Sask. United Party campaigns for foothold in tight race with promises to slash taxes, reform health care
Leader Jon Hromek also vowed to remove 'ideology' in curricula, expressed skepticism of climate science
The Saskatchewan United Party (SUP) launched its campaign in Regina on Wednesday, in hopes its young, small, conservative party can gain traction in a tight provincial election.
"Leadership is needed in Saskatchewan," said SUP Leader Jon Hromek at a campaign event with some of the party's other candidates. "Our party, the Saskatchewan United Party, was formed to offer a true conservative option to the problems that Saskatchewan faces today."
Recent polling released by Insightrix Research and CTV News suggests that less than four per cent of decided voters intend to support any party other than the Saskatchewan Party or Sask. NDP in the upcoming provincial election. The SUP, which was formed in 2022, has so far fielded 23 candidates out of 61 ridings in total, including two former Sask. Party MLAs.
However, with the poll suggesting 49 per cent of decided voters intend to support the NDP and 48 per cent plan to vote for the incumbent Sask. Party, Sask. Party Leader Scott Moe has raised concerns the SUP could split the right-wing vote and cost his party tight ridings.
Hromek, a trained petroleum engineer and business owner running in Lumsden Morse, said his party's platform focuses on fiscal responsibility to improve services and save money for families and businesses in Saskatchewan. In the riding's byelection last August, he finished second with just over 22 per cent of the vote, while the Sask. Party's Blaine McLeod won the party stronghold with more than 53 per cent of the vote.
The SUP has pledged to eliminate the gas tax and slash provincial sales taxes by half to three per cent if elected, as well as to reduce the property taxes paid by seniors by 57 per cent.
On health care, the party says it would partner with private clinics and health-care facilities to offer publicly funded testing and services and alleviate long wait times. It would also offer health-care workers signing and retention bonuses, and cover the costs of some health-care tuition for students who agree to live and work in the province for a certain period of time.
Hromek said he would also order an audit of health-care administration to reduce "bloat," which he claimed the Sask. Party has allowed to grow at the expense of front-line services.
"Saving capital when it comes to health care just allows us to use that capital to direct it to front-line services, front-line staff as well as the recruitment strategy we were talking about," he said.
The SUP has also supported "parental rights" in schools and on its website takes credit for the Sask. Party introducing the embattled school pronoun legislation that has come under fire from some 2SLGBTQ+ groups and is the subject of a court challenge.
Hromek said his party would reintroduce standardized testing to improve lagging learning outcomes for students in the province, and work to remove "ideology" from school curricula. Hromek also said, if elected, parents would be able to opt in for their children to participate in discussion of "controversial" subjects — such as sexual education and gender — at school, rather than the current system of opting out.
Asked by a reporter to point to an example of ideology in the curriculum, Hromek said he did not agree with the way climate change is currently discussed or the "demonization of carbon dioxide."
"This whole idea pushing, 'Oh we're in a climate crisis,' and scaring kids … to me that's going too far. Because you should also push the other side," he said.
The same reporter interjected to ask if Hromek believed in "man-made global warming," to which Hromek replied that he did "to a certain extent."
"Man always has an effect on its environment … but the extent to what it's portrayed or pushed that [global warming] is due to man, I don't agree with that," he said.
The overwhelming scientific consensus is that human activity contributes to global warming and other effects of climate change.
Hromek said the party's goal is to win at least two seats, but also as many seats as possible, in order to bring a different perspective into provincial politics.
"We firmly believe, between the Sask. Party and the NDP, there is a bunch of this province that is not being represented in the legislature," said Hromek.