Saskatchewan Party
Encyclopedia
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 Party
(NDP) from power.
The Saskatchewan Party served as the province's Official Opposition
until the provincial election
on November 7, 2007. The Saskatchewan Party won 38 seats in the Legislative Assembly, and leader Brad Wall
was sworn in as the province's 14th Premier
on November 21, 2007.
, with third parties
enjoying limited political success. For the first 25 years of the province's existence, political power was split between the Saskatchewan Liberal Party
in government, and the Conservatives
(initially the Provincial Rights Party
) in opposition. The emergence of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
(CCF), forerunner of the NDP – a left-of-centre
political party formed by the coming together of various socialist
, farm
and labour
groups under a united front – forced the Liberals to the right
. As a result of vote-splitting with the Liberals, the less popular Conservative party was no longer able to win seats in the Legislative assembly
.
In the late 1970s, the provincial Conservatives (now the Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan
) re-emerged as a political force, forming government under Grant Devine
for most of the 1980s. However, dissatisfaction with the Conservative government towards the end of the decade resulted in the election of the NDP in 1991
, with the Conservatives only maintaining 10 of the 66 seats in the Legislature. A subsequent corruption scandal further weakened the party, and a poor showing in the 1995 general election
by both the Liberals and Progressive Conservatives resulted in a desire by many members of those parties for a united centre-right alternative to the governing NDP.
In 1997, the Saskatchewan Party was formed by a coalition of four former Progressive Conservatives (Bill Boyd
, Dan D'Autremont, Ben Heppner
, Don Toth
) and five Liberal Party members of the Legislature
(Bob Bjornerud
, June Draude
, Rod Gantefoer
, Arlene Julé
, Ken Krawetz
). However, it did not result in a formal merger between the two parties. While most Progressive Conservatives joined the new party, the Progressive Conservative Party itself was not disbanded. It was instead allowed to go dormant for the next two election cycles, with party assets held in trust. The Saskatchewan Party attracted fewer members from the provincial Liberals, which continued to contest elections. Because the new party consisted largely of former Progressive Conservatives, it was initially derided by opponents as merely a re-branding of the Progressive Conservative name in an attempt by the party to distance itself from the still fresh corruption scandal. This view has continued to follow the party up to the present.
. The party won 28 seats, while the NDP won 30 seats. The party was accused of having undisclosed plans to privatize
all of the province's crown corporations. Party leader Elwin Hermanson
stated he would not sell the four major crown corporations, but would consider any offers received. The NDP used the ambiguity in the Saskatchewan Party's position to turn the election into a referendum on crown corporation ownership for many voters, and managed to eke out a small majority government
. Elwin Hermanson announced his resignation from the party after losing the election to the NDP. He outlined his reason as stating he had taken the party as far as he could, and that it was time to hand it down to a new leader who could take it further.
was acclaimed as the new party leader on March 15, 2004, after being the only declared candidate for the leadership. Other caucus members who had expressed interest in running included Jason Dearborn
, Allan Kerpan
(a former Reform
MP), and Ken Cheveldayoff, the MLA for Saskatoon Silver Springs
who at one time was the President of the Young Progressive Conservatives of Saskatchewan.
Following his appointment as leader, the party unveiled a more moderate policy platform that included, among other things, plans for more treatment beds for crystal meth
addicts, democratic workplaces, and a new model for economic development in Saskatchewan. With significantly revised core policies and increased emphasis on social issues, the party is attempting to moderate its image to attract centre-right voters. In response to the results of the 2003 election, the entire Saskatchewan Party caucus voted in favour of the NDP's Crown Corporations Public Ownership Act, which provided legislative entrenchment for the ownership of the major crown utilities and services.
In February 2006, the party released a code of ethics
document for its members. It set out guidelines for conduct and outlined how to deal with violators. Actions that are prohibited in this document include disseminating false information, pressuring prospective contributors and offering bribes
to other political parties, candidates or voters. Penalties included having the offender's party membership revoked.
In a by-election
held on March 5, 2007, the Saskatchewan Party recaptured the seat in the Legislative Assembly left vacant by the death of Ben Heppner
. In a first for Saskatchewan politics, Heppner's daughter – Nancy Heppner
– won the seat in both the by-election and the 2007 general election.
In November 2007, the party was sued by the Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan
over a trust fund. The PC party alleges that the trustees of the fund, which contains $2.9 million, conspired with the Saskatchewan Party to deny the PC party access to their funds, and thus not be able to run candidates in the next election. The Saskatchewan Party denies any involvement, even though 3 of the 5 trustees are active in the Saskatchewan Party.
