic, saying his position ignores the realities faced by workers in Saskatchewan and puts jobs at risk. Beck and Lewis have since sat down together.
Lewis: She really wanted me to understand that there was a “Grid and Growth” strategy from the provincial NDP here in Saskatchewan. She wanted me to read it. I have read it. There’s a lot of common ground and a lot of things that we agree on in that platform. There are some differences as well, but those differences are healthy.
Sciarpelletti: Beck says she will not be meeting Lewis during his tour stop in Regina, as she’s laser-focused on official opposition projects and government accountability.
My calendar right now is, as I said, pretty much built around this issue — this extreme cover-up, $26 billion, doubling power rates in this province.
Sciarpelletti: The newly elected leader will continue his tour of Saskatchewan on Friday. Laura Sciarpelletti, CBC News, Lebret.