68-573: Allan Emrys Blakeney PC OC SOM QC FRSC (September 7, 1925 – April 16, 2011) was a Canadian politician who served as the tenth premier of Saskatchewan from 1971 to 1982. Originally from Bridgewater, Nova Scotia , Blakeney moved to Regina, Saskatchewan , and worked in the province's civil service before running for office with the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) under Tommy Douglas . Blakeney became leader of
136-413: A cabinet minister in the governments of Douglas and—when Douglas resigned to become leader of the federal New Democratic Party — Woodrow Lloyd , until the government was defeated in the 1964 election . In cabinet, he served as minister of education, provincial treasurer, and most prominently as minister of health. In that role, he helped implement Medicare in the province, a struggle which culminated in
204-604: A Privy Council meeting presided over by the governor general occurred on 15 August 1873, in which Governor General the Earl of Dufferin outlined "the terms on which he would agree to a prorogation of Parliament" during the Pacific Scandal . When he served as viceroy, John Campbell, Marquess of Lorne , put an end to the practice of the governor general presiding over Privy Council meetings, other than for ceremonial occasions. Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King had
272-567: A bulwark for the NDP—ahead of the election due both to its support for federal wage and price controls and for conflicts with organized labour late in its term, including legislating hospital staff back to work in 1982. It has also been noted that the NDP saw a significant decrease in support among female voters, which could be attributable to its labour dispute with the female-dominated hospital workers, constitutional negotiations, or, as has been speculated,
340-729: A conservative household—his father worked as an election scrutineer for the Conservatives in Nova Scotia—Blakeney's time in law school, the events of the Second World War, and his experience in postwar England , where the Clement Atlee 's Labour government was actively building the British welfare state , all inclined him towards government intervention in meeting the needs of citizens. His eventual embrace of
408-710: A contemporary newspaper account, the conference, on 27 March, at Rideau Hall , consisted of 12 individuals, including Chief Justice Bora Laskin , who presided over the meeting; Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau ; several cabinet ministers; Stanley Knowles of the New Democratic Party ; and Alvin Hamilton of the Progressive Conservative Party . All gathered were informed of the Prince's engagement, nodded their approval, and then toasted
476-594: A critical role in navigating the doctors' strike that nearly derailed the legislation and in implementing the program in its aftermath as the Minister of Health. Only a few years later, Canada implemented Medicare nationwide. Blakeney was also critical in negotiations leading to Patriation of the Canadian Constitution in 1982. His legacy is noted especially in Sections 35 and 92a, as well as Section 33 of
544-399: A lack of female representation in the NDP government. In addition, Devine and his PCs ran an aggressive campaign on the slogan, "There's so much more we can be", promising more private business opportunities along with tax and interest relief. Despite the defeat, Blakeney decided to stay on as Opposition leader. Blakeney led the party into the 1986 provincial election , and particularly after
612-458: A major focus of Blakeney's government. Blakeney's government has been called "the most innovative in Canadian history." Beyond Saskatchewan, Blakeney's legacy has been widely acknowledged, especially in health care and constitutional matters. Although Blakeney was first elected as a CCF MLA in 1960 in what was effectively a referendum election on public health insurance in the province, he played
680-584: A member of His Majesty's Privy Council for Canada. I will in all things to be treated, debated and resolved in Privy Council, faithfully, honestly and truly declare my mind and my opinion. I shall keep secret all matters committed and revealed to me in this capacity, or that shall be secretly treated of in Council. Generally, in all things I shall do as a faithful and true servant ought to do for His Majesty. Provincial premiers are not commonly appointed to
748-477: A privy councillor of long standing, be given the style the Right Honourable upon his retirement from Parliament. According to Eugene Forsey , Privy Council meetings—primarily meetings of the full Cabinet or the prime minister and senior ministers, held with the governor general presiding—were not infrequent occurrences in the first 15 years following Canadian Confederation in 1867. One example of
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#1732790685201816-503: A string of deficit budgets from the PCs, reversing the 1982 result appeared possible. In the election, the NDP narrowly edged the PCs in the popular vote. However, the PCs—who secured a $ 1 billion farming aid package from Brian Mulroney 's federal Progressive Conservative government on the eve of the election—managed to ride a dominant performance in rural Saskatchewan into a second term. Although