In the November 7, 2007 general election
, the Saskatchewan Party won 38 of the 58 seats in the legislature, forming a majority government.
On November 7, 2011 general election
, it won a landslide victory, winning 49 of 58 seats.
– forced cabinet minister Eldon Lautermilch
to apologize for misleading the legislature, a fact that only became apparent once sworn evidence was acquired from a civil lawsuit against the province. The party's MLAs requested a public inquiry
.
In March 2006, the Saskatchewan Party introduced a motion calling on the NDP government to apologize for the highly unfavourable and inaccurate portrayal of Jimmy Gardiner
in Prairie Giant: The Tommy Douglas Story. The government has argued it was not responsible for production of the film, and thus rebuked the motion for an apology.
In 2006, in preparation for the Weyburn-Big Muddy
by-election, the Saskatchewan Party was accused of using push poll
ing by attempting to link Liberal leader David Karwacki
with the Canadian gun registry. The same poll asked respondents if they linked the Saskatchewan Party with the Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan. On May 16, 2006, in an effort to gain political support, Saskatchewan Party MLAs tried to associate the provincial NDP – which had vocally opposed the gun registry – with their federal party
counterparts – which support it.
In 2006 the party released a taxpayer-funded advertisement for the Saskatchewan Party critical of the then-NDP administration. This ad became known for the misspelling of Saskatchewan – as "Saskatchwan". The ad was also criticized for having false information – for example claiming rising tuition costs, despite the government policy of a 3 year freeze in the price of tuition.
On November 23, 2006, the Saskatchewan Party tried to make a political issue about the provincial government trying to reclaim money from tobacco companies for the additional strain smokers placed on the health care system
. The NDP government pointed out in response that the Saskatchewan Party had accepted a $10,000 donation from Imperial Tobacco in 2003.
, with others being associated with the Liberal Party of Canada
. Brad Wall, in the 2004 federal election
, personally endorsed Conservative candidate David L. Anderson
, Member of Parliament for Cypress Hills—Grasslands
.
In the 2006 federal election
, Brad Wall stated he supported the Conservative Party, but would not personally get involved with a federal election. The previous leader, Elwin Hermanson, was a member of the Reform
and Canadian Alliance
federal parties.
Current Saskatchewan Conservative MP
s who have been historically involved with the Saskatchewan Party include Carol Skelton
, who served on Elwin Hermanson's constituency executive; Tom Lukiwski
, who served as a General Manager of the Saskatchewan Party; Garry Breitkreuz
, who supported the formation of the party; and Lynne Yelich
, who worked for Allan Kerpan
while Kerpan served as MP and received funding from him in the 2006 federal election. Others include former MP Brian Fitzpatrick
, who aided in policy direction while the party was formed, and the late Dave Batters
who held a membership in the Saskatchewan Party.
Provinces and territories of Canada
The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories...
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....
. The party was established in 1997 by a coalition of former provincial Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan is a right-of-centre political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Prior to 1942, it was known as the Conservative Party of Saskatchewan. Members are commonly known as Tories....
and Liberal
Saskatchewan Liberal Party
The Saskatchewan Liberal Party is a liberal political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan.-Early history :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...
party members and supporters who sought to remove 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...
(NDP) from power.
The Saskatchewan Party served as the province's Official Opposition
Official Opposition (Canada)
In Canada, Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition , commonly known as the Official Opposition, is usually the largest parliamentary opposition party in the House of Commons or a provincial legislative assembly that is not in government, either on its own or as part of a governing coalition...
until the 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....
on November 7, 2007. The Saskatchewan Party won 38 seats in the Legislative Assembly, and leader 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....
was sworn in as the province's 14th 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....
on November 21, 2007.
The party's origins and political basis
Historically, Saskatchewan politics has tended towards a two-party systemTwo-party system
A two-party system is a system where two major political parties dominate voting in nearly all elections at every level of government and, as a result, all or nearly all elected offices are members of one of the two major parties...
, with third parties
Third party (Canada)
In Canada, a third party usually refers to a relatively small federal or provincial political party that is not usually considered to have a realistic chance of forming a government, but has representation in the federal House of Commons or the provincial legislature...
enjoying limited political success. For the first 25 years of the province's existence, political power was split between the Saskatchewan Liberal Party
Saskatchewan Liberal Party
The Saskatchewan Liberal Party is a liberal political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan.-Early history :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...
in government, and the Conservatives
Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan is a right-of-centre political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Prior to 1942, it was known as the Conservative Party of Saskatchewan. Members are commonly known as Tories....
