Sask. Party isn’t sounding alarm on Wexit party threat
Western separatist political group plots to run candidates in October 2020 election
SASKATOON Saskatchewan’s governing political party does not appear alarmed by the possibility of an organized and credible western separatist political party entering the fray ahead of next year’s provincial election.
Wexit Saskatchewan has said it will register as a party and run candidates in the election, set for October 2020, if Premier Scott Moe does not commit to holding a referendum on the West separating from the rest of Canada.
Saskatchewan Party insiders agree that a new registered party could help the provincial NDP by splitting the vote on the right, but also say they have not seen anything to suggest the Wexiteers could be a serious electoral force next year.
That does not mean the Sask. Party is not keeping an eye on it, however. The governing party’s political strategy is understood to be, at least in part, prophylactic — reflecting western anger and frustration while keeping the “big tent” as big as possible without encouraging talk of separatism.
While there is broad agreement that it takes time, money and energy to build a serious political party, some insiders have suggested a western separatist movement is one credible leader away from having some electoral clout.
Allan Kerpan, a former Reform Party MP and Sask. Party MLA who has been involved in the Wexit — short for Western Exit — movement for about a year and held a series of town halls in the province last summer, offered a similar assessment.
A popular leader with strong financial backing could change the situation, but building a political party from scratch requires a monumental effort and Wexit is unlikely to become a provincewide force in 12 months, Kerpan said.
While a new political party could conceivably make a difference in one or two ridings by concentrating its resources, the last thing he wants is a split vote that would result in the Saskatchewan NDP “dancing in the streets,” he said.
“The very worst thing would be a new political party in Saskatchewan,” said Kerpan, who remains a Sask. Party supporter, adding that he views Wexit as a political movement fired by western alienation rather than the basis for a new party.
Asked about the possibility of a Wexit Saskatchewan party running candidates in the next election, Sask. Party executive director Patrick Bundrock referred to a dinner event Moe hosted in Kindersley
last week.
The room was “packed” and everyone seemed supportive of the premier, Bundrock said.
Reached by email on Tuesday, a spokesperson for Wexit Saskatchewan — whose Alberta arm has packed rallies in Edmonton and Calgary — said the group will begin preparing candidates if Moe refuses to call a referendum.
“Which direction we will go will be determined by early next year as we will have the required amount of signatures (plus extras) then,” said the unidentified spokesperson, who did not respond to additional requests for comment.
Registering a political party in Saskatchewan requires 2,500 voters’ signatures, 1,000 of whom must live in 10 constituencies across the province, with a minimum of 100 voters in each of those 10 ridings.
While none are registered, separatist parties have run candidates in Saskatchewan before, most recently in the 2018 Regina Northeast byelection, where the Western Independence Party of Saskatchewan candidate received 37 votes.
The Sask. Party hopes to win a fourth term next fall while the NDP is planning a “growth campaign,” with party insiders saying that winning a total of 20 seats would constitute meaningful progress.