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110-678: The Liberals were a dominant force in Saskatchewan politics during the first half of the twentieth century, forming government for all but five years between 1905 and 1944. With the emergence of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) under Tommy Douglas ' leadership, the Liberals spent the following two decades in Opposition before forming two more majority governments from 1964 to 1971. However,

220-540: A coalition that they termed the "Co-operative" government. Anderson's government took power at the outset of the Great Depression , which proved to be especially severe for the Prairie provinces and which provided the Liberals with ample opportunity to criticize the government's inability to contend with the crisis. In 1932, Anderson even invited Gardiner's Liberals into his coalition, but Gardiner refused. At

330-457: A "post-partisan or post-ideological party". He stated an intention to focus on finance reform, government accountability, and 'green' energy. In September 2023, Walters announced his resignation as leader and his intent to step away from politics. He remained on as interim leader of the party until the scheduled leadership election in November 2023. After the scheduled election failed to produce

440-509: A Department of the Environment, introduced environmental assessment standards, and held public inquiries into resource projects. The NDP also introduced progressive reforms to taxation and labour law, and expanded healthcare programs including new prescription drug and dental plans. The NDP was re-elected to majority governments in 1975 and 1979. Blakeney and the NDP were also governing during

550-503: A century. This did not change the party's fortunes; in the 2011 election , the Liberals ran only nine candidates and support fell to below one percent, with the Green Party surpassing the Liberals in popular support. Bater resigned as leader on January 31, 2012, and Greg Gallager was appointed interim leader. In 2013, Reid Hill was set to be acclaimed the party's new leader as the only declared candidate. However, he decided not to take

660-547: A close relationship with the SGGA. The provincial Progressives managed to win only a handful of seats throughout the 1920s, while the American-inspired agrarian Non-Partisan League failed to win any. Organized labour, meanwhile, existed in the province but, largely dependent on the expanding agricultural economy, tended to find itself following the lead of farmers. In 1921, a left-wing splinter group, unhappy with

770-520: A closer relationship with organized labour. However, when a handful of Progressive MLAs opted to prop up a Conservative government after the 1929 election , the UFC was pushed further towards political participation. The other major factor in pushing the UFC towards political participation was the onset of the Great Depression , which was particularly severe on the Prairies. The apparent unwillingness of

880-735: A commitment not to privatize crowns and promised a continued focus on healthcare. Wall led the Saskatchewan Party to victory in the 2007 general election , ending a long tenure by the NDP. After the election, Calvert said he had no immediate plans to step down as leader, but was unlikely to lead the party into the next election. In 2008, Calvert announced his intention to retire. The ensuing leadership race included former deputy premier Dwain Lingenfelter , Moose Jaw MLA Deb Higgins , former party president and Regina lawyer Yens Pedersen , and Saskatoon doctor Ryan Meili . Lingenfelter

990-421: A consequence, the provincial Liberals presided over the province at a time of tremendous growth as a rapidly expanding population driven by immigration—the province became the third most populous in the country after Ontario and Quebec—established a large agricultural economy. One of the keys to Liberal success was their close relationship with immigrant communities and especially with the largest farmers' lobby in

1100-464: A greater role for state planning and nationalization of industry. The Waffle was well supported in Saskatchewan—the movement's candidate for the 1971 provincial party leadership election finished in third with over 25% of the vote—but was ultimately defeated by the party establishment. The 1990s brought about a rightward shift in NDP policy under the leadership of Roy Romanow. During that decade,

1210-521: A highly-detailed platform focusing on socialized health services and educational reform. From the outset, the Douglas government demonstrated a commitment to promoting public, cooperative, and private enterprise as it embarked on an ambitious modernizing program. The new government immediately enacted extensive reforms: in its first sixteen months in office, it passed 192 bills, created numerous new government departments and crown corporations as it expanded

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1320-417: A more right-wing candidate; Don Mitchell, a farmer and Waffle candidate; and George Taylor, who was considered a labour candidate. At the 1970 convention, Mitchell had a strong showing, finishing third with more than 25% of the vote. On the final ballot, Blakeney defeated Romanow, with many Waffle members abstaining. However, despite losing the leadership, party policy at the convention was greatly influenced by

1430-519: A new party leader, Nathan Bruce was listed as the interim leader in December 2023. In January 2024, Teunis Peters was listed as the party's new interim leader. None of those changes improved party fortunes; the party again nominated only three candidates ahead of the 2024 provincial election , and received only a few hundred votes for the second consecutive election, by far the fewest among registered parties. The Saskatchewan Progress Party has undergone

1540-415: A new permanent leader. In 2021, members unanimously acclaimed University of Regina lecturer Jeff Walters as the new leader. Walters emphasized the need in the province for a centrist alternative to the main parties, as well as the distinction of his 'prairie Liberalism' from that of the federal Liberals. Walters worked to increase his party's visibility in challenging the Saskatchewan Party on its handling of

