Saskatchewan United Party officially launches, but critics are skeptical

By Derek Craddock

It’s the dawn of a new political party in the province as the Saskatchewan United Party officially launched on Tuesday.

A launch ceremony was held in Saskatoon for the new centre-right party led by Saskatchewan Rivers MLA Nadine Wilson.

Speaking to a large crowd at Prairieland Park, Wilson touched on the drive for starting the party as a way to counter the brokenness she feels is at the heart of the governing Saskatchewan Party.

“A new movement had been growing across Saskatchewan between neighbours and towns, a movement between cities,” she said. “The people of Saskatchewan have had enough with the status quo.”

Wilson was a Sask. Party MLA before resigning and sitting as an independent. The Sask. Party claimed she was “mispresenting her vaccination status.”

During her speech, Wilson took shots at the governing party as well as the federal Liberals, saying western alienation has gone on for far too long. She attacked the “just transition” policies toward clean energy jobs as well as many obstacles she believes are hurting the province.

“(There’s) out-of-control government spending, billion-dollar deficits, homelessness, rampant crime, broken health care, a controversial education system, economic turmoil and a federal government that wants to turn our way of life and our values upside down,” she said.

Wilson even quoted the late Prime Minister John Diefenbaker in her speech at the time when he pledged to fight for the freedoms of all Canadians. She also quoted Tommy Douglas in her talk, referring to his words on building a better world: “Courage, my friends; ’tis not too late to build a better world.”

While policies for the party will be released in the coming week, Wilson did briefly touch upon some of the big platform values that Sask United is holding to, which include:

• Protecting Saskatchewan’s economic sectors like agriculture, energy, and natural resources;
• Fighting for gun rights and provincial jurisdiction;
• Parental involvement in the education system to put children first;
• Ending violence, restoring law and order and getting tough on crime;
• Addressing the healthcare crisis by reducing bureaucracy, increasing health-care workers and restoring patient-doctor relationships; and
• Securing Saskatchewan’s sovereignty from federal and foreign interference.

While there has been some praise for the new party, there’s also some criticism from other political movements in the province.

Members of the Buffalo Party of Saskatchewan say they will not be swayed by Sask United and called out its leadership on social media saying the party was not necessary.

“Why is it that people in charge of that party felt they needed to go and start an all-new party when the work has already been going on the last few years to grow Buffalo Party? Why further divide the right?” a member wrote on Twitter.

Meanwhile, the Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan criticized Sask United, calling it a “wolf in sheep’s clothing.”

On its website, the Conservative Party questioned the priorities the Sask United party is championing, particularly on education as the Sask United vows to remove ideologies from the curriculum.

“We are concerned about what they feel are ideologies,” the website reads. “Is promoting inclusiveness an ideology? In fact, one of their guiding principles is they are in opposition to an inclusive public school curriculum. It is unfortunate and disturbing that teaching inclusiveness is considered an ideology to the Sask United Party.”

The PCs also had concerns with Sask United’s stance on agriculture, noting the details are still vague and one of their members is a former agriculture minister who helped privatize the Canadian Wheat Board.

“Is this a party you can trust in standing up for the agriculture sector in Saskatchewan? The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan think not,” the PCs wrote.

Despite the criticism, Wilson is confident the Sask United Party can make ground in the province in time for the 2024 election.