(initially the Provincial Rights Party
Provincial Rights Party
The Provincial Rights Party was a Canadian political party founded and led by Frederick W.A.G. Haultain in 1905 to contest elections in the new province of Saskatchewan.Haultain had been Premier of the North-West Territories prior to the province's creation...
) in opposition. The emergence of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation was a Canadian political party founded in 1932 in Calgary, Alberta, by a number of socialist, farm, co-operative and labour groups, and the League for Social Reconstruction...
(CCF), forerunner of the NDP – a left-of-centre
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
political party formed by the coming together of various socialist
Social democracy in Canada
Social democracy in Canada has been a political phenomenon that became a strong political force in the 1930s with the creation of the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation that later developed into the New Democratic Party in 1961...
, farm
United Farmers of Canada
The United Farmers of Canada was a radical farmers organization. It was established in 1926 as the United Farmers of Canada as a merger of the Farmers' Union of Canada and the Saskatchewan Grain Growers Association...
and labour
Labour movement
The term labour movement or labor movement is a broad term for the development of a collective organization of working people, to campaign in their own interest for better treatment from their employers and governments, in particular through the implementation of specific laws governing labour...
groups under a united front – forced the Liberals to the right
Right-wing politics
In politics, Right, right-wing and rightist generally refer to support for a hierarchical society justified on the basis of an appeal to natural law or tradition. To varying degrees, the Right rejects the egalitarian objectives of left-wing politics, claiming that the imposition of equality is...
. As a result of vote-splitting with the Liberals, the less popular Conservative party was no longer able to win seats in the Legislative assembly
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:...
.
In the late 1970s, the provincial Conservatives (now the Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan
Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan is a right-of-centre political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Prior to 1942, it was known as the Conservative Party of Saskatchewan. Members are commonly known as Tories....
) re-emerged as a political force, forming government under Grant Devine
Grant Devine
Donald Grant Devine was the 11th Premier of Saskatchewan from May 8, 1982 to November 1, 1991.- Early life :Born in Regina, Saskatchewan, he received a B.Sc. in Agriculture degree specializing in Agricultural Economics in 1967 from the University of Saskatchewan, an M.Sc. specializing in...
for most of the 1980s. However, dissatisfaction with the Conservative government towards the end of the decade resulted in the election of the NDP in 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....
, with the Conservatives only maintaining 10 of the 66 seats in the Legislature. A subsequent corruption scandal further weakened the party, and a poor showing in the 1995 general election
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....
by both the Liberals and Progressive Conservatives resulted in a desire by many members of those parties for a united centre-right alternative to the governing NDP.
In 1997, the Saskatchewan Party was formed by a coalition of four former Progressive Conservatives (Bill Boyd
Bill Boyd (Canadian politician)
Bill Boyd is a provincial level politician from Saskatchewan, Canada. He served as a member of the Saskatchewan Legislature from 1991 to 2002 and returned to office in the 2007 Saskatchewan general election....
, Dan D'Autremont, Ben Heppner
Ben Heppner (politician)
Benjamin D. Heppner was a Canadian school teacher, businessman and politician. He represented Rosthern and Martensville in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan from 1995 to 2006....
, Don Toth
Don Toth
Donald James Toth is a Canadian provincial politician and the current Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan. He has represented the constituency of Moosomin in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan since 1986. Originally elected as a member of the Progressive Conservatives, he...
) and five Liberal Party members of the Legislature
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....
(Bob Bjornerud
Bob Bjornerud
Bob Bjornerud is a Canadian provincial politician. He is the Saskatchewan Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan for the constituency of Melville-Saltcoats.-External links:**...
, June Draude
June Draude
June Draude is a Canadian provincial politician. She is the Saskatchewan Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan for the constituency of Kelvington-Wadena....
, Rod Gantefoer
Rod Gantefoer
Rod Gantefoer is a Canadian provincial politician. He has been a member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan since 1995, representing the constituencies of Melfort-Tisdale from 1995 to 2003 and Melfort since 2003....
, Arlene Julé
Arlene Julé
Arlene Julé is a Canadian politician, who represented the electoral district of Humboldt in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan from 1995 to 2003. First elected as a member of the Saskatchewan Liberal Party, she joined the new Saskatchewan Party caucus in 1997.-References:...