884-544: A strong base in Saskatchewan, the historic NDP stronghold. However, it was divisive. While its Manifesto for an Independent Socialist Canada was defeated in a vote at the 1969 federal NDP convention, Woodrow Lloyd voted in support of it, believing in the manifesto's potential to revitalize debate in the party. That episode, and resistance to Lloyd's willingness to open the party to debate, contributed to Lloyd's decision to resign as leader in 1970. Blakeney decided to run in
952-461: A transition period for the party, now in Opposition. In 1967, the party fully adopted the NDP name. Around the same time, the party—both provincially and nationally—became gripped with a factional dispute with a growing left-wing movement called " The Waffle ". The Waffle advocated for a return to the party's socialist roots, including through the nationalization of key industries. The movement had
1020-587: A two-year chair teaching constitutional law at Osgoode Hall at Toronto's York University . He then accepted the inaugural Law Foundation Chair at the University of Saskatchewan School of Law in Saskatoon , and remained a visiting scholar there. Blakeney served as a consultant to the Romanow government in the 1990s, and served on a number of boards, including the board of Cameco , a uranium company formed by
1088-696: Is defined by the Canadian constitution as the sovereign acting on the advice of the Privy Council; what is known as the Governor-in-Council , referring to the governor general of Canada as the King's stand-in. The group of people is described as "a Council to aid and advise in the Government of Canada, to be styled the Queen's Privy Council for Canada", though, by convention , the task of giving
1156-647: Is distinct but also entwined within the Privy Council, as the president of the King's Privy Council for Canada customarily serves as one of its members and Cabinet ministers receive assistance in the performance of their duties from the Privy Council Office , headed by the clerk of the Privy Council . While the Cabinet specifically deals with the regular, day-to-day functions of the King-in-Council, occasions of wider national importance—such as
1224-566: The Saskatchewan New Democratic Party (NDP) in 1970. Altogether, he was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan from 1960 to 1988. Before he was premier, Blakeney played a key role in the implementation of the first Canadian public health insurance program ( Medicare ) in 1962. As premier, Blakeney's government was notable for its approach to resource development. The NDP nationalized
1292-527: The Security Intelligence Review Committee be made privy councillors, if they are not already. To date, only Prime Minister Paul Martin advised that parliamentary secretaries be admitted to the Privy Council. Appointees to the King's Privy Council must recite the requisite oath: I, [name], do solemnly and sincerely swear (declare) that I shall be a true and faithful servant to His Majesty King Charles III , as
1360-504: The monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs. Practically, the tenets of responsible government require the sovereign or his viceroy , the governor general of Canada , to almost always follow only that advice tendered by the Cabinet : a committee within the Privy Council composed usually of elected members of Parliament . Those summoned to the KPC are appointed for life by
1428-634: The potash industry, created a range of new crown corporations such as SaskOil and PotashCorp , and fought with the federal government over resource rights and taxation. Blakeney was also a key figure in the negotiations surrounding Patriation of the Canadian Constitution in the early 1980s, and in the development of the Constitution's Charter of Rights and Freedoms . After retiring from politics, Blakeney taught and wrote about constitutional law for more than two decades. Blakeney
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#17327906852011496-403: The 1962 Saskatchewan doctors' strike . In 1969, Blakeney was elected national president of the federal NDP, succeeding James Renwick . He held the position until 1971, when he was succeeded by Donald MacDonald . In 1964, the party was defeated by Ross Thatcher 's Liberals after five consecutive terms in government. The defeat, coming on the heels of the protracted Medicare battle, prompted
1564-569: The CCF is said to have caused a "mild scandal in Bridgewater." After graduating from Oxford, Blakeney returned to Canada and passed the Nova Scotia bar exam in 1950. That same year he married and took a job with the Saskatchewan civil service, prompting a move to Regina. Blakeney was attracted to the province due to the innovation of Tommy Douglas' CCF administration, which in 1944 had become
