A new provincial political party for Saskatchewan has been announced..The party came out of “the political, economic and social crisis taking place in Saskatchewan,” said a news release from the party. .Maverick Party candidate Ken Rutherford, former federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, and independent MLA Nadine Wilson founded the Saskatchewan United Party..The party started building with its first event on March 26 in Saskatoon's Praireland Park with 1,200 people in attendance, followed by an event in Regina with 300 people..The press release said the party formed “with the aim of bringing the province back together and healing the many divides which have existed as a result of the mismanagement, incompetence, and in some cases, perceived misfeasance of various levels of the current Government of Saskatchewan.”.“Many people in the province have identified that they perceive the government and the opposition as having lost touch with them. The people of Saskatchewan are looking for a credible, transparent and accountable alternative that gives a voice back to the people.”.Ritz said the new party was born out of people’s frustrations with the Saskatchewan Party and the Saskatchewan NDP..“This is more than just about the handling of the pandemic," said Ritz.."People constantly tell me that they feel like they are no longer being heard and it’s time for a change.".Wilson resigned from the Saskatchewan Party over her COVID-19 vaccination status and could be Sask United's first sitting MLA once the party gets 2,500 voter signatures, including at least 100 or more signatures in a minimum of ten different ridings as required by Elections Saskatchewan..Since 2007, Wilson has been the MLA for the Saskatchewan Rivers Constituency, an area of northwest Saskatchewan which includes the municipalities of Big River, Choiceland, Debden, and Christopher Lake..“People are exhausted with playing left-right politics and they are beginning to realize that we are all citizens of this province and we are going to need to unleash the power of this province by uniting its greatest resource: the people,” said Wilson in the release..“People just don’t care about their historical political affiliations anymore. They simply don’t recognize the government or the opposition and are left without political representation."."People are uniting for a greater vision for this province and I think we are starting to see the beginning of something many communities are going to support because it’s about serving their families.”.Rutherford laid out the party’s ideals at the Saskatoon and Regina meetings..“It’s time for fresh and principled ideas to prevail over outdated and weak leadership,” said Rutherford..“We are amazed to see how many people have come forward from all professions and walks of life. We are seeing people of all past political affiliations, genders, ages, religions, races, and medical statuses. It’s truly unprecedented to see people come together with hope for a better future.”.Sask United intends to raise money from supporters after officially becoming a political party. .True North Saskatchewan is another political party currently collecting signatures in an effort to become registered in the province.
