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The Saskatchewan NDP’s final leadership debate, held less than a week after a jury found Gerald Stanley not guilty of murder in the shooting death of Colten Boushie, was dominated by issues raised after the verdict — racism, intolerance and injustice.

Speaking to an audience of about 150 at TCU Place in Saskatoon, leadership candidates Ryan Meili and Trent Wotherspoon agreed Saskatchewan has a “racism problem” and jury selection procedures are unfair. Both candidates exhausted their opportunities under debate rules to make additional comments on the subject.

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Photo by David Stobbe / Saskatoon StarPhoenix

“It’s not the online comments; it’s the ignoring the urgency. That’s the real racism,” said Meili, adding that his “highest priority” would be to implement a system similar to Australia’s Closing the Gap program, which provides annual updates on efforts to improve health conditions for Indigenous people.

“We have to treat everyone like the Saskatchewan citizen they are and build a province that works for everyone,” Wotherspoon said before outlining his plan to establish a “reconciliation framework” aimed at improving health, education and justice for the province’s First Nations and Metis people.