Lorne Calvert
Encyclopedia
Lorne Albert Calvert, MLA
(born December 24, 1952 in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
) was the 13th Premier
of Saskatchewan
, from 2001 to 2007. Calvert, was the leader of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party
from 2001 to June 6, 2009, when he was succeeded by Dwain Lingenfelter
.
In 1975, Calvert married Betty Sluzalo of Perdue, Saskatchewan
. After attending the St. Andrew's College
seminary in Saskatoon, he was ordained as minister of the United Church of Canada
in 1976 and served as minister of several rural congregations. From 1979 to 1986, Calvert was the minister of the substantial pastoral charge of Zion United Church in Moose Jaw.
He entered provincial politics in the 1986 provincial election
, running as a New Democrat on a platform of prohibiting the construction of a proposed casino
in Moose Jaw. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
as the Member of the Legislative Assembly
(MLA) for the constituency of Moose Jaw South.
He was re-elected in the 1991
and 1995 elections
in the riding of Moose Jaw Wakamow
. He did not run in the 1999 election
, and was succeeded by Deb Higgins
.
Following the resignation of NDP leader and Premier Roy Romanow
, Calvert won the NDP leadership
, and became premier on February 8, 2001. He was re-elected to the legislature in a by-election
in Romanow's riding of Saskatoon Riversdale
.
Calvert and the NDP narrowly defeated the centre-right opposition Saskatchewan Party
in the 2003 provincial election. The NDP won 30 seats of the 58 seats in the election
. During the campaign, Calvert apologized for an internal cartoon that had been leaked to the media. It depicted Saskatchewan Party
leader Elwin Hermanson
loading NDP sympathizers onto rail cars. The cartoon referred to speculation that, if elected, Hermanson would replace civil servants who were NDP supporters with Saskatchewan Party supporters. B'nai Brith Canada
stated that the cartoon "trivializes the crimes of the Holocaust and causes undeserved anguish to those who survived that evil regime".
He has been featured in one of the episodes of Corner Gas
, a comedy series set in Saskatchewan.
Calvert was also engaged in a war of words with federal Conservative MP Maurice Vellacott
over how the clawback of non-renewable resource
revenues from the equalization formula as implemented in the 2007 federal budget. Calvert argued that the province would get less under the new federal formula.
Calvert and his government were defeated in the 2007 provincial election
, dropping to 20 seats while the Saskatchewan Party
under Brad Wall
won a majority government with 38.
Federal New Democratic Party
spokesman Brad Lavigne
later told reporters that the party had asked Calvert to consider standing as a candidate in the 2008 federal election
. Calvert declined the offer, although he stated that he would work hard to assist the party's federal candidates.
Calvert announced his retirement as party leader on October 16, 2008. Dwain Lingenfelter
was chosen to be his successor on June 6, 2009.
Currently, Calvert is the principal at St. Andrew's College in Saskatoon.
Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
The 25th Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan was in power from 2003 until November 20, 2007. It was controlled by the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party under premier Lorne Calvert.-Members:-By-elections:...
(born December 24, 1952 in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
) was the 13th Premier
Premier of Saskatchewan
The Premier of Saskatchewan is the first minister for the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. They are the province's head of government and de facto chief executive....
of Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, from 2001 to 2007. Calvert, was the leader of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party
Saskatchewan New Democratic Party
The Saskatchewan New Democratic Party is a social-democratic political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It currently forms the official opposition, but has been a dominant force in Saskatchewan politics since the 1940s...
from 2001 to June 6, 2009, when he was succeeded by Dwain Lingenfelter
Dwain Lingenfelter
Dwain Lingenfelter is a businessman, farmer, politician and former Leader of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party. Lingenfelter won the leadership of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party on June 6, 2009...
.
In 1975, Calvert married Betty Sluzalo of Perdue, Saskatchewan
Perdue, Saskatchewan
-Infrastructure:Within the village of Perdue are several recreational facilities. On the west edge of town are the baseball diamonds, the curling rink, the fairgrounds, and the bowling alley. On the east edge of town is the Perdue Arena....
. After attending the St. Andrew's College
University of Saskatchewan
The University of Saskatchewan is a Canadian public research university, founded in 1907, and located on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. An "Act to establish and incorporate a University for the Province of Saskatchewan" was passed by the...
seminary in Saskatoon, he was ordained as minister of the United Church of Canada
United Church of Canada
The United Church of Canada is a Protestant Christian denomination in Canada. It is the largest Protestant church and, after the Roman Catholic Church, the second-largest Christian church in Canada...
in 1976 and served as minister of several rural congregations. From 1979 to 1986, Calvert was the minister of the substantial pastoral charge of Zion United Church in Moose Jaw.
He entered provincial politics in the 1986 provincial election
Saskatchewan general election, 1986
The Saskatchewan general election of 1986 was the twenty-first provincial election held in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on October 20, 1986, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan....
, running as a New Democrat on a platform of prohibiting the construction of a proposed casino
Casino Moose Jaw
Casino Moose Jaw is located in downtown Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada, owned and operated by Sask Gaming. The government of Saskatchewan announced the construction of the $13 million dollar facility on July 26, 2001. It was opened on September 6, 2002....
in Moose Jaw. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
The 25th Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan was in power from 2003 until November 20, 2007. It was controlled by the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party under premier Lorne Calvert.-Members:-By-elections:...
as the Member of the Legislative Assembly
Member of the Legislative Assembly
A Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....
(MLA) for the constituency of Moose Jaw South.