1632-535: The Canadian Cabinet, and other eminent Canadians. These appointments ended under Lester Pearson , though the traditional style remained in use, limited to only prime ministers and chief justices. In 1992, several eminent privy councillors, most of whom were long-retired from active politics, were granted the style by the Governor General and, in 2002, Jean Chrétien recommended that Herb Gray ,
1700-739: The Canadian Privy Council so as to illustrate the separation between Canada's Crown and that of the UK. The Council has assembled in the presence of the sovereign on two occasions: The first was at 10:00 a.m. on the Thanksgiving Monday of 1957, at the monarch's residence in Ottawa , Rideau Hall . There, Queen Elizabeth II chaired a meeting of 22 of her privy councilors, including her consort , by then titled as Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whom Elizabeth had just appointed to
1768-627: The Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The notwithstanding clause remains controversial in Canada. For his part, Blakeney argued that it was an important check on appointed courts by democratically elected governments; while courts could rule on certain legal rights, they had less purview to rule on moral rights—such as the right to healthcare—that can only be enacted and enforced by governments. In essence, Blakeney asserted that certain rights should not be given precedence over others because they were included in
1836-487: The Charter. Overall, Blakeney saw the Charter as incomplete for protecting only individual and not collective rights. Constituency elections King%27s Privy Council for Canada The King's Privy Council for Canada ( French : Conseil privé du Roi pour le Canada ), sometimes called His Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council ( PC ), is the full group of personal consultants to
1904-425: The Constitution. Blakeney was also instrumental in the development of Section 33 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which enshrined the notwithstanding clause and thus preserved a preeminent role in legislation for elected governments over appointed courts. After an initial draft without it was agreed to, Blakeney and his team also ensured the ultimate inclusion of Section 35 , which enshrined Indigenous rights in
1972-435: The Constitution. This was achieved when other negotiators insisted on changes to ensure that sexual equality rights could not be subject to the notwithstanding clause; Blakeney stated that he would agree to such a change only if Section 35 was re-inserted. Blakeney sought a fourth consecutive term in the 1982 provincial election . However, his government was defeated by Grant Devine 's Progressive Conservatives . The scope of
2040-521: The Crown. In addition, the chief justices of Canada and former governors general are appointed. From time to time, the leader of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition and heads of other opposition parties will be appointed to the Privy Council, either as an honour or to facilitate the distribution of sensitive information under the Security of Information Act and, similarly, it is required by law that those on
2108-539: The NDP as environmental and peace activists favoured a moratorium on the resource. However, the Blakeney government also created a Department of the Environment, introduced environmental assessment standards, and held a number of public inquiries into resource projects. Like CCF premiers Douglas and Lloyd, Blakeney placed an emphasis on sound fiscal management. The government's significant spending on social programs
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2176-487: The NDP more than doubled its seat-count to 25, it was a disappointing result for Blakeney. In 1987, he announced that he would be resigning as party leader and MLA when a new leader was chosen. In November of that year, Romanow was acclaimed as Blakeney's successor. In March 1988, Dwain Lingenfelter held Blakeney's former Regina Elphinstone seat for the NDP in a by-election. After retiring from politics, Blakeney took
2244-533: The Privy Council at that same meeting. The Queen also approved an order-in-council. Two years later, the Privy Council again met before the Queen, this time in Halifax, Nova Scotia , to confirm the appointment of Georges Vanier as governor general. There was originally some speculation that the coming together of the sovereign and her Council was not constitutionally sound. However, the Prime Minister at
2312-534: The Privy Council convene in 1947 to consent to the marriage of Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II ) to Philip Mountbatten , per the Royal Marriages Act 1772 . The Princess' father, King George VI , had offered an invitation for Mackenzie King to attend when the Privy Council of the United Kingdom met for the same purpose. But, the Prime Minister declined and held the meeting of
2380-494: The Privy Council, but have been made members on special occasions, such as the centennial of Confederation in 1967 and the patriation of the constitution of Canada in 1982. On Canada Day in 1992, which also marked the 125th anniversary of Canadian Confederation , Governor General Ramon Hnatyshyn appointed 18 prominent Canadians to the Privy Council, including the former Premier of Ontario David Peterson , retired hockey star Maurice Richard , and businessman Conrad Black (who
