Members of Wexit Saskatchewan encourage supporters to sign a petition necessary to register as a provincial political party on Nov. 24, 2019. (Keenan Sorokan/650 CKOM)

By Michael Joel-Hansen

new party on the block

Elections Saskatchewan certifies province’s newest party

Mar 10, 2020 | 5:05 PM

Saskatchewan has a new official political party.

Elections Saskatchewan announced Tuesday in a media release that Wexit Saskatchewan gathered enough signatures and completed other requirements to become an officially registered party. Now with official party status Wexit can issue tax receipts and solicit donations.

The party calls for Saskatchewan to leave Canada.

The party’s interim leader Jake Wall told paNOW they have volunteers working to get the party infrastructure set up, which includes starting up constituency associations.

“We’re working on that, [it’s] full steam ahead,” he said.

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Wall said if an election call comes in the fall, he is confident the party will have constituency associations set up all over the province. If the call comes before then, he said some candidates will likely have to be appointed.

So far Wall said the party has received between 30 to 40 emails from people interested in running as candidates. Wall explained prospective candidates will have to submit to a background check which will include a criminal record check and a review of their social media.

“Those are just standard. Everybody does that,” he said.

So far they haven’t received any messages from anyone in Prince Albert or the surrounding area. Wall added he is optimistic people will step forward.

“I am sure we’re going to get some good quality [people] that are there,” he said.

Wexit Saskatchewan will join six other parties on the provincial ballot. This includes the Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan, which is challenging the governing Saskatchewan Party largely from the right.

PC Deputy Leader Shaun Harris, who is also running as a candidate in Saskatchewan Rivers, said the new party could possibly take votes from him — an issue he says is in the back of his mind.

“It’s one thing I will be dealing with when I am out on the campaign trail,” he said.

Harris said he hopes voters will look at each of the party’s candidates and see the difference. He added he believes the PC Party has a stronger platform which address many local concerns people want spoken to during a provincial election. Specifically, Harris cites his party’s promise to fully fund a second bridge for P.A. without requiring the city to contribute.

“If the Wexit Party runs anybody here in Prince Albert, I don’t imagine that’s going to be their first concern,” he said.

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MichaelJoel.Hansen@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @mjhskcdn