1650-630: A number of ideological shifts over its history, often responding to political developments around it. For the first several decades of the party's existence, the Saskatchewan Liberals were relatively closely aligned with the Canadian liberalism espoused by the federal Liberal Party. Liberal Prime Minister Mackenzie King even successfully represented the Saskatchewan district of Prince Albert in Parliament from 1926 to 1946. However,

1760-457: A party that had begun as a voice for rural discontent. Devine's government, on the other hand, was rural-focused, and spent lavishly on supporting farmers in particular. Blakeney resigned in early 1987 and Roy Romanow was acclaimed as the new leader. Romanow would led the party back to power in 1991, when the NDP inherited a fiscal crisis. Provincial debt had soared under the Devine government, to

1870-414: A provincial electrical grid, and bringing other modern amenities like natural gas, sewage, and water hook-ups. Overall, the government placed a heavy emphasis on improving the quality of life of Saskatchewan residents, and on ensuring equal access to high standards of welfare, education, and health services. To manage and pay for these kinds of innovations, the Douglas government placed a heavy emphasis on

1980-478: A radical departure for the NDP, it was, as promised, considered more social democratic than Romanow's. Calvert's government significantly increased social spending, particularly in education and healthcare. It expanded child care spaces and introduced a number of targeted welfare programs. The government also began reforming immigration systems to attract more immigrants, and expanded investment in renewable energy and energy conservation. Much of this new social spending

2090-440: A result, the government managed to achieve surplus budgets throughout much of the 1950s, providing a stronger economic base from which to further expand its welfare state. The CCF was re-elected to majority governments in 1948, 1952, 1956, and 1960. Arguably, the party's most significant accomplishment was the introduction of North America's first comprehensive system of public medical insurance . The fight to introduce Medicare in

2200-607: A return to the CCF approach of economic planning. Thatcher died suddenly just three weeks after the election, leaving the Opposition leaderless for most of the rest of the year. In 1975, the Liberals were able to hold on to their fifteen seats and remain the Opposition, but for the first time in more than forty years, the Conservatives—now the Progressive Conservatives (PCs)—won multiple seats. The resurgence of

2310-498: A robust and professional civil service. Douglas personally recruited George Cadbury from England to lead an influential economic planning advisory board. The CCF placed an increasing emphasis on economic diversification through resource development, which it pursued mainly through promoting private industry; but the party's insistence that any such development be in the public interest led to a royalty structure that provided massive revenues from oil, natural gas, and mineral production. As

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2420-607: A significant social gospel influence. Although it was a founding member and affiliate, the Saskatchewan party opted to maintain the Farmer-Labour name ahead of its first election. At the national party's first convention in Regina in 1933, it adopted the Regina Manifesto as its statement of principles, calling for a "full programme of socialized planning" to replace capitalism. Farmer-Labour first participated in

2530-497: A strong anti-Liberal bloc in the province. In the 1929 election , although the Liberals managed to win the most seats with 28, they fell short of a majority for the first time. They proved unable to gain the confidence of the Legislature , resulting in a coalition government under Conservative premier James T.M. Anderson —his party won 24 seats, and gained the support of the handful of Progressive and Independent members to form

2640-513: A time of increasing rural depopulation as the trend of farm consolidation was gaining greater momentum. Moreover, beginning in the late 1960s, the NDP—provincially and nationally—became gripped with a factional dispute with a growing left-wing movement called " The Waffle ". Largely an expression of the " New Left ", part of the 1960s counterculture movement , the Waffle advocated for a return to

2750-479: The 1934 provincial election and won five seats, becoming the Official Opposition to the Liberals, who returned to government with a large majority. Following the election, the party officially adopted the CCF name. Coldwell ran for federal office with the CCF in the 1935 federal election and was elected; George Williams took over as party leader. Williams was seen by moderates as too radical; while

2860-685: The 1938 election , but they lost twelve seats as the Depression continued and the CCF gained further momentum. Although the Second World War began to relieve Depression conditions, by 1944 the CCF, under new leader Tommy Douglas , appeared poised to take power. In the 1944 election , Saskatchewan elected the first democratic socialist government in North America under Douglas' CCF. The Liberals were soundly beaten, dropping to only five seats. CCF organizing had effectively captured

2970-468: The 1948 election on the slogan "Tucker or tyranny", referencing leader Walter Tucker . The CCF was re-elected to a reduced majority. In 1957, future party leader Ross Thatcher famously held a televised debate against Douglas in Mossbank on the topic of the province's crown corporations . Accounts tended to label the debate a draw, which was considered an achievement against the formidable Douglas. All

3080-501: The 1995 election , the Liberals appeared poised to take advantage of a scandal-ridden Progressive Conservative Party badly damaged by an expense fraud scandal . For the first time since the 1970s, the Liberals returned to Official Opposition status. However, the party's eleven seats to the NDP's forty two were seen as a disappointment. Dissatisfaction within the Liberal caucus led to Haverstock's resignation as party leader shortly after

