Dwain Lingenfelter

Dwain Lingenfelter
Lingenfelter at the Leader's Debate, October 25, 2011
Leader of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party
In office June 6, 2009 – November 7, 2011
Preceded by	Lorne Calvert
MLA for Shaunavon
In office 1978–1986
Preceded by	Eiliv Anderson
Succeeded by	Ted Gleim
MLA for Regina Elphinstone
In office 1988–2000
Preceded by	Allan Blakeney
Succeeded by	Warren McCall
MLA for Regina Douglas Park
In office 2009–2011
Preceded by	Harry Van Mulligen
Succeeded by	Russ Marchuk
Personal details
Born	February 27, 1949 (1949-02-27) (age 62) Shaunavon, Saskatchewan
Political party	New Democratic Party
Spouse(s)	Rubiela Lingenfelter
Children	Sacha, Matthew, Travis, Sahid, Hannah
Residence	Shaunavon, Saskatchewan
Alma mater	University of Saskatchewan
Profession	Businessman, Farmer

Dwain Lingenfelter (born February 27, 1949) 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. He resigned as leader on November 7, 2011, after leading the Saskatchewan NDP in the general election to defeat in its worst electoral showing since the early 1980s^[1]. Previously, he has served as the president of the party. In previous NDP governments, Lingenfelter has served as Minister of Social Services, Minister of Economic Development, Minister responsible for Crown Investments Corporation, Minister of Agriculture and as the Deputy Premier. Outside of politics, Lingenfelter is the past president of the Canada Arab Business Council and a former board member of the Nature Conservancy of Canada.

Biography

Family and education

Lingenfelter grew up on a family farm which he currently operates near Shaunavon, Saskatchewan. He grew up in a large family, with a German father and an Irish Catholic mother and eight other siblings. He attended Shaunavon High School and earned a political science degree from the University of Saskatchewan. While working on his political science degree, Lingenfelter continued to farm and work as a customs officer. He has three adult children from his first marriage, Sacha, Matthew (Alicia) and Travis (Caitlin). He is also has two adopted children from his current marriage, Sahid and Hannah.^[2]

Politics

Lingenfelter was first elected to the Legislature in the constituency of Shaunavon in 1978, then re-elected in 1982 but then defeated in 1986. During his first term, he was appointed by Allan Blakeney to serve in Cabinet as Minister of Social Services.

Lingenfelter was one of nine New Democratic Party members elected to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan, after the landslide win of the Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan. From 1982 to 1986, Lingenfelter served as the Opposition House Leader; during this time he earned the moniker "one man NDP rat pack"

After being defeated in the 1986 Saskatchewan provincial election, Lingenfelter ran and won the race to be President of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party in June 1987.

On May 4, 1988 Lingenfelter won a by-election in the constituency of Regina Elphinstone, previously held by Blakeney, and received 77.33% of the popular vote. He was re-elected in the 1991 provincial election. He was then appointed by Premier Roy Romanow to Cabinet as the Minister Responsible for Economic Development and Chair of the board of four Saskatchewan Crown Corporations, as well as the Government House Leader.

With a crisis in the agriculture sector, Romanow appointed Lingenfelter as Minister of Agriculture and Food, and again as Government House Leader.

As deputy premier, Lingenfelter was viewed as a likely candidate to succeed Romanow as leader of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party, but in July 2000 he announced that he was leaving provincial politics and seeking opportunities in the private sector. He became vice-president of government relations for Calgary-based energy company Nexen on September 1, 2000.

On November 7, 2011 Dwain Lingenfelter lost his riding in Regina Douglas Park and resigned as leader of the Saskatchewan provinicial NDP.

2009 Saskatchewan NDP leadership race and controversy

Lingenfelter, announcing his candidacy for the NDP leadership

On October 30, 2008, Lingenfelter was the first candidate to announce his candidacy to replace Lorne Calvert as the Leader of the Saskatchewan New Democrats at the June 6, 2009 leadership convention. ^[3] Lingenfelter was the first declared candidate with former party president Yens Pedersen entering second, MLA Deb Higgins entering third and doctor Ryan Meili entering fourth. Lingenfelter received the endorsement of over half of the party's caucus as well as a number of unions including the largest private sector union in Saskatchewan, the UFCW Local 1400 and the United Steelworkers.^[4]

On May 4, 2009, Lingenfelter apologized for the actions of an