, Ken Krawetz
Ken Krawetz
Kenneth Patrick Krawetz is a Canadian provincial politician. He is the Saskatchewan Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan for the constituency of Canora-Pelly, and the current Deputy Premier of Saskatchewan.-Background:...
). However, it did not result in a formal merger between the two parties. While most Progressive Conservatives joined the new party, the Progressive Conservative Party itself was not disbanded. It was instead allowed to go dormant for the next two election cycles, with party assets held in trust. The Saskatchewan Party attracted fewer members from the provincial Liberals, which continued to contest elections. Because the new party consisted largely of former Progressive Conservatives, it was initially derided by opponents as merely a re-branding of the Progressive Conservative name in an attempt by the party to distance itself from the still fresh corruption scandal. This view has continued to follow the party up to the present.
The 2003 election
During the 2003 provincial election, the Saskatchewan Party campaigned on a platform of tax reduction and decreased government involvement in the private sectorPrivate sector
In economics, the private sector is that part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is run by private individuals or groups, usually as a means of enterprise for profit, and is not controlled by the state...
. The party won 28 seats, while the NDP won 30 seats. The party was accused of having undisclosed plans to privatize
Privatization
Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
all of the province's crown corporations. Party 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....
stated he would not sell the four major crown corporations, but would consider any offers received. The NDP used the ambiguity in the Saskatchewan Party's position to turn the election into a referendum on crown corporation ownership for many voters, and managed to eke out a small majority government
Majority government
A majority government is when the governing party has an absolute majority of seats in the legislature or parliament in a parliamentary system. This is as opposed to a minority government, where even the largest party wins only a plurality of seats and thus must constantly bargain for support from...
. Elwin Hermanson announced his resignation from the party after losing the election to the NDP. He outlined his reason as stating he had taken the party as far as he could, and that it was time to hand it down to a new leader who could take it further.
The party under Brad Wall
Brad WallBrad Wall
Bradley John "Brad" Wall, MLA is a Canadian politician who has been the 14th Premier of Saskatchewan since November 21, 2007....
was acclaimed as the new party leader on March 15, 2004, after being the only declared candidate for the leadership. Other caucus members who had expressed interest in running included Jason Dearborn
Jason Dearborn
Jason Dearborn was a Saskatchewan Party MLA of the Saskatchewan Legislature.Dearborn graduated from the University of Trinity College in the University of Toronto with a BA in 1994...
, Allan Kerpan
Allan Kerpan
Allan Edward Joseph Kerpan is a Canadian politician.Kerpan attended public school in Kenaston from 1960 to 1972, but attended St Peter's College, Muenster during 1969-70....
(a former Reform
Reform Party of Canada
The Reform Party of Canada was a Canadian federal political party that existed from 1987 to 2000. It was originally founded as a Western Canada-based protest party, but attempted to expand eastward in the 1990s. It viewed itself as a populist party....
MP), and Ken Cheveldayoff, the MLA for Saskatoon Silver Springs
Saskatoon Silver Springs
Saskatoon Silver Springs is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan, Canada. The district includes the neighbourhoods of Silverspring, Forest Grove, Evergreen, Willowgrove, Erindale and Arbor Creek....
who at one time was the President of the Young Progressive Conservatives of Saskatchewan.
Following his appointment as leader, the party unveiled a more moderate policy platform that included, among other things, plans for more treatment beds for crystal meth
Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine is a psychostimulant of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of psychoactive drugs...
addicts, democratic workplaces, and a new model for economic development in Saskatchewan. With significantly revised core policies and increased emphasis on social issues, the party is attempting to moderate its image to attract centre-right voters. In response to the results of the 2003 election, the entire Saskatchewan Party caucus voted in favour of the NDP's Crown Corporations Public Ownership Act, which provided legislative entrenchment for the ownership of the major crown utilities and services.
In February 2006, the party released a code of ethics
Ethical code
An ethical code is adopted by an organization in an attempt to assist those in the organization called upon to make a decision understand the difference between 'right' and 'wrong' and to apply this understanding to their decision...
document for its members. It set out guidelines for conduct and outlined how to deal with violators. Actions that are prohibited in this document include disseminating false information, pressuring prospective contributors and offering bribes
Bribery
Bribery, a form of corruption, is an act implying money or gift giving that alters the behavior of the recipient. Bribery constitutes a crime and is defined by Black's Law Dictionary as the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official or...
to other political parties, candidates or voters. Penalties included having the offender's party membership revoked.