3190-461: The 2016 general election , and they finished third among parties with 3.6% support. However, they were once again shut out of the Legislature. Lamoureux resigned as party leader on September 9, 2017, and Tara Jijian was appointed interim leader. Former NDP candidate Naveed Anwar was acclaimed as party leader on May 5, 2018. However, Anwar resigned as leader on September 9, 2020, just weeks before

3300-426: The 2020 election . The party had again been set back by in-fighting, with Anwar and the executive at odds over election candidates and the state of the party. Robert Rudachyk was appointed as the party's interim leader for the election. Running only three candidates, the party received just 355 votes, marking the worst performance in party history. Following the 2020 provincial election, the party set about looking for

3410-490: The 2024 provincial election , polls showed the NDP leading the Saskatchewan Party as they waged a campaign focusing on healthcare, education, and the cost of living. The party went on to post its best results since 2003 and more than doubled its seat count compared to 2020—this included winning all but one seat in Regina and Saskatoon, with the only loss in those urban centres coming by a margin of fewer than 150 votes. However,

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3520-479: The COVID-19 pandemic . On February 5 2022, Walters organized a rally in front of the Legislature to oppose the end of COVID-19 mandates. Walters also launched "Accountability Saskatchewan", collecting signatures to trigger a plebiscite on a public inquiry into the government's handling of the pandemic. The petition was initially available only online, provoking an official ruling from Elections Saskatchewan affirming

3630-535: The Northwest Territories ; territorial premier Frederick Haultain had advocated for the creation of one large western province called Buffalo , but Wilfrid Laurier 's federal Liberal government opted to create two provinces instead, wary of the potential strength of a province the size of Buffalo. Haultain responded by seeking the premiership of Saskatchewan under the banner of his Provincial Rights Party , but Saskatchewan voters opted in 1905 for

3740-536: The Official Opposition and is led by Carla Beck . The CCF emerged as a dominant force in provincial politics under the leadership of Tommy Douglas , forming five consecutive majority governments from 1944 through 1964. The first social democratic government elected in Canada, the CCF created a wide range of crown corporations , normalized government involvement in the economy, and pioneered elements of

3850-681: The On-to-Ottawa Trek , a 1935 convoy meant to take the concerns of unemployed workers directly to the federal government. Prime Minister R.B. Bennett declared that the trekkers would not proceed past Regina , which acted as the headquarters to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police . Gardiner protested, predicting a riot. He was proven correct on July 1 1935, when the Regina Riot led to two deaths and hundreds of injuries. The Liberals held on to their majority in

3960-719: The Patriation of the Canadian Constitution in the early 1980s, which became a major focus of Blakeney's. Alongside Alberta Premier Peter Lougheed , Blakeney negotiated the recognition of provincial rights over natural resources, which were enshrined in Section 92A of the Constitution. Moreover, Blakeney was instrumental to the development of Section 33 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which enshrined

4070-532: The Saskatchewan Party . With eight members, the new party took Official Opposition status away from the Liberals. In the wake of the defections, remaining Liberals tended to put into question how much the new party was a Liberal-Conservative coalition, suggesting that the Liberals who joined the new party were right-wingers resisting a move towards the centre that much of the Liberal Party felt

4180-411: The 1930s had by the turn of the twenty-first century become a more centrist, "third way" social democratic party. The first national CCF convention in 1933 resulted in the Regina Manifesto , named after the city in which it was presented. While it has been noted that the manifesto broke somewhat from the socialist tradition in favouring a national over an international outlook, the manifesto ended with

4290-732: The CCF and the Canadian Labour Congress . Woodrow Lloyd , a key Douglas cabinet minister, succeeded him as party leader and premier, and completed the implementation of Medicare. With the creation of the NDP, the Saskatchewan CCF became the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, Saskatchewan Section of the New Democratic Party, or CCF-NDP. This was the name under which the party contested the 1964 election . By then,

4400-462: The CCF swept to power In the 1944 election , winning 47 of 52 seats to form the first socialist government in Canada or the United States. Despite the fact that the province saw tens of thousands of residents move away during the Depression, the province remained the third most populous in the country; it was also the most indebted, and it remained predominantly rural. The party was elected on

4510-462: The CCF, it expanded rapidly in the latter half of the 1960s, so much so that Thatcher ultimately negotiated a minimum price and production cap with American producers. Although Thatcher had opposed the implementation of medicare, his government proved unable to reverse it with the program being rolled out across the country; Thatcher's government did, however, controversially introduce limited user fees for medical services. Thatcher focused on downsizing

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4620-440: The Charter. Blakeney's government was defeated in the 1982 election by the resurgent Progressive Conservatives led by Grant Devine . The loss has been attributed to a variety of factors, including public fatigue with constitutional matters, a loss of union support over NDP support for federal wage and price controls and conflicts with organized labour late in its term, and PC promises to provide tax and interest relief. The NDP

