Kenneth Brown
of The Crossroads

Three of Saskatchewan’s political parties have elected leaders this year. The Saskatchewan Liberal Party is the third party to welcome a new leader in 2018.

Naveed Anwar, a Saskatoon business owner, was announced as the Saskatchewan Liberal Party’s leader on May 5 after a leadership event in Saskatoon. Anwar was acclaimed as the party’s leader after an uncontested nomination.

New Saskatchewan Liberal Leader Naveed Anwar

According to a press release, Anwar owns and operates a tax consulting firm with operations in Saskatoon and Prince Albert. He is a resident of Saskatoon where he lives with his wife, Farah, and his children. In a statement on May 5, he said he appreciates the support of the party’s executive and members to have him lead the party into the next election.

The party’s new leader grew up in Pakistan where he studied statistics and math at the University of Punjab-Lahore. Anwar later studied business at the University of Concordia, and he has also obtained a Masters degree in political science. He speaks five different languages.

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Anwar takes over from interim leader Tara Jijian, who assumed the position after the resignation of former leader Darrin Lamoureux. Anwar ran in the 2016 general election in Saskatoon Westview, a new constituency at the time.

While the Sask. Liberals do not have representation in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan, the party did run a full slate of 61 candidates in the 2016 election. Anwar finished in third place out of four candidates with a total of 240 votes. He ran against Cam Broten, the former New Democratic Party of Saskatchewan Leader, who lost the seat to Saskatchewan Party candidate David Buckingham.

In an interview, Anwar said he is excited about the opportunity to lead the party into the next general election. He said in the 10 calendar days since he was announced as the party’s new leader, he has had more appearances and public engagement than any other political leader in Saskatchewan.

He noted that the party has a “big hill to climb” in the province’s political landscape and he referred to the Sask. Liberals as the third party in Saskatchewan. The party earned 3.59 per cent of all votes in the 2016 general election.

The percentage of vote was third place ahead of the the Saskatchewan Green Party at 1.83 per cent and the Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan at 1.28 per cent of all votes. The party, however, was well back of the NDP at 30.2 per cent and the Sask. Party at 62.36 per cent. Anwar said he believes the party has a chance in 2020.

“I think there is a chance,” he said, recognizing he opposes the view that the party has no chance to win seats and he believes the party is close to gaining the support it needs. “In the past, we’ve had a lot of (representatives) serving Saskatchewan as a Liberal. There is a ground there and we can do it.”

Anwar said the party has to get out to engage the people, and then create a strong message after listening to the people of Saskatchewan. The new leader said the party’s policy will be drafted based on what people have to say.

He noted that political parties often draft policies behind closed doors and it is not acceptable for the people, so the party would not draft any policies without the influence of the people. The plan is to travel across the province to attend meetings and talk to citizens before drafting policy for the election.

“We are the servants of the people and we have to serve their needs, their demands and their desires,” Anwar said, recognizing that politicians are put in place to represent the people and not the party’s own interests.

The party’s goal is to gain representation in Regina, he said. Anwar said he believes if the party is able to earn more than 20 per cent of the vote, it would translate to seats in the legislature. The party has achieved success in all areas of Saskatchewan in the past, so he believes it could happen again.

He said health care and education are always important to rural voters, but he sees the importance of the province’s agricultural sector. Anwar said he believes the province’s farmers are being taken for granted because other parties are not listening to their needs.

Anwar, who has enjoyed his first 10 days as leader, said he has lived in Canada for more than half of his life after spending 15 years in Quebec and the past 10 years in Saskatchewan. The leader added that he grew up in a farming family.

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