2448-468: The Privy Council. The first non-Canadian sworn of the council was Billy Hughes , Prime Minister of Australia , who was inducted on 18 February 1916, at the request of Robert Borden —to honour a visiting head of government, but also so that Hughes could attend Cabinet meetings on wartime policy. Similarly, Winston Churchill , Prime Minister of the United Kingdom , was inducted during a visit to Canada on 29 December 1941. Privy councillors are entitled to
2516-468: The campaign. Approximately 600 people attended his memorial, including federal NDP leaders Jack Layton and Ed Broadbent , former provincial premiers Roy Romanow, Lorne Calvert , Peter Lougheed , Ed Schreyer , Bill Davis , and Bob Rae , as well as Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall . On April 30, 1992, Blakeney was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Canada for his work as premier, his contribution to
2584-464: The conventional "treaty" laid out in the preamble to the 1931 Statute of Westminster . Following the announcement of the Prince of Wales' engagement to Camilla Parker-Bowles , however, the Department of Justice announced its conclusion that the Privy Council was not required to meet to give its approval to the marriage, as the union would not result in offspring that would impact the succession to
2652-558: The couple would have four children. By the end of the 1950s, Blakeney decided to enter politics himself. He first ran as a CCF candidate in the 1960 election at a time when electoral districts elected multiple members for the Legislative Assembly (MLAs). Blakeney was one of four MLAs elected for Regina City —he would go on to represent a Regina-based riding without interruption until his retirement in 1988, including Regina Elphinstone from 1975 onward. Blakeney served as
2720-460: The day. The quorum for Privy Council meetings is four. The Constitution Act, 1867 , outlines that persons are to be summoned and appointed for life to the King's Privy Council by the governor general, though convention dictates that this be done on the advice of the sitting prime minister. As its function is to provide the vehicle for advising the Crown, the members of the Privy Council are predominantly all living current and former ministers of
2788-436: The defeat was surprising: the NDP lost 35 of its 44 seats, its 9 elected members marking the smallest presence for the party since the 1930s. The result has been attributed to a variety of factors. The national economy was struggling. Public fatigue with constitutional matters made the NDP vulnerable to charges that they had lost touch with issues on the ground in Saskatchewan. The party also lost significant union support—normally
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2856-411: The economy and strong support for organized labour, and promising expanded health and social programs, including drug and children's dental programs, housing development, and increased supports for the poor and elderly. In the 1971 provincial election , Blakeney defeated Thatcher's Liberals and led the NDP to power with their highest ever share of the popular vote at 55%. One of Blakeney's key priorities
2924-456: The federal National Energy Program , which exacerbated a new wave of western alienation sentiment. The province's most significant decision was to nationalize the potash industry in 1976. These developments were not without controversy. The potash industry was initially shocked by nationalization, but the province managed to arrange purchase agreements and never had to expropriate any mines. Uranium development, meanwhile, proved contentious within
2992-762: The field of public administration, and for his role as a key player in introducing the first comprehensive public medical health care plan in Canada. In 2000, he was awarded the Saskatchewan Order of Merit , and in 2001, he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada . He received honorary degrees from the University of Saskatchewan, the University of Regina , York University, Mount Allison University , and Western University . In 2017, Regina's adult campus, where adults aged 18 to 21 who did not complete high school can obtain secondary school credits,
3060-457: The final ballot. The result was seen as a victory for the party establishment over the Waffle. However, once he became leader, a priority for Blakeney was uniting the party and he would prove open to some of the movement's proposals. Blakeney's first election platform as leader was titled "A New Deal for People", and it offered an ambitious social democratic agenda premised on state intervention in
3128-536: The first social democratic government elected in North America. Blakeney later stated that he initially intended to stay in Saskatchewan only for a couple of years, explaining that "Saskatchewan was the end of the Earth to me in 1950". However, he found the work engaging, and during the 1950s he became a senior civil servant. His first wife, Molly, died suddenly in 1957. He married his second wife, Anne, in 1959, and
