Alexa McDonough and other party leaders have touted Roy Romanow's NDP government in Saskatchewan as the model for the party to follow.
In a year-end interview with the National Post McDonough declared: "Our long serving NDP governments in Saskatchewan have really demonstrated that, yes, we can be both fiscally responsible and economically creative, and at the same time we can be socially progressive."
Shortly afterward she hired the former Saskatchewan Finance Minister, Ed Tchorzewski, as her chief of staff.
The NDP MP for Regina-Lumsden-Lake Centre, John Solomon, described Tchorzewski this way: "He [Tchorzewski] brings experience in delivering policy that is touted as 'Tony Blair economics' and political policies that the New Labour Party [in Britain] talked about for a number of years.
"But in fact Roy Romanow and Ed Tchorzewski implemented those policies for five years in Saskatchewan before anybody knew about Tony Blair.
"It's balanced policy that recognizes the importance of the marketplace and the importance of the business community and small business in particular."
This description would certainly explain the policies of Roy Romanow and company.
They have eliminated the deficit in the province and reduced the debt from 41% of GDP to 28%. This is the largest reduction of any province, including Tory Alberta and Ontario.
This was almost entirely achieved through cuts to social programs.
Wage controls have been imposed on the public sector and those that dare to strike against these have faced swift and severe legislation. The right to strike and bargain collectively has been virtually eliminated in the public sector.
Fifty per cent of the hospitals in the province have been closed using the phony argument that they were "Tory hospitals."
Ontario leader Howard Hampton attempted to use the same argument to justify the NDP's cuts to welfare and hiring of welfare cops under Bob Rae: "We were reforming a 'Tory welfare system'."
In their negotiations with the nurses in Saskatchewan the NDP has consistently played hardball. If the nurses wanted wage parity across the province then they would not even get the minimal 2% wage hike offered other public sector workers.
And when they went on strike the government vilified them in the press, portraying these low-paid, mostly female professionals as greedy.
According to Saskatchewan's Minister of Health, Pat Atkinson, "Our almost $1.8-billion health care budget is under tremendous pressure, and our agricultural and oil industries are experiencing difficulty from low commodity prices, while our governmnent remains committed to a balanced budget."
This represents a complete break with even the most minimal Keynesian policies of deficit spending to end recessions by boosting consumer spending. The absolute supremacy of the market over human need is the goal.
It is no surprise that some have tried to set up an alternative to the left of the NDP in Saskatchewan.
The New Green Alliance was officially established as a party in Saskatchewan in January of this year after garnering 3,000 signatures in 53 constituencies.
According to past president of the NGA and former president of the Regina District Labour Council, Victor Lau: "We've had many members of the NDP youth helping us out to get the 2,500 signatures needed for party status."
In the wake of the brilliant and defiant strike by nurses this sentiment can only have been increased in the province.
It is no wonder that Romanow pushed back the provincial election until after the summer. He is afraid that the anger of the nurses and their supporters will endanger the NDP's chances of re-election.
Is this the kind of future that the NDP wants? Postponing elections in fear of workers' anger?