The leader of the fledgling Saskatchewan United Party is attempting a breakthrough this provincial election in the large riding of Lumsden-Morse.
Jon Hromek finished 2nd to Saskatchewan Party MLA Blaine McLeod in a by-election last year 53.42% to 22.69%.
The riding touches as far west as Waldeck and up to Stewart Valley, before reaching the edge of Regina at the east side of it.
"We just keep doing what we're doing," Hromek said. "We went from 2% to 23% in the by-election and now... we're on the doors, we're having town halls, we're meeting people. We've got some really good ideas for this promise and people are receptive to that. We do not have a money problem. We definitely have a management problem. We need to bring private sector management to government. We wouldn't tolerate in the corporate world if our healthcare was a company in the corporate world who would be fired over that? Why are we not addressing our ministries that way? We've got good ideas and we're just gonna just keep hammering."
While the Saskatchewan United Party only has one sitting MLA heading into this election, Hromek still feels he could be a strong representative for the area.
"I'm gonna bring the same work ethic that I have to the job of being an MLA," he said. "Being an advocate for the people
(and) solving problems. I'm a problem solver by trade and that's what I do. You meet different RMs or different town councils and they've got different issues with wastewater or you know treatments and different things like that. These are things that I just love to do. I like to find solutions to that help and basically serve the constituents.
"I think my background in engineering and just getting things done really helps. Coming from the oil business in the oil business, if you can't get things done you wouldn't last too long. I'm not there for the rubber chicken dinners. I'm there to actually make this province a better place. Number one the people of Lumsden-Morse to serve them and their needs."
As a party leader he is trying to disrupt what has been primarily a two mainstream party system for many years in Saskatchewan.
"The Sask Party has been in power for going on 17 years now," Hromek said. "That's almost an entire generation, right? The NDP has been the opposition the whole time and frankly, not a very good opposition. With where people are at now, they're starting to see our education system is having nothing but issues. Our Healthcare is absolute disaster, and these are two areas that are 100% within the provincial purview. People are seeing that and they're looking for real solutions to the to the real problems they're facing. I honestly believe that the days of easy politicking like empty platitudes and smoke and mirror shows I think are done."
He sees some significant differences in their fiscal policies.
"If you're serious about affordability in Saskatchewan, you have to cut the PST," Hromek said. "That is the number one thing you have to do because in reality it's on virtually everything except groceries. (NDP leader Carla Beck) says she's gonna cut it for groceries, but in reality, there's not a lot of groceries that it's on. We came out and boldly stated that no, we're going to cut the PST in half and that's going to be substantive because that's going to save the average family $1400 a year alone just that. We're also pushing on cutting the gas tax completely. Not just a moratorium on it for six months like the NDP's talking about, we're talking about just cut it. Forever."
While the Saskatchewan Party has dominated rural Saskatchewan ridings in recent times, the Saskatchewan United Party sees some openings in more conservative parts of the province.
"The Sask Party is not very conservative anymore," Hromek said. "A Conservative government is for less government. It's for lower spending, fiscally responsible, less regulations, and we're just not seeing that. The whole reason we started this party was to give the people of Saskatchewan a true conservative option. The Sask Party is the governing party now, but we can be steering them and pushing them to be more conservative. Lumsden-Morse has been a strong hold Sask Party riding for years because Lumsden-Morse is very conservative. They recognize the conservative when they see one and then that's why we just keep pushing them."
The other candidates in the riding are Chauntel Baudu for the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party, Isaiah Hunter for the Saskatchewan Green Party, Megan Torrie for the Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan, and the incumbent Blaine McLeod of the Saskatchewan Party.
The provincial election is October 28th.