Mandryk: Former MLAs Bkrich, Allchurch take aim at Moe’s Sask. Party

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Former Saskatchewan Party Arm River MLA Greg Brkich compares his return to politics as the Saskatchewan United Party candidate in Saskatoon Southeast with Gordie Howe coming out of NHL retirement to play in the WHA.

He’s back. And his elbows are up.

“We’ve got to build another party. (The Sask. Party) will do anything to win. Why not just try and fix the problem?” the now 68-year-old said in an interview, citing Premier Scott Moe, his inner circle of political operatives and the bureaucracy as the biggest problem.

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“They are still not listening.”

About 273 kilometres to the northwest, former Sask. Party Rosthern-Shellbrook MLA Dennis Allchurch is being forced to take a break from harvest because of the rain on his 3,000-acre, 150-head cattle operation. The recently declared Sask. United Party candidate for Meadow Lake said the Sask. Party has changed.

The former MLA — who, along with Brkich, was first elected in 1999 — said he also believes the Sask. Party has taken on too liberal a slant under Moe.

Many would take umbrage at the notion that the Sask. Party has become “liberal” or “woke” under Moe — especially after the pronoun bill a year ago that was a direct outcome of the party losing votes to Sask. United in the Lumsden-Morse byelection.

But, right or left, a growing number critics do share the view that the Sask. Party has become too insular, cliquish and focused on its own narrow interests.

This change in approach  — and some “unfinished business” — is why the 71-year Allchurch is back in the political game.

Allchurch makes no bones about the fact that he was not happy with the way he was forced out in 2011 when Moe — then a member of the Sask. Party’s Rosthern-Shellbrook constituency association executive — narrowly beat him in the nomination race to represent the riding.

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“I was a lone wolf in the Sask. Party,” said Allchurch, adding that party executive director Patrick Bundrock “kept putting me off” regarding concerns that the nomination process wasn’t neutral.

The former MLA said he is not completely sure why he fell out of favour with the party hierarchy, but suspected the $26.5-million Shellbrook Hospital, which opened in 2013 — was a decision for the riding that made less sense because of Shellbrook’s proximity to Prince Albert.

His Sask. Party constituency association executive was stacked with Shellbrook people, including Moe, who wanted the new hospital in that community, said Allchurch, raising concerns that Moe might have had conflicts related to office space rented to doctors and his family’s pharmacy business.

By no small coincidence, both Brkich and Allchurch are longtime friends of Sask. United MLA Nadine Wilson (who they say was unfairly removed from caucus over her COVID-19 vaccine status) and Speaker Randy Weekes (who lost his Kindersley-Biggar Sask. Party nomination and later publicly scolded then-government House Leader Jeremy Harrison for interfering in the speaker’s duties and decisions).

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Moe initially called Weekes’s complaints “sour grapes.” But sour grapes tend to grow in bunches, as the three former MLAs demonstrate.

Brkich said sourness toward his former Sask. Party government can be found most anywhere in rural Saskatchewan.

“Health care, education, the economy — everyone seems disillusioned,” said the 68-year-old former MLA, who chose to run in the city riding because Sask. United had a candidate in Arm River-Dakota — one of 21 candidates so far nominated by the party.

“Every person has a little different reason … It might be that they have been in power too long.”

Allchurch said he too has been hearing the same discontent most everywhere and agrees with Brkich that much of it is directed right at Moe. Locally it’s also directed at local Meadow Lake MLA Harrison, who Allchurch says is seen by many as arrogant.

But both say it just feels good to be back in politics and building something again.

“It’s like the old days,” Brkich said, comparing today’s Sask. United Party to the beginnings of the Sask. Party.

“This party reminds me of 1998-99 when I started.”

Mandryk is the political columnist for the Regina Leader-Post and the Saskatoon StarPhoenix.

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