In a by-election
Martensville (electoral district)
Martensville is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan, Canada.The electoral district was created in 2003, mostly out of the former constituency of Rosthern.-Members of the Legislative Assembly :...
held on March 5, 2007, the Saskatchewan Party recaptured the seat in the Legislative Assembly left vacant by the death of Ben Heppner
Ben Heppner (politician)
Benjamin D. Heppner was a Canadian school teacher, businessman and politician. He represented Rosthern and Martensville in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan from 1995 to 2006....
. In a first for Saskatchewan politics, Heppner's daughter – Nancy Heppner
Nancy Heppner
Nancy Heppner is a current Saskatchewan Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan, first sitting with Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition, and now as a member of the Government of Saskatchewan.-Early life:...
– won the seat in both the by-election and the 2007 general election.
In November 2007, the party was sued by the Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan
Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan is a right-of-centre political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Prior to 1942, it was known as the Conservative Party of Saskatchewan. Members are commonly known as Tories....
over a trust fund. The PC party alleges that the trustees of the fund, which contains $2.9 million, conspired with the Saskatchewan Party to deny the PC party access to their funds, and thus not be able to run candidates in the next election. The Saskatchewan Party denies any involvement, even though 3 of the 5 trustees are active in the Saskatchewan Party.
In the November 7, 2007 general 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....
, the Saskatchewan Party won 38 of the 58 seats in the legislature, forming a majority government.
On November 7, 2011 general election
Saskatchewan general election, 2011
The 27th Saskatchewan general election was held on November 7, 2011, to elect 58 members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan . The election was called on October 10 by the Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan, on the advice of Premier Brad Wall...
, it won a landslide victory, winning 49 of 58 seats.
Clashes with the NDP government
In 2004, the Saskatchewan Party's aggressive questioning of the provincial NDP government over a bad investment of public funds – SPUDCOSPUDCO
SPUDCO, the Saskatchewan Potato Utility Development Company, was a pseudo public private partnership between SaskWater and Lake Diefenbaker Potato Corporation . It was created in 1996 and had signs of trouble from the start...
– forced cabinet minister Eldon Lautermilch
Eldon Lautermilch
Eldon Floyd Lautermilch is a Canadian provincial politician. He was the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan for the constituency of Prince Albert Northcote. He was first elected in 1986 and was re-elected in subsequent elections in 1991, 1995, 1999...
to apologize for misleading the legislature, a fact that only became apparent once sworn evidence was acquired from a civil lawsuit against the province. The party's MLAs requested a public inquiry
Public inquiry
A Tribunal of Inquiry is an official review of events or actions ordered by a government body in Common Law countries such as the United Kingdom, Ireland or Canada. Such a public inquiry differs from a Royal Commission in that a public inquiry accepts evidence and conducts its hearings in a more...
.
In March 2006, the Saskatchewan Party introduced a motion calling on the NDP government to apologize for the highly unfavourable and inaccurate portrayal of Jimmy Gardiner
James Garfield Gardiner
James Garfield "Jimmy" Gardiner, PC was a Canadian farmer, educator, and politician...
in Prairie Giant: The Tommy Douglas Story. The government has argued it was not responsible for production of the film, and thus rebuked the motion for an apology.
In 2006, in preparation for the Weyburn-Big Muddy
Weyburn-Big Muddy
Weyburn-Big Muddy is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan, Canada. Previous versions of this riding were once represented by former CCF Premier, and federal NDP leader, Tommy Douglas....
by-election, the Saskatchewan Party was accused of using push poll
Push poll
A push poll is a political campaign technique in which an individual or organization attempts to influence or alter the view of respondents under the guise of conducting a poll. In a push poll, large numbers of respondents are contacted, and little or no effort is made to collect and analyze...
ing by attempting to link Liberal leader David Karwacki
David Karwacki
David Karwacki , Canadian politician, was Leader of the Saskatchewan Liberals between October 2001 and December 2007....
with the Canadian gun registry. The same poll asked respondents if they linked the Saskatchewan Party with the Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan. On May 16, 2006, in an effort to gain political support, Saskatchewan Party MLAs tried to associate the provincial NDP – which had vocally opposed the gun registry – with their federal party
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...
counterparts – which support it.
In 2006 the party released a taxpayer-funded advertisement for the Saskatchewan Party critical of the then-NDP administration. This ad became known for the misspelling of Saskatchewan – as "Saskatchwan". The ad was also criticized for having false information – for example claiming rising tuition costs, despite the government policy of a 3 year freeze in the price of tuition.