4730-455: The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan agreed to the alterations and terms of the "Saskatoon Agreement". The program was introduced and was soon adopted across Canada. After doing much of the preliminary work on Medicare, Douglas resigned as party leader and premier in 1961 to become the founding leader of the federal New Democratic Party (NDP), which was formed by a merger of

4840-536: The Klan both a foreign entity and a tool of the provincial Conservative Party . The Conservatives were reported to have aided Klan organization by supplying it with membership lists, and the party itself developed a nativist platform in the late 1920s, promising to protect British, Anglo-Saxon values. The Liberals were also heavily criticized for years of blatant patronage , which helped to move farmers closer to greater political participation and, more immediately, solidified

4950-457: The Legislature with his single seat in the 1986 election , a feat repeated by new leader Lynda Haverstock in the 1991 election . But for the better part of two decades the Liberals were largely on the outside of provincial politics. In addition to the PCs staking out a position on the right side of the political spectrum, space the Liberals had taken up firmly since the 1940s, this was exacerbated by

5060-428: The Liberals' traditional base, with farmers and immigrant settlers largely moving to the new party. The CCF's 1944 win marked the beginning of twenty years in government over five successive majorities. In Opposition, the Liberals became a vehemently anti-socialist party, persistently railing against the CCF government's interventions in the economy and presenting themselves as a free-market alternative. The Liberals staked

5170-409: The NDP increased its vote share and captured 30 seats to return to a majority government. After the election, Hermanson resigned as Saskatchewan Party leader and was replaced by Brad Wall . The new leader made a concerted effort to moderate the Opposition's image, shifting away from social conservative policies and arguing that it was the best party to manage the booming economy. Importantly, Wall made

5280-499: The PCs and the NDP; however, the Liberal caucus itself proved divided between left- and right-leaning members, leading to a split that helped create the Saskatchewan Party. However, another major factor in Liberal party fortunes has been a continued association with the federal Liberals, even after they disaffiliated in 2009. This has been seen as a particularly difficult for the party since the 1970s, when federal Liberal policies inflamed expressions of western alienation. In recent years,

5390-410: The PCs under Dick Collver 's leadership sapped support from the Liberals, and in the 1978 election , for the first time in their history, the Liberals failed to win a single seat, dropping to less than 15% support. The result was even worse in 1982 ; while the PCs surged to power under Grant Devine , Liberals won less than five percent of the vote. Leader Ralph Goodale was able to return the party to

5500-583: The SGGA association with the Liberals, left the association to form the Farmer's Union of Canada. The groups would reconcile in forming the Wheat Pool producers' cooperative, and merged in 1926 to form the United Farmers of Canada (UFC) under the leadership of George Hara Williams . The new group was opposed to participating in electoral politics and favoured cooperative development, while building

5610-612: The UFC connected with M.J. Coldwell , the leader of the Independent Labour Party. In 1932, the groups agreed to merge and form the Farmer-Labour Group, or Farmer-Labour Party, with Coldwell as leader. The same year, Farmer-Labour participated in the founding conference of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation in Calgary , a new national party under the banner of "Farmer-Labour-Socialist", which had

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5720-439: The Waffle. Under Blakeney, the NDP returned to power with a strong majority in the 1971 election on a platform entitled the "New Deal for People". The platform promised greater government intervention in the economy and a focus on equitable social programming, along with support for organized labour. The arrival of the 1970s energy crisis , which rapidly increased energy commodity prices, including for oil and uranium, provided

5830-548: The Young New Democrats. Wiebe ran an explicitly anti-neoliberal campaign, advocating for a leftward shift for the party; Wiebe ultimately finished third with 23% on the third ballot. Calvert, who ran a more traditional social democratic campaign, promising a greater focus on social programs, defeated Axworthy on the final ballot with 58% of nearly 18,000 votes. With the victory, Calvert immediately succeeded Romanow as premier. Although his government did not represent

5940-575: The basis of the Progressive Party , an agrarian and social democratic party that won the second most seats in the 1921 federal election , including 15 of Saskatchewan's 16 seats. United Farmers parties rose to power in Alberta and Manitoba , but the political aspirations of farmers in Saskatchewan at the provincial level were largely bound together with the provincial Liberal Party , which dominated provincial politics and carefully maintained

6050-469: The cabinet table. The Liberals also stood against a rising tide of nativist sentiment in the province in the 1920s. While the Ku Klux Klan gained a foothold in the province—the organization had 25,000 members in Saskatchewan by 1929—and fomented discriminatory attitudes towards French, Catholic, and Eastern European settlers, Premier Gardiner defended his government's immigration policies and called

6160-500: The civil service, which was greatly expanded by the CCF. During the Thatcher years, many veteran Saskatchewan civil servants found themselves migrating to other provinces or to Lester Pearson's federal government—which focused largely on expanding the federal welfare state—and these migrants became known in government circles as the "Saskatchewan Mafia". Thatcher called an early election in 1967 and won another majority. However, after

