MOOSE JAW — Saskatchewan United Party leader Jon Hromek believes that eliminating the provincial gas tax and cutting the provincial sales tax in half could address residents’ economic challenges.
Cost of living is the No. 1 issue that Hromek has heard during his town hall circuit this summer, with the second-biggest concern being the “total crisis” in health care.
Hromek’s . The event — with speeches and a question-and-answer period — happens at the Heritage Inn at 7 p.m.
“We need to be thinking outside the box for some solutions when it comes to that (health care problem),” he told the Express. “Throwing money at it … only magnifies the problem. It doesn’t solve the problems.”
To address these two issues, Hromek says the Saskatchewan United Party (SUP) — if elected to government this October — would eliminate the 15-cent tax that the province applies to gas, diesel and propane.
To recoup the roughly $460 million that this tax generates, the party would use money from the province’s Output-Based Performance Standards program — the in-house climate change-focused levy — that’s applied to large emitters.
Secondly, and “the most bold” idea, SUP would cut the PST in half.
“This is something we have to address because people are running out of money and being taxed right up the yin-yang … ,” said Hromek, who will be running in the Lumsden-Morse constituency.
To pay for this idea, SUP would review the province’s potash royalty program and make it more balanced because residents are not receiving their fair share even though they own those resources, he continued.
Thirdly, the party wants to reduce bureaucracy — especially middle management — within the government because it has grown by 37 per cent since 2007, which is higher than the population growth during the same period, Hromek said.
Moreover, salaries and benefits of those employees have increased by 23 per cent, which is higher than in the private sector, he continued.
“That’s $1.4 billion in incremental costs in the last five years. So there are places for efficiencies … ,” Hromek added. “It’s wild spending by the government and it’s unsustainable.”
SUP has a “broad vision” for the province based on two foundational points: the family is the building block for success in society and the economy, and responsibility must return to financial management and law and order, Hromek said. All the party’s policies and pillars flow through those components.
Those two points align with Hromek’s views, while “sound policy is sound policy” and should appeal to everyone. Those ideas, he noted, have been lost during the past 30 years, so the province must “get back to basics” — which means returning to responsible fiscal management and solid family values.
Hromek disputed the idea of vote-splitting, saying rurally, the Sask. Party usually takes 65 per cent of votes and the NDP takes roughly 20 per cent, while in urban areas, the NDP usually has a solid 30 per cent of the vote.
Seventy per cent of voters in urban areas are “politically homeless,” with many telling the SUP leader that they want someone else to vote for other than the NDP because they’re “done with the Sask. Party.” Therefore, SUP will attempt to inspire those voters who are centre or centre-right.
SUP is different because it’s focused on fiscal responsibility, whereas the Sask. Party — which should be providing tax relief —“is truly out of control” and “is breaking this province” with increased program spending, Hromek said. Meanwhile, the NDP wants to “throw money” at problems to resolve them.
“The people deserve better,” he stated.
Hromek — — is new to the role of political party leader, having taken over in May. While the challenges have been new and different compared to the corporate world — he never expected to become the party’s leader — it has been exciting to speak with people and hear their stories.
“… I really enjoy going out and giving people hope and giving people a fresh view of something … ,” Hromek added. “Saskatchewan, with some course corrections here and with some fundamental problems being solved, I really think that our days ahead of us are going to be a lot better than those behind us.”
The Saskatchewan United Party has not yet named any candidates for the two Moose Jaw ridings but should by this fall.