On November 23, 2006, the Saskatchewan Party tried to make a political issue about the provincial government trying to reclaim money from tobacco companies for the additional strain smokers placed on the health care system
Medicare (Canada)
Medicare is the unofficial name for Canada's publicly funded universal health insurance system. The formal terminology for the insurance system is provided by the Canada Health Act and the health insurance legislation of the individual provinces and territories.Under the terms of the Canada Health...
. The NDP government pointed out in response that the Saskatchewan Party had accepted a $10,000 donation from Imperial Tobacco in 2003.
Political affiliations
While not officially aligned with any federal political party, the majority of the Saskatchewan Party's supporters are also involved with the Conservative Party of CanadaConservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
, with others being associated with the Liberal Party of Canada
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
. Brad Wall, in the 2004 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2004
The Canadian federal election, 2004 , was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 38th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal government of Prime Minister Paul Martin lost its majority, but was able to form a minority government after the elections...
, personally endorsed Conservative candidate David L. Anderson
David L. Anderson
David L. Anderson is a Conservative member of the Canadian House of Commons representing Cypress Hills—Grasslands, a position he has held since 2000. He was a member of the Canadian Alliance from 2000 to 2003. He is a businessman, and a farmer...
, Member of Parliament for Cypress Hills—Grasslands
Cypress Hills—Grasslands
Cypress Hills—Grasslands is a federal electoral district in Saskatchewan, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997.-History:...
.
In the 2006 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2006
The 2006 Canadian federal election was held on January 23, 2006, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 39th Parliament of Canada. The Conservative Party of Canada won the greatest number of seats: 40.3% of seats, or 124 out of 308, up from 99 seats in 2004, and 36.3% of votes:...
, Brad Wall stated he supported the Conservative Party, but would not personally get involved with a federal election. The previous leader, Elwin Hermanson, was a member of the Reform
Reform Party of Canada
The Reform Party of Canada was a Canadian federal political party that existed from 1987 to 2000. It was originally founded as a Western Canada-based protest party, but attempted to expand eastward in the 1990s. It viewed itself as a populist party....
and Canadian Alliance
Canadian Alliance
The Canadian Alliance , formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance , was a Canadian conservative political party that existed from 2000 to 2003. The party was the successor to the Reform Party of Canada and inherited its position as the Official Opposition in the House of Commons and held...
federal parties.
Current Saskatchewan Conservative MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
s who have been historically involved with the Saskatchewan Party include Carol Skelton
Carol Skelton
Carol Skelton, PC is a Canadian politician. She is a member of the Security Intelligence Review Committee which oversees the operation of Canadian Security Intelligence Service...
, who served on Elwin Hermanson's constituency executive; Tom Lukiwski
Tom Lukiwski
Tom Lukiwski is a Canadian politician. He is the current Conservative Member of Parliament for the Saskatchewan riding of Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre. Born in Esterhazy, Saskatchewan, he was a businessman and political administrator....
, who served as a General Manager of the Saskatchewan Party; Garry Breitkreuz
Garry Breitkreuz
Garry W. Breitkreuz is a Canadian politician. He is currently the Conservative Party of Canada member of the Canadian House of Commons from Yorkton—Melville....
, who supported the formation of the party; and Lynne Yelich
Lynne Yelich
Lynne Yelich , PC, MP is a third-generation Croatian-Canadian politician and the MP for the riding of Blackstrap. The riding of Blackstrap includes Yelich's home town of Kenaston, Saskatchewan, identified as the largest Croatian farming settlement in Canada...
, who worked for Allan Kerpan
Allan Kerpan
Allan Edward Joseph Kerpan is a Canadian politician.Kerpan attended public school in Kenaston from 1960 to 1972, but attended St Peter's College, Muenster during 1969-70....
while Kerpan served as MP and received funding from him in the 2006 federal election. Others include former MP Brian Fitzpatrick
Brian Fitzpatrick
Brian Fitzpatrick may refer to:*Brian T. Fitzpatrick, American academic and lawyer, Assistant Professor at Vanderbilt University Law School*Brian Fitzpatrick *Brian Fitzpatrick...
, who aided in policy direction while the party was formed, and the late Dave Batters
Dave Batters
David Batters was a Canadian politician.Born in Estevan, Saskatchewan, Batters was a member of the Conservative Party of Canada in the Canadian House of Commons, representing the riding of Palliser from 2004 to 2008...
who held a membership in the Saskatchewan Party.
External links
- Official website
- Caucus website
- Crown Corporations Public Ownership Act (official text; PDF)