6270-551: The coalition, but they refused. Karwacki saw an opportunity to become the more left-wing alternative to the Saskatchewan Party. However, he took over a party that had lost much of its membership and financial backing. The party was shut out of the Legislature in both the 2003 and 2007 elections as the province returned to a two-party system now dominated by the NDP and the Saskatchewan Party; Liberal support dropped from over 20% in 1999 to below 10% in 2007. The losses sparked discussion of Karwacki's future as leader. He resigned before

6380-420: The crisis, which stabilized the province's finances, returning to a balanced budget by 1995, but at a cost. Spending cuts included downsizing rural healthcare and schooling as well as agricultural support, further entrenching the growing urban-rural divide in provincial politics. Moreover, the embrace of neoliberal " third way " politics by the NDP was controversial within the party, alienating those who felt it

6490-408: The dominant political parties to respond to the crisis created a renewed climate for political engagement and in particular for criticism of the political and economic system. The UFC decided to formalize itself as a socialist political alternative. In 1931, the UFC participated in a march on Regina to protest against government indifference to the farmer's plight during the Depression. During the event,

6600-468: The dynamics of provincial politics. Gardiner and the Liberals were able to return to power in 1934 ; the Conservatives failed to return a single member, and Farmer-Labour became the Official Opposition with five members to the Liberals' fifty. After the election, Farmer-Labour officially adopted the CCF party name. Almost immediately, Gardiner had to contend with the passage through Saskatchewan of

6710-499: The election Thatcher embraced a program of austerity , reducing spending and introducing medicare fees, which became derided as "deterrence fees". A downturn in the provincial economy further eroded the government's popularity. In a 1971 election that the Liberals framed as a choice between capitalism and socialism, the Liberals were soundly beaten by a resurgent CCF—now called the NDP—under the leadership of Allan Blakeney , who promised

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6820-452: The election, triggering another leadership race . Meili again entered the leadership race and was joined by two MLAs— Trent Wotherspoon and Cam Broten —and former federal NDP candidate Erin Weir . On March 9, 2013, Broten was narrowly elected leader, defeating Meili by 44 votes. Broten fared little better than Lingenfelter. In the 2016 election , the party won ten seats, and Broten became

6930-456: The election. Jim Melenchuk was selected to replace Haverstock, but internal strife continued. Several of the more conservative members of the Liberal caucus were in discussion with PC members about joining forces and forming a new party. Then, in August 1997, four Liberal members— Bob Bjornerud , June Draude , Rod Gantefoer , and Ken Krawetz —joined four PC members in announcing the founding of

7040-512: The emergence of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation as a political force in the province led to a rightward shift for the Liberals, as they began fighting elections as an explicitly free-enterprise and anti-socialist party. The re-emergence of the Progressive Conservative Party in the 1970s forced another re-evaluation for the Liberals. By the 1990s, the party was attempting a more centrist approach between those of

7150-466: The end of 2007, with party president Frank Proto taking over on an interim basis. This marked the beginning of an accelerated period of decline in which the party continued to lose support at the polls. Ryan Bater was introduced as the new Liberal leader in February 2009; at the same time, the party voted to disaffiliate itself from the federal Liberal Party, ending an affiliation that dated back more than

7260-489: The federal government over resource taxation, and joined with Alberta in its opposition to the federal National Energy Program , which exacerbated a new wave of western alienation sentiment. These developments were not without controversy; uranium development in particular proved contentious within the NDP as environmental and peace activists favoured a moratorium on the resource. However, the Blakeney government also created

7370-473: The fight over Medicare had taken a particular toll, and the CCF-NDP were defeated by Ross Thatcher 's Liberals. At its convention in November 1967, the party fully adopted the NDP name. The change was controversial, in part because it broke with a rich tradition, and also because the merger with organized labour that it represented raised concerns that the party was abandoning its agrarian roots. This came at

7480-436: The first elected female leader of the party, and its fourth leader since Calvert retired in 2009. The leadership election revealed that party membership had decreased substantially since the last race; while more than 13,000 members were eligible to vote in 2018, just over 7,000 were eligible in 2022, with fewer than 5,000 casting ballots. Under Beck's leadership, the party began to see a resurgence in popular support. Ahead of

7590-474: The founding of the Saskatchewan Party in an attempt to unite opposition to the NDP. Former Reform Party MP Elwin Hermanson was chosen as its leader, and with eight MLAs the party immediately formed the Official Opposition. Running on a platform of tax cuts and social conservative policies, Hermanson's party had a strong 1999 election performance, narrowly edging out the NDP in the popular vote; however,

7700-415: The growing unpopularity of the federal Liberal Party in the province; the party's unpopular resource policies in the 1970s and early 1980s gave rise to a wave of powerful western alienation sentiment and damaged the Liberal brand. Moreover, Saskatchewan politics had become increasingly divided between perceived urban and rural issues, and the Liberal brand was particularly unpopular in rural areas. Ahead of

