SASKATOON — Newly-formed Sask United Party hopes to capitalize on the growing resentment of people from the province’s rural areas and get potential candidates to more than earn seats at the legislative assembly in the 2024 Saskatchewan General Elections.
MLA Nadine Wilson will be at the forefront of their 2024 bid after the former Sask Party member left her colleagues in 2021 to become an Independent as she felt alienated for voicing her opposition to some policies implemented by Premier Scott Moe’s administration.
She has been the MLA for the Saskatchewan Rivers riding since 2007, where she won under the Sask Party banner and is now the lone Sask United legislative assembly member.
Wilson attended the official launching of the Sask United party on Tuesday night, Feb. 28, at Prairieland Park, addressing an estimated crowd of supporters and other residents of more than 1,000 who wanted to hear what Rivers and the new party offer to the province.
The new party is composed of individuals who felt abandoned by their provincial leaders — both from the ruling Sask Party and the opposition NDP — as they plan to unite everyone under one banner, whether right or left.
“We are a centre party because we are listening to the people. We are not telling them what to do. They are giving us ideas of how they want their life to be lived in Saskatchewan,” said Wilson.
She added that the party’s core found each other over the years, and their movement, which would put people first by listening to their concerns, grew, and they welcomed more into their fold.
“The people need someone to listen to them. They told us they had a sense of political homelessness because the government has stopped listening to them,” Nichols told media members after the more-than-one-hour program.
“So, they look to a group of us, and we listened to what they wanted, and we have a constitution that we drafted up. And here we are tonight with hundreds of people who want to hear what we have to say, to give them the quality for Saskatchewan.”
She added that SUP’s mandate is simple: listening to what the people want, which makes them different from the Sask Party-led government of Moe.
“They [people] come to us. They tell us about education, the justice system, seniors, and social services. We’re going to give them the quality of life they want and not the other way around,” said Wilson.
“You have to ask the province’s people how they rate them [Sask Party, NDP, Liberals. I know hundreds of people are looking toward us for answers and solutions to get Saskatchewan back to the quality of life they want.”
Wilson said the public has been saying that Saskatchewan should come first over the federal government, a growing concern that people who look towards it continue to tell her.
“The people of Saskatchewan deserve the quality of life we have with the Charter of Human Rights. They want to be recognized as valuable citizens of Saskatchewan. That everyone is valuable.”
She also pointed out the current healthcare crisis that rural areas in the province are experiencing, as Saskatchewan has an immediate need for medical professionals to care for the people, especially the elderly.
“We like to retain our doctors and nurses. Our healthcare people are wonderful, but they are burnt out. There is not enough of them, and we need more in rural Saskatchewan,” said Wilson.