He was re-elected in the 1991
Saskatchewan general election, 1991
The Saskatchewan general election of 1991 was the twenty-second provincial election held in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on October 21, 1991, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan....
and 1995 elections
Saskatchewan general election, 1995
The Saskatchewan general election of 1995 was the twenty-third provincial election held in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on June 21, 1995 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan....
in the riding of Moose Jaw Wakamow
Moose Jaw Wakamow
Moose Jaw Wakamow is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan, Canada.This district was created for the 1967 election after the Saskatchewan government decided to retire a system of two-seat electoral divisions for the cities of Regina, Saskatoon, and Moose...
. He did not run in the 1999 election
Saskatchewan general election, 1999
The Saskatchewan general election of 1999 was the twenty-fourth provincial election held in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on September 16, 1999 to elect members of the 24th Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan....
, and was succeeded by Deb Higgins
Deb Higgins
Deb Higgins is a Canadian provincial politician, who was the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan for the constituency of Moose Jaw Wakamow from 1999 to 2011....
.
Following the resignation of NDP leader and Premier Roy Romanow
Roy Romanow
Roy John Romanow, PC, OC, QC, SOM is a Canadian politician and the 12th Premier of Saskatchewan ....
, Calvert won the NDP leadership
Saskatchewan New Democratic Party leadership conventions
This page shows the results of leadership elections in the New Democratic Party . Prior to 2001, the leader was elected via a delegated convention...
, and became premier on February 8, 2001. He was re-elected to the legislature in a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
in Romanow's riding of Saskatoon Riversdale
Saskatoon Riversdale
Saskatoon Riversdale is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan, Canada. It has been held by the Premier of Saskatchewan from 1991 to 2007...
.
Calvert and the NDP narrowly defeated the centre-right opposition Saskatchewan Party
Saskatchewan Party
The Saskatchewan Party is a conservative liberal political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The party was established in 1997 by a coalition of former provincial Progressive Conservative and Liberal party members and supporters who sought to remove the Saskatchewan New Democratic...
in the 2003 provincial election. The NDP won 30 seats of the 58 seats in the election
Election
An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...
. During the campaign, Calvert apologized for an internal cartoon that had been leaked to the media. It depicted Saskatchewan Party
Saskatchewan Party
The Saskatchewan Party is a conservative liberal political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The party was established in 1997 by a coalition of former provincial Progressive Conservative and Liberal party members and supporters who sought to remove the Saskatchewan New Democratic...
leader Elwin Hermanson
Elwin Hermanson
Elwin Norris Hermanson is a Canadian politician, best known for being the first full-time leader of the Saskatchewan Party....
loading NDP sympathizers onto rail cars. The cartoon referred to speculation that, if elected, Hermanson would replace civil servants who were NDP supporters with Saskatchewan Party supporters. B'nai Brith Canada
B'nai Brith Canada
B'nai Brith Canada is the Canadian section of B'nai Brith . It was founded in 1875 and is the country's oldest Jewish service organization.-Members:...
stated that the cartoon "trivializes the crimes of the Holocaust and causes undeserved anguish to those who survived that evil regime".
He has been featured in one of the episodes of Corner Gas
Corner Gas
Corner Gas is a Canadian television sitcom created by Brent Butt. The series ran for six seasons from 2004 to 2009. Re-runs still air on CTV and The Comedy Network in Canada; it formerly aired on WGN America in the United States....
, a comedy series set in Saskatchewan.
Calvert was also engaged in a war of words with federal Conservative MP Maurice Vellacott
Maurice Vellacott
Maurice Vellacott is a Canadian politician. He has served in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997, and is currently the Conservative Member of Parliament for the riding of Saskatoon—Wanuskewin in the province of Saskatchewan....
over how the clawback of non-renewable resource
Non-renewable resource
A non-renewable resource is a natural resource which cannot be produced, grown, generated, or used on a scale which can sustain its consumption rate, once depleted there is no more available for future needs. Also considered non-renewable are resources that are consumed much faster than nature...
revenues from the equalization formula as implemented in the 2007 federal budget. Calvert argued that the province would get less under the new federal formula.
Calvert and his government were defeated in the 2007 provincial election
Saskatchewan general election, 2007
The 26th Saskatchewan general election was held on November 7, 2007; the writ was dropped on October 10, 2007. The election determined the composition of the 26th Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan....
, dropping to 20 seats while the Saskatchewan Party
Saskatchewan Party
The Saskatchewan Party is a conservative liberal political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The party was established in 1997 by a coalition of former provincial Progressive Conservative and Liberal party members and supporters who sought to remove the Saskatchewan New Democratic...
under Brad Wall
Brad Wall
Bradley John "Brad" Wall, MLA is a Canadian politician who has been the 14th Premier of Saskatchewan since November 21, 2007....
won a majority government with 38.
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
spokesman Brad Lavigne
Brad Lavigne
Brad Lavigne is the national director of the New Democratic Party of Canada.Prior to this appointment in March 2009, Lavigne served as the party's director of communications following Jack Layton’s leadership victory in 2003....
later told reporters that the party had asked Calvert to consider standing as a candidate in the 2008 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2008
The 2008 Canadian federal election was held on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 40th Canadian Parliament after the previous parliament had been dissolved by the Governor General on September 7, 2008...
. Calvert declined the offer, although he stated that he would work hard to assist the party's federal candidates.
Calvert announced his retirement as party leader on October 16, 2008. Dwain Lingenfelter
Dwain Lingenfelter
Dwain Lingenfelter is a businessman, farmer, politician and former Leader of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party. Lingenfelter won the leadership of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party on June 6, 2009...
was chosen to be his successor on June 6, 2009.
Currently, Calvert is the principal at St. Andrew's College in Saskatoon.