Saskatchewan Liberal Party

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Saskatchewan Liberal Party
Image:Saskliberal logo.gif
Active Provincial Party
Founded 1905
Leader David Karwacki
President Frank Proto
Headquarters 845A McDonald Street
Regina, Saskatchewan
S4N 2X5
Political ideology Liberalism
International alignment None
Colours Red
Website http://saskliberal.ca/

The Saskatchewan Liberal Party is a political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan.

Contents

The party dominated Saskatchewan politics for the province's first forty years providing six of the first seven premiers, and being in power for all but five of the years between the province's creation in 1905 and World War II. Located on the middle of the political spectrum, it assiduously courted "ethnic" (i.e., non-British) voters, as well as the organized farm movement, and refused to pander to "nativist" sentiment that culminated in the short, spectacular existence of the Ku Klux Klan in Saskatchewan in 1927-28.

In the 1944 election, however, Saskatchewan experienced a dramatic change when it elected the first socialist government in North America under Tommy Douglas and the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation. The Liberals moved to the political right and remained out of power for twenty years until Ross Thatcher's victory in 1964 election. Thatcher led the Liberals to re-election in 1967.

After the defeat of the Liberals in the 1971 election at the hands of the CCF's successor, the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party, the party remained the principal opposition party in the province until the 1978 election, when the party was wiped out and replaced by the Progressive Conservatives.

The Liberals came under the leadership of future Lieutenant Governor Lynda Haverstock in 1989. The Liberals were only able to take limited advantage of the collapse of Grant Devine's scandal and deficit-ridden Conservative government in the 1991 election, but Haverstock was able to win her Saskatoon seat.

In the 1995 election, the Liberals displaced the Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan to become the Official Opposition to the re-elected New Democrat government of Roy Romanow. Dissatisfaction within the Liberal caucus saw the resignation of Lynda Haverstock as party leader. The

In 1997, four Liberal Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) joined forces with four members of the Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) to form the Saskatchewan Party. [1] On November 24, 1996, the Saskatchewatchewan Liberal party elected Jim Melenchuk on the third ballot as party leader.

The 1999 election reduced the Liberals, then led by Jim Melenchuk, to only four seats and third party status in the legislature. The fourth seat, Wood River later had its election results were overturned and a by-election was held and won by Yogi Huyghebaert the Saskatchewan Party candidate. The New Democrats, however, had only won a minority of seats and persuaded three Liberals to form a coalition government with the New Democrats. Two Liberals, Jim Melenchuk and Jack Hillson were then appointed to positions in the Cabinet and the third Ron Osika was elected Speaker of the Legislature. Rank-and-file members of the Liberal party were against the coalition government and called for a leadership covention. On October 27, 2001 Saskatchewan Liberals elected businessman David Karwacki as the new leader after defeating MLA Jack Hillson who had initially joined the coalition, but later withdrew. Karwacki soon ordered the other two Liberal MLAs, Melenchuk and Ron Osika to leave the coalition. They refused and sat as independent Members of the Legislative Assembly and continued in the coalition.

The internal party feud hurt Liberal fortunes, as did a polarized electorate, and a poorly run election camapign which saw the party shut out of the legislature in the 2003 election. It was the first time in over 20 years in which the Liberal Party was unable to win a single seat. In the 2007 election the Saskatchewan Liberal Party was once again shut out of the Legislature and political commentators believe the Liberal Party will elect a new leader before the next election which is set to be held on November 7, 2011. [2]


  1. ^ http://www.cbc.ca/saskvotes2003/features/feature4.html
  2. ^ http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/features/electionsaskatchewan/www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/news/story.html?id=50f499a7-c741-4b9f-a2c0-60d5e34250ab

Saskatchewan Political Parties
Represented in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan:
Sask Party NDP
Other parties recognized by the Elections Saskatchewan:
Green PC Liberal Marijuana WIP

Provincial Elections
Major national, provincial, and territorial Liberal parties in Canada (edit):
Forming the government:
New Brunswick - Prince Edward Island - Ontario - Québec - British Columbia
Forming the official opposition:
Canada - Newfoundland and Labrador - Alberta
Third parties represented in legislatures:
Manitoba - Nova Scotia
No representation in legislature.:
Saskatchewan
v • d • e
Politics of Saskatchewan
Lieutenant-Governor (List) Gordon L. Barnhart
Premier (List) Brad Wall
Opposition Leader (List) Lorne Calvert
Speaker of the Assembly TBA
Legislature Current assembly • Former legislatures • Cabinet • electoral districts
Political parties Greens • Progressive Conservatives • Liberals • New Democrats • Saskatchewan Party • Social Credit •
Elections 2007 general election • Past elections • Electoral districts
Other Canadian politics Federal • BC • AB • SK • MB • ON • QC • NB • NS • PEI • NL • YU • NT • NU
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saskatchewan_Liberal_Party"
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