The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan has been mostly dormant since 1997. Party leader Rick Swenson believes that it is now time for the party to get back together and provide a third voice in the upcoming election campaign. Swenson has been touring the province to see what people's concerns are.
"It's been a while, and times change, and you want to be in tune with where people are at," Swenson says.
In the Yorkton area, Swenson's main concern is the state of the spring runoff. He's worried that there has not been enough planning put in place to handle the moisture when the show begins to melt.
Swenson believes that the government of the province is losing focus, and putting too much priority on what he calls "vanity projects," such as the proposed domed stadium in Regina.
One of the goals of the revival of the PC party is to provide a voice that is different from the Sask Party and the NDP, he says.
"What you're seeing out there is that Dwain Lingenfelter has come back from his Calgary sojourn and seems to be out of sync with Saskatchewan today. The Saskatchewan of 1999 when he left government and the Saskatchewan of 2011 is a different place... His solutions and his approach aren't washing. I see Brad Wall with a growing arrogance. This stadium thing in Regina, he's looking for a legacy project," he details.
The party is still rebuilding, but Swenson's goal is to have a candidate in every riding in the upcoming provincial election, which will allow him to be part of the leader's debate. He says that the party is looking for anyone honest and with integrity to be part of the party and participate in the election.
One of the difficulties that the PC party has run into has been accessing party funds, he claims. He says that there has been a long-standing court case between their party and the Sask Party to access $2 million held in trust, which he describes as being saved for the event where the party would need to be rebuilt.
"When people say to me 'Wall is doing a hell of a job' I have to say 'then what is he doing sitting on the PC's money?'" Swenson states.
Swenson encourages people to visit the party's website at www,pcsask.ca and "judge him accordingly."