7810-452: The modern Canadian welfare state, most notably universal healthcare . With the NDP forming government again from 1971 to 1982 and from 1991 to 2007, the party was long considered Saskatchewan's natural governing party. Moreover, Saskatchewan was long seen as the regional centre for CCF and NDP politics on the national stage. However, the party saw its influence diminish after losing government in 2007, posting its weakest election results since

7920-487: The move would allow the Liberals to regain some influence, he found the Romanow government itself was quite centrist. The coalition also divided the party again; Melenchuk was removed as leader—he and coalition partner Osika would contest the 2003 election as NDP members—and was replaced by David Karwacki when he defeated Hillson, who himself had withdrawn from the coalition. Karwacki ordered Melenchuk and Osika to withdraw

8030-501: The need to pursue policy that "gives the greatest good to the greatest number of people". † Denotes vacant or acting/interim leader Saskatchewan New Democratic Party#The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation The Saskatchewan New Democratic Party ( Saskatchewan NDP or Sask NDP ), branded as the Saskatchewan New Democrats , is a social democratic political party in Saskatchewan , Canada. The party

8140-421: The new party failed to make inroads in urban centres, and won 25 seats compared to 29 for the NDP, who nearly swept the seats in Regina and Saskatoon. The NDP's 29 seats were one shy of a majority, and the party was forced to rely on the support of three elected Liberal MLAs to form government. In 2000, Romanow announced that he would be retiring; this set off a leadership race that differed from 1987, when Romanow

8250-503: The notwithstanding clause. The clause enables provinces to override sections of the Charter. 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

8360-480: The overarching CCF platform came with the 1956 Winnipeg Declaration , which downplayed socialism in embracing a mixed-economy model, which the party had done in practice in Saskatchewan since forming government. By the late 1960s, the party at all levels became gripped by a factional dispute with the Waffle Movement , which consisted of NDP members advocating for a return to the party's socialist roots, with

8470-404: The party doubled its seat count in the 1938 election and maintained its place as the Opposition, its popular support was actually lower than in 1934. In 1939, Williams' unwavering support for the war also alienated pacifists, one of whom, Carlyle King, unsuccessfully challenged Williams for the party presidency the following year. Tommy Douglas , a charismatic federal CCF MP and baptist minister,

8580-442: The party embraced " third way " politics, a form of neoliberalism that favours a reduced role for the state in the economy. By the first decade of the twenty-first century, observers noted that the province's main parties—the NDP and the Saskatchewan Party, a relatively new conservative party—were "crowding the centre", with a broad consensus favouring neoliberal approaches to more traditional social democratic approaches. This shift

8690-469: The party failed to win any rural seats outside of the far north of the province, or to break through in smaller urban centres, which kept the party in Opposition, albeit the province's largest in nearly two decades. The Saskatchewan NDP has undergone a series of ideological transformations over the course of its history, dating back to its days as the CCF. It has also been subject to factional disputes. Overall, what began as an explicitly socialist party in

8800-433: The party has emphasized itself as a centrist party. However, political observers have noted that early in the twenty-first century, Saskatchewan parties had "crowded towards... the ideological centre", while more recent years have been marked by political polarization. The party's most recent permanent leader, Jeff Walters, suggested that the re-branded Saskatchewan Progress Party strove to become "post-ideological", emphasizing

8910-604: The party lost influence in the latter stages of the twentieth century. Although it reached Opposition status again in the mid-1990s, even that term was disrupted when much of the caucus abandoned the party to form the new Saskatchewan Party in 1997. The 1999 election marked the last time any Liberals were elected to the Legislature . The Liberal Party dominated Saskatchewan politics from the province's earliest days. Saskatchewan entered Confederation in September 1905 alongside neighbouring Alberta . Both provinces were carved out of

9020-769: The party's earliest days in the 1930s. The CCF can trace its roots to early farmers' organizations and political movements in the early twentieth century. In 1901, a group of farmers agreed to create the Territorial Grain Growers' Association —which became the Saskatchewan Grain Growers' Association (SGGA) when Saskatchewan became a province in 1905—to lobby for farmer's rights in the grain trade and with railways. The SGGA represented an early expression of western alienation , and took issue with an economic system that appeared to favour capitalists in central Canada. Farmers movements formed

9130-400: The party's socialist roots, including through the nationalization of key industries; it was particularly concerned with American control of the Canadian economy. The Waffle was contentious. Its Manifesto for an Independent Socialist Canada was defeated in a vote at the 1969 federal NDP convention. However, one person who voted in support was Woodrow Lloyd, who saw its potential for revitalizing

9240-407: The party. The episode, and resistance to Lloyd's willingness to open the party to debate, contributed to Lloyd's decision to resign as leader in 1970. Lloyd's resignation triggered a contentious leadership race featuring Allan Blakeney , a former civil servant and cabinet minister in the Douglas and Lloyd governments; Roy Romanow , a young lawyer who had joined the caucus in 1967 and was considered

