Saskatchewan United Party
AbbreviationSUP
LeaderNadine Wilson
PresidentDwight Bunyan
Deputy leaderJon Hromek
Founded2022
RegisteredNovember 30, 2022 (2022-11-30)
Split fromSaskatchewan Party
HeadquartersPO Box 2224 Lloydminster, Saskatchewan S9V 1R6[1]
Ideology
Political positionRight-wing
Colours
  • Blue
  • Red
SloganYour conservative option for uniting Saskatchewan.
Seats in Legislature
1 / 61
Website
saskunited.ca

The Saskatchewan United Party (SUP) is a conservative political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The party was registered in November 2022. SUP is led by former Saskatchewan Party legislative member Nadine Wilson, and has promoted right-wing and populist ideologies.

History

Conception and foundation

Conservative organizers—including Independent and former Saskatchewan Party MLA Nadine Wilson, former Conservative Member of Parliament and federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz, and former Maverick Party candidate Ken Rutherford—began holding meetings in early 2022 to try and establish another conservative political option for Saskatchewan.[2] Wilson had become a vocal critic of the governing Saskatchewan Party's management of the COVID-19 pandemic, and resigned from the Saskatchewan Party caucus in September 2021 with the party revealing that she had lied about her COVID-19 vaccination status.[3][4] An opposition to pandemic-related public health measures was at the centre of Wilson and Ritz's efforts in early 2022, and they worked alongside members of the anti-mandate group Unified Grassroots.[5] The organizers also engaged with the organizers of the Christian conservative True North Saskatchewan as well as the Buffalo Party, discussing possible future mergers.[6]

The Saskatchewan Progressive Conservative Party has alleged that these organizers attempted a "takeover" of the PC party with a plan to rebrand as the Saskatchewan Conservative Party with Wilson as its leader.[7] In addition to the Conservative brand, such a move would have provided access to a $2.7 million trust fund.[8] However, the takeover was rejected, and attention turned to establishing a new party. In 2023, the PCs alleged that Sask. United organizers stole a hard drive containing member and donor information, a charge those organizers denied.[8][9]

The Saskatchewan United Party (SUP) was registered with Elections Saskatchewan on November 30, 2022, with Nadine Wilson appointed party leader and becoming its first member in the Legislature.[10]

In social media posts, the newly-formed party promoted stances against mass immigration, COVID-19 lockdowns, and vaccine mandates.[5] Saskatoon StarPhoenix columnist Phil Tank classified the party's stance against mass immigration as being in line with other right-wing populist movements, and noted Wilson's previous involvement in the anti-mandate group Unified Grassroots.[5]

Nadine Wilson (2022–present)

On Wilson's first day in the Legislature as SUP leader, she invited guests who purported to have suffered "vaccine injuries" and urged the government to meet with them.[11]

The party hosted an official launch event on February 28, 2023 in Saskatoon, where it introduced its logo and policy agenda.[12] The party's positions include promoting the agriculture, energy, and natural resource industries; promoting provincial sovereignty against federal and foreign powers; promoting gun rights; promoting "efficiency and opportunity" and less bureaucracy in health care; removing "ideologies" from school curricula; and increasing parental involvement in education.[12][13][14]

The party ran a candidate for the first time in the August 2023 Lumsden-Morse by-election; SUP candidate Jon Hromek finished second to the Saskatchewan Party's Blaine McLeod with 23% of the vote.[15] Wilson, who stated that she was "very pleased" with the result, attributed it to the party advocating for more parental involvement in the education system.[16] In the fall of 2023, Hromek was named the deputy leader of SUP.[17]

When, later in August 2023, the Saskatchewan Party introduced new education policies limiting sexual health education and requiring parental consent when students under the age of 16 desired to have their chosen names and pronouns affirmed at school, pressure from SUP was widely cited as the impetus.[18][19][20] SUP took credit for forcing the government to adopt the policy in social media posts.[21][22] The policies were ultimately enshrined in legislation called the Parents' Bill of Rights, with the government invoking the notwithstanding clause as part of the legislative process; Wilson voted in favour of the legislation.[23]

Party leaders

† denotes acting or interim leader

Bold denotes position as Premier

# Party Leader Tenure Notes
1 Nadine Wilson November 30, 2022 – present Wilson was a Saskatchewan Party MLA from 2007–2021, and an Independent MLA from 2021–2022. With the Saskatchewan Party, Wilson served as Provincial Secretary in the governments of Brad Wall and Scott Moe.

