Saskatchewan United Party leader Jon Hromek kicked off his election campaign Tuesday, calling the upcoming vote a test of Premier Scott Moe's leadership.Hromek said the province faces major issues that worsened under Moe's leadership."At the end of the day, this election is about Scott Moe and the Sask Party's record," said Hromek."In the last six years under Premier Moe, our roads are worse, the safety of our communities is worse, affordability and the cost of living is worse, our education is on life support and our healthcare system has flatlined."He pointed to high crime rates and long wait times for surgeries as proof of poor management. Saskatchewan now has the highest violent crime rate among provinces, reaching a 25-year high.Hromek also criticized the growth of government spending. He claimed bureaucrats' pay increased by 23% in five years, costing $1.4 billion more, and the new Prince Albert hospital is $600 million over budget.To fix these issues, Hromek promises to cut taxes. His party wants to lower the PST from 6% to 3%, remove the 15-cent gas tax, and cut property taxes by 65% for people 65 and older.Hromek said his business experience will help him clean up government waste. "We are looking at full-blow audits of every department and ministry to find where public dollars are being mismanaged and streamline efficiencies," said Hromek. The Saskatchewan United Party bills itself as the only true conservative choice for voters. Hromek argued that neither Moe's Saskatchewan Party nor the NDP can solve the province's problems."We need a change of management in the province to address these issues head-on and top-down through all the ministries and departments," said Hromek."I firmly believe we can fix these issues with serious, proven leaders who possess the management skills that are necessary. And that certainty is not the NDP! Saskatchewan needs a real conservative solution for every issue facing our province, and that's exactly what Sask United is here to do."The provincial election is on October 28.