9350-487: The point that the province was facing the prospect of bankruptcy. Moreover, the PC government's privatization of a range of crown corporations, including PotashCorp, constrained government revenue. Romanow appealed to the standard of fiscal management set by the Douglas government to emphasize the need to prioritize the fiscal crisis. However, he and finance minister Janice MacKinnon adopted an austerity approach to dealing with

9460-458: The position, stating that he had hoped for a competitive race to revive public interest in the party, rather than simply being handed the leadership due to lack of interest. Darrin Lamoureux was appointed interim leader on December 16, 2013, and was acclaimed the leader on August 21, 2014, when no other candidates ran for the position. The party managed to field a full slate of 61 candidates for

9570-736: The prospect of windfall resource profits, while also precipitating a series of confrontations between the province, industry, and the federal government over the control of and revenues from resources. Saskatchewan embarked on a programme of nationalizing the province's natural resources, including the creation of SaskOil —a central campaign of the Saskatchewan Waffle— PotashCorp , and the Saskatchewan Mining Development Corporation , in order to secure significant resource revenue. The NDP, with Romanow as attorney general, also went to court with

9680-515: The province was intense due to the opposition of the province's doctors, who were backed by the American Medical Association . The AMA feared that public healthcare would spread to other parts of the continent if introduced in one part. In July 1962 the doctors staged the 23-day Saskatchewan doctors' strike . Despite a concerted attempt to defeat the controversial Medical Care Insurance Act, the strike eventually collapsed and

9790-476: The province, the Saskatchewan Grain Growers' Association . While United Farmer governments took power in both Alberta and Manitoba during the 1920s, and while the agrarian Progressive Party performed well in Saskatchewan at the federal level, the direct entry of farmers into provincial politics was fended off for longer in Saskatchewan by Liberal leadership attuned to farmers' organizations. Early Liberal premiers were even known to invite key agrarian organizers to

9900-518: The provincial Liberal Party under the leadership of Walter Scott . This marked the beginning of a long Liberal dynasty in the new Prairie province—the party provided six of the province's first seven premiers . With the Liberals a strong force at the federal level, Saskatchewan voters appear to have preferred a provincial government that had influence at the national level, and there was crossover with Liberal premiers like Charles Dunning and Jimmy Gardiner moving on to key federal cabinet positions. As

10010-636: The role of the state in the provincial economy—including in the realms of insurance ( SGI ), utilities ( SPC ), and transportation ( STC )—and approved new labour relations, public service, and farm security acts. The government also pursued some ill-fated business adventures, including shoe, box, and brick factories. In 1947 the government approved the Saskatchewan Bill of Rights , the first of its kind in Canada. The party also pursued modern infrastructure development, building thousands of kilometres of new roads, connecting towns, villages, and farms to

10120-414: The same time, a new political party was gaining momentum in the province. In 1932, farmers with United Farmers of Canada voted to formally enter politics, and after a merger with the Independent Labour Party did so under the banner of Farmer-Labour ; the new party became a founding member of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) that same year. The party was explicitly socialist, rapidly changing

10230-413: The second straight party leader to lose their own seat. Broten resigned, triggering a third party leadership race in less than a decade. The election, which took place on March 3, 2018, came down to a contest between former contenders Meili—now a sitting MLA—and Wotherspoon, who had finished second and third, respectively, in 2013. Meili, in his third bid for party leadership, was chosen leader with 55% of

10340-531: The statement that "no CCF Government will rest content until it has eradicated capitalism", advocating for a "full programme of socialized planning". However, almost immediately the party demonstrated a willingness to work with other parties and to moderate its platform in its quest for electoral success, and early CCF governments tended to be labeled "democratic socialist". These CCF governments were also considered populist in nature, which at times tempered its socialist outlook. The first significant moderation to

10450-489: The validity of electronic signatures for this purpose in Saskatchewan. In March 2023, party members voted to change the party name in order to distance themselves from the non-affiliated federal Liberals. In July 2023, the party announced its rebranding as the Saskatchewan Progress Party. Walters stated that the new name was intended to "portray ourselves as visionaries", and that the party hoped to be

10560-402: The vote. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic —during which Meili renewed his medical license to work at testing facilities—the NDP persistently called for the implementation of more public health measures than the governing Saskatchewan Party, now under the leadership of Scott Moe , was implementing; the province was one of the hardest hit by the pandemic in Canada. The 2020 provincial election

10670-436: The while, the CCF focused intently on building a modern welfare state . The biggest battle between the two parties occurred over the introduction of universal health care in the early 1960s. The CCF effectively pitched the 1960 election as a referendum on the issue, and were re-elected to their fifth majority. However, the Liberals under Thatcher came firmly to the support of the province's organized medical profession, which

