A Brief History of the Saskatchewan NDP

Under the leadership of Tommy Douglas and Woodrow Lloyd , the party governed for the next twenty years and established Saskatchewan’s reputation for innovation, balancing sound fiscal policy with enlightened social policy. Crown corporations were used to extend basic utilities, including telephone, power and natural gas throughout the province. The educational system was overhauled and the transportation network expanded. Saskatchewan people were encouraged to take greater economic control over their lives through the expansion of Co-operatives and Credit Unions and perhaps most importantly, Canada’s first Medicare system was established.

In 1964 the party (now the NDP) returned to opposition. During this time of renewal the party focused on policy development and benefited from the growing interest in politics by baby-boomers. In 1971, under the leadership of Allan Blakeney, the party took on Liberal Premier Ross Thatcher challenging him over his dismantling of many Crown Corporations, the introduction of healthcare user fees, and a number of questionable economic development schemes. The Thatcher Liberals were defeated in convincing fashion and the NDP once again formed government.

The Blakeney government was just as bold as the earlier Douglas/Lloyd administrations. The NDP invested in the province’s abundant natural resources, establishing a number of new Crown Corporations including Saskatchewan Potash and SaskOil to ensure that the people of the province benefited from high resource prices. Saskatchewan’s NDP government was also instrumental in the repatriation of the Canadian constitution and the development in the Charter of Rights.

After governing Saskatchewan for eleven years and facing a world-wide political shift to the right, the Blakeney government was defeated in 1982. It was the party’s worst electoral result since 1934. The new Conservative government lead by Grant Devine turned back the clock on numerous reforms made by the CCF/NDP, weakening workers’ rights, privatizing many Crown Corporations and gutting the civil service. Worst of all, Devine’s reckless spending racked up huge deficits and created a massive debt.

Under the leadership of Roy Romanow, the NDP defeated the Conservative government in 1991. The province was near bankruptcy and running a large deficit. Romanow’s first challenge was to balance the budget and restore the province’s fiscal health. Many tough choices were made as spending was cut and taxes were raised. By 1995 the budget was balanced and Saskatchewan’s credit rating began improving. The government focused on many social justice issues, reaching agreement on Treaty Lands Entitlement, reforming the social welfare system, and introducing more progressive labour legislation. In the years since the mid-1990s Saskatchewan’s economy under the leadership of Romanow, and after 2001 under Premier Lorne Calvert, has been continually strengthening. Over the last 15 years the NDP has continued to built new infrastructure, expanding both of the province’s universities, twinning Highways #1, 11 and 16 and has lead the country in the production of Green energy.