Phil Zajac first elected leader of the Buffalo Party
By Joan Janzen
Phil Zajac is the first elected leader of the Buffalo Party of Saskatchewan, replacing interim leader Shirley Huber of Estevan. Zajac, also a resident of Estevan, made his home there 11 years ago, along with his daughter, who is now attending the University of Regina.
The Buffalo Party has had their first AGM and has adopted its constitution. “It’s one of the best-written documents for a party that I’ve seen in a long time,” Phil said.
Phil was approached by a few well-known businessmen in his community, who said they needed somebody to be a voice for Estevan. After conducting a few weeks of research about the party, Phil agreed to be a candidate. “It’s easy to get behind something when you agree with their values,” he said.
Phil took political science classes at university, where he learned about civil liberties, basic government, and developing foreign policy. He also has a broad base of business experience, having managed Peterbilt, Bourassa’s New Holland dealership, owning his own hotshot company, as well as working in banking for six years.
“My favourite thing about the party is that none of us are politicians; we’re ranchers and business owners. None of us are lifetime politicians,” Phil explained. He said he also likes their common sense policies, such as term limits for politicians and a recall process for politicians who aren’t doing their job.
“We’re a member-driven party, not a top-down party. Members have 100 percent opportunity to participate in steering the direction of the party,” he added. Phil has been actively involved in his community. He has coached football and softball, helped kids learn to skate, played rec hockey, was on the library board for South East Saskatchewan, the South East Economic Development Board, and volunteered as a Kinsmen. Now he’ll channel all that energy into his new position as leader of the Buffalo Party.
“We are not going to allow them (federal government) to destroy small-town Saskatchewan and eliminate the wealth that has been created through mining, farming and the oil field,” he said. Phil said he has some excellent ideas on how to increase revenue in Saskatchewan without increasing taxes.
“This community has been really good to me and my family. This is one way I can give something back, to secure a solid future for the people of Saskatchewan,” Phil said. “An important part of being a leader is surrounding yourself with good people that care and listening more than you talk.”
Soon Phil will be sharing his message with the people of Saskatchewan and listening to what they have to say.