10780-690: Was a betrayal of the party's roots and core ideology, and who would have preferred a renewed program of nationalization to increase revenues. One faction even left the party to help found the New Green Alliance , which later became the Saskatchewan Green Party. After the NDP was re-elected in 1995, neither the PCs nor the Liberal Opposition saw a clear path back to power. In 1997, four MLAs from each party—all representing rural districts—joined together to announce

10890-454: Was able to lead the Liberals back to a majority government in the 1964 election , although the popular vote was a virtual tie. Thatcher—who had begun his own career as a member of the CCF—promised to open Saskatchewan for business and to dramatically scale back the government's involvement in the economy. His biggest success came in the potash sector; while the industry got off the ground under

11000-412: Was adamantly opposed to the scheme. Douglas resigned his post in the middle of this battle in 1961 to take on the leadership of the federal New Democratic Party (NDP), and a 1962 doctors' strike threatened to put an end to the plan. However, the strike was resolved and medicare was introduced in 1962, soon to be expanded nationwide. With the province divided over the bitter medicare debate, Thatcher

11110-424: Was divisive within the party, seen by parts of the party as a betrayal of its core principles. In recent years, more left-wing candidates have struggled to gain influence in the party. Ryan Meili, who was seen as left-leaning, took three tries to win the party leadership, and resigned amid rumours that the party favoured a more centrist orientation. In the last leadership race, Carla Beck defeated Kaitlyn Harvey, who

11220-415: Was elected party leader June 6, 2009, with Meili's outsider campaign finishing in second with 45% of votes. Lingenfelter led the party into the 2011 election , which proved to be its worst showing in 30 years, with the party reduced to nine seats as Wall's Saskatchewan Party secured a large majority. Lingenfelter failed to secure his own Regina seat—a first for a NDP leader—and announced his resignation after

11330-486: Was founded in 1932 as the Farmer-Labour Group and was known as the Saskatchewan section of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) from 1935 until 1967. While the party is affiliated with the federal New Democratic Party , the Saskatchewan NDP is considered a "distinctly homegrown" party given the role of the province in its development and the party's history in the province. The party currently forms

11440-553: Was held during the pandemic. In the election, the NDP won 13 seats while the Saskatchewan Party won its fourth consecutive majority government. Meili won his seat and vowed to stay on as leader. However, Meili received just 72% support at the party's 2021 convention leadership review, and days after the NDP lost a February 2022 by-election in the northern Athabasca district, Meili announced that he would be resigning as party leader. The ensuing leadership race saw Regina MLA Carla Beck defeat Saskatoon lawyer Kaitlyn Harvey—Beck became

11550-460: Was made possible by a renewed boom in commodity prices, which led to significant increases in resource revenue for the province. Calvert also purposefully drew a stark contrast between his party's support for the province's major remaining crown corporations and Hermanson's party's willingness to consider further privatization. While the Saskatchewan Party led polling heading into the 2003 general election and managed to increase its seat count to 28,

11660-508: Was necessary. Like the NDP under leader Roy Romanow, the Liberals characterized the Saskatchewan Party as merely a re-branded PC Party. In the 1999 election , the NDP were reduced to 29 seats, one shy of a majority, while the Saskatchewan Party surged to 25 seats, almost exclusively rural. The Liberals' four seats gave them the balance of power, and Melenchuk agreed to enter into a coalition government with Romanow along with fellow Liberals Ron Osika and Jack Hillson . While Melenchuk hoped that

11770-623: Was perceived as a left-wing challenger. † denotes acting or interim leader Saskatchewan Legislature The Saskatchewan Legislature is made of two elements: the lieutenant governor as representative of the King of Canada , and the unicameral assembly called the Legislative Assembly . The legislature has existed since Saskatchewan was formed out of part of the North-West Territories in 1905. Like

11880-404: Was persuaded to challenge Williams for the leadership and succeeded in defeating him for the party presidency in 1941 and for the party leadership in 1942. In the early 1940s, the party focused intently on grassroots engagement and political education, and party membership expanded accordingly, growing from approximately 4,000 at the outset of the war to approximately 24,000 by 1944. Douglas and

11990-424: Was reduced to nine seats in the worst defeat a sitting CCF/NDP government had suffered in Saskatchewan. Despite the defeat, Blakeney continued to lead the NDP in Opposition. In the 1986 election , the NDP narrowly won the popular vote, but the concentration of that vote in urban centres translated to only 25 seats. Winning just nine seats outside of Regina and Saskatoon, the election emphasized how much had changed for

12100-777: Was unchallenged for the leadership. The 2001 leadership election was highly contested—the seven candidates on the ballot made it the biggest in the party's history. Moreover, for the first time the party employed a one member, one vote policy, rather than a delegated election. The perceived front runner was Chris Axworthy , a former NDP MP and current MLA who was serving as justice minister under Romanow. Three other sitting cabinet ministers also ran in Buckley Belanger , Joanne Crofford , and Maynard Sonntag . They were joined by former MLA and United Church minister Lorne Calvert , former National Farmers Union president Nettie Wiebe , and Scott Banda, who had once served as president of

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