3196-440: The governor general on the advice of the prime minister of Canada , meaning that the group is composed predominantly of former Cabinet ministers, with some others having been inducted as an honorary gesture. Those in the council are accorded the use of an honorific style and post-nominal letters, as well as various signifiers of precedence. The Government of Canada , which is formally referred to as His Majesty's Government ,
3264-691: The merger of the former Saskatchewan Mining Development Corporation and the former federal Eldorado crown corporation. Blakeney was a past president of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association . In the 1990s, Blakeney worked on an International Development Research Centre project advising the African National Congress in South Africa . The project mainly entailed discussions ahead of the 1994 national elections , and Blakeney helped to advise on
3332-509: The monarch's family have been appointed to the Privy Council: Prince Edward (later King Edward VIII ), appointed by his father, King George V , on 2 August 1927; Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh , appointed by his wife, Queen Elizabeth II , on 14 October 1957; and Prince Charles (now King Charles III ), appointed by his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on 18 May 2014. On occasion, non-Canadians have been appointed to
3400-769: The nuances of federal political systems. The same decade, Blakeney spent time in the former Soviet republics of Russia and Kyrgyzstan —Cameco operated one of he largest gold mines in the latter—advising legislators and government. Blakeney co-authored Political Management in Canada with Sandford Borins, with whom he worked at Osgoode Hall. The book, released in 1992, offers Blakeney's perspective and experience on governance and social democracy. Blakeney published his memoirs in 2008. Blakeney died on April 16, 2011, at his home in Saskatoon of complications from cancer . Federal NDP leader Jack Layton dedicated his 2011 federal election campaign to Blakeney after he died halfway through
3468-440: The option to purchase the land after a five-year term. Blakeney also introduced programs to stabilize crop prices, retain transportation links, and modernize rural life. Blakeney later stated that he looked back "ruefully" on the government's uneven efforts to stem the tide of corporatization in agriculture, citing the extremely high costs—such as those borne by many European states—as a barrier to true success. Blakeney's government
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#17327906852013536-419: The proclamation of a new Canadian sovereign following a demise of the Crown or conferring on royal marriages—will be attended to by more senior officials in the Privy Council, such as the prime minister, the chief justice of Canada , and other senior statesmen; though all privy councillors are invited to such meetings in theory, in practice, the composition of the gathering is determined by the prime minister of
3604-558: The province needed to be its citizens rather than the corporate sector. The NDP created new crown corporations such as SaskOil, a relatively small enterprise mainly concerned with exploration, and the Saskatchewan Mining Development Corporation , which became a key developer of the province's significant uranium reserves. The province also went to court with the federal government over resource taxation, and joined with Alberta in its opposition to
3672-430: The province's political and social development, while his influence also extended beyond the province. Within Saskatchewan, Blakeney's government has been seen as the last truly social democratic government in the CCF tradition, whose "progressive creativity" helped to shape the province's political institutions. This legacy is clearly seen in the province's continued tradition of supporting its crown corporations, which were
3740-416: The race to succeed Lloyd. Blakeney was joined in the race by young lawyer Roy Romanow , who had joined the caucus in 1967; Waffle candidate Don Mitchell; and labour candidate George Taylor. Blakeney's motivation was principally to continue the legacy of the CCF in building and maintaining the welfare state. While Mitchell had a strong showing in the leadership election, Blakeney ultimately defeated Romanow on
3808-622: The right to collectively bargain. The NPD also established legal aid and the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission . One of the NDP's earliest and most controversial initiatives was the creation of a Land Bank for agricultural land. An attempt to address rural decline, driven in part through agricultural consolidation and the weakening of the family farm, the Bank could purchase available land and then lease it to young farmers, guaranteeing them tenure but also providing
3876-534: The royal couple with champagne . David Brown, an official in the Privy Council Office, told The Globe and Mail that, had the Privy Council rejected the Prince of Wales' engagement, none of his children would have been considered legitimate heirs to the Canadian throne , thus setting up a potential break in the unified link to the crown of each of the Commonwealth realms , in contradiction to