Current Saskatchewan United Party MLAs

Member District First elected Notes
Nadine Wilson Saskatchewan Rivers 2007 Wilson has been elected four times, each time as a member of the Saskatchewan Party.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Registered Political Parties" (PDF). Elections Saskatchewan. 19 July 2023. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  2. ↑ Sciarpelletti, Laura (2022-05-13). "New Saskatchewan United party gearing up to enter the provincial political landscape". CBC News. Archived from the original on 2022-05-19. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  3. ↑ "Former Sask. Party MLA Nadine Wilson says decision to resign was her own". CKOM. 2021-10-04. Archived from the original on 2021-10-04. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  4. ↑ Blakley, Janelle (2021-09-30). "Sask. Party MLA resigns from government caucus after 'misrepresenting her vaccination status'". CTV News Regina. Archived from the original on 2021-09-30. Retrieved 2021-09-30.
  5. 1 2 3 Tank, Phil (2022-12-02). "Anti-immigration stance distinguishes Sask. United Party". Saskatoon StarPhoenix. Archived from the original on 2022-12-02. Retrieved 2023-03-03.
  6. ↑ Simes, Jeremy (2022-06-03). "The rise on the right: Inside Saskatchewan's shifting political landscape". Regina Leader-Post. Archived from the original on 2023-11-18. Retrieved 2023-11-18.
  7. ↑ Simes, Jeremy (2022-09-02). "Former PC vice-president sues party execs following talks with Sask. United". Regina Leader-Post. Archived from the original on 2022-09-02. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  8. 1 2 Schick, Lisa (2023-03-30). "Sask. PC party accusing Sask. United Party of underhanded dealings". CKOM. Archived from the original on 2023-03-30. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  9. ↑ Salloum, Alec (2023-04-12). "Sask. United Party attempted to take over PC Party, says interim leader". Regina Leader-Post. Archived from the original on 2023-04-13. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  10. ↑ "New Sask. United Party already has leader in legislature". CBC News. 2022-12-01. Archived from the original on 2022-12-02. Retrieved 2022-12-01.
  11. ↑ Simes, Jeremy (2022-12-01). "Day 1 as Saskatchewan United Party leader, Nadine Wilson asks about vaccine injuries". Regina Leader-Post. Archived from the original on 2022-12-02. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  12. 1 2 MacLean, Rory (2023-03-01). "Saskatchewan United Party a refuge for the 'politically homeless,' MLA says". CTV News Saskatoon. Archived from the original on 2023-03-01. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  13. ↑ Mandryk, Murray (2023-03-01). "Sask. United attempting to spoil the Sask. Party". Regina Leader-Post. Archived from the original on 2023-04-02. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  14. ↑ Craddock, Derek (2023-03-01). "Sask. United Party officially launches, but critics are skeptical". PA Now. Archived from the original on 2023-03-13. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  15. ↑ Prisciak, David; Lynn, Josh (2023-08-10). "NDP swipes 2 Sask. Party seats in byelection wins". CTV News Regina. Archived from the original on 2023-08-12. Retrieved 2023-08-11.
  16. ↑ Garn, Nicole (2023-08-14). "Saskatchewan United Party leader happy with byelection results". CKOM. Archived from the original on 2023-08-14. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  17. ↑ Cairns, John (2023-10-03). "Sask United Party names Jon Hromek deputy leader". SaskToday. Archived from the original on 2023-10-15. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  18. ↑ Hunter, Adam (2023-09-23). "Sask. Ministry of Education took 9 days to create naming and pronoun policy, affidavit shows". CBC News. Archived from the original on 2023-10-01. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  19. ↑ Simes, Jeremy (2023-10-09). "Saskatchewan legislature members prepare for fight over pronouns, Charter rights". The Globe and Mail. The Canadian Press. Archived from the original on 2023-10-11. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  20. ↑ Simes, Jeremy (2023-08-22). "Saskatchewan says parental consent needed for name, pronoun change of students". CTV News. The Canadian Press. Archived from the original on 2023-09-20. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  21. ↑ Bamford, Allison; Postey, Drew (2023-10-12). "'Parents' Bill of Rights' officially introduced in Sask. legislature, beginning pronoun policy's push into law". CTV News Regina. Archived from the original on 2023-10-13. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  22. ↑ "Saskatchewan United Party". Twitter. 2023-08-23. Archived from the original on 2023-10-16. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  23. ↑ Salloum, Alec (2023-10-20). "Saskatchewan passes school pronoun bill using notwithstanding clause". Regina Leader-Post. Archived from the original on 2023-10-20. Retrieved 2023-12-03.
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