3944-569: The sovereign and governor general advice (in the construct of constitutional monarchy and responsible government , this is typically binding ) on how to exercise the royal prerogative via orders-in-council rests with the Cabinet—a committee of the Privy Council made up of other ministers of the Crown who are drawn from, and responsible to, the House of Commons in the Parliament . This body
4012-734: The style the Honourable (French: L'honorable ) or, for the prime minister, chief justice, or certain other eminent individuals, the Right Honourable (French: Le très honorable ) and the post-nominal letters PC (in French: CP ). Prior to 1967, the style the Right Honourable was only employed in Canada by those appointed to the Imperial Privy Council in London , such persons usually being prime ministers, Supreme Court chief justices, certain senior members of
4080-408: The throne. To mark the occasion of her Ruby Jubilee , Queen Elizabeth II, on Canada Day , 1992, presided over the swearing in of new members of her Privy Council. The most recent formal meeting of the Privy Council was on 10 September 2022, for the proclamation of the accession of King Charles III . Regina Elphinstone Regina Elphinstone is a former provincial electoral division in
4148-410: The time, John Diefenbaker , found no legal impropriety in the idea and desired to create a physical illustration of Elizabeth's position of Queen of Canada being separate to that of Queen of the United Kingdom. A formal meeting of the Privy Council was held in 1981 to give formal consent to the marriage of Prince Charles, Prince of Wales (now King Charles III ), to Lady Diana Spencer . According to
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#17327906852014216-464: Was resource nationalist , and he saw mineral resource development as a key to achieving the government's goals. The advent of the Energy Crisis in the 1970s, which resulted in a rapid rise in energy commodity prices, made resource development a priority, and Blakeney relied on a state-led model of development. Above all, Blakeney believed that the primary beneficiaries of resource development in
4284-630: Was born in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia on September 7, 1925. He attended Dalhousie University in Halifax and earned a degree in history and political science, followed by a law degree from Dalhousie Law School , winning a gold medal. He was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship and attended Queen's College, Oxford , where he played for the Oxford University Ice Hockey Club . There he earned a bachelor's degree, second class, in politics, philosophy. and economics. Although he grew up in
4352-499: Was intensely interested in constitutional matters, and he played an important role in the federal-provincial negotiations that led to the 1982 Patriation of the Canadian Constitution. One priority was ensuring the recognition of provincial rights over natural resources in the Constitution; to this end, Blakeney worked closely with Alberta premier Peter Lougheed to negotiate those rights, which were ultimately enshrined in Section 92A of
4420-408: Was largely offset by its new ventures in resource development along with high royalties. Blakeney not only presented a succession of surplus budgets, but established a Heritage fund for the province, saving surplus resource revenues for future economic challenges. With this record, Blakeney's NDP were comfortably re-elected in the 1975 and 1978 provincial elections. Given his legal background, Blakeney
4488-461: Was later expelled from the Privy Council by the Governor General on the advice of Prime Minister Stephen Harper ). The use of Privy Council appointments as purely an honour was not employed again until 6 February 2006, when Harper advised the Governor General to appoint former member of Parliament John Reynolds , along with the new Cabinet . Harper, on 15 October 2007, also advised Governor General Michaëlle Jean to appoint Jim Abbott . Members of
4556-447: Was putting together a strong cabinet and building a robust civil service, which had been significantly weakened by Thatcher, who had prioritized a smaller government. Blakeney believed in evidence-based policy and relied heavily on the professional civil service and delegation to cabinet ministers. In terms of policy, the government quickly enacted extensive labour reforms, for example making it easier for workers to organize and guaranteeing
4624-633: Was renamed the Allan Blakeney Adult Campus in his honour. There is also a memorial plinth for Blakeney in Wascana Centre , near the Saskatchewan Legislative Building . Blakeney was closely involved in Saskatchewan government and politics from the 1950s into the 1990s, actually sitting in government for nearly the entirety of the 1960s through the 1980s. As such, he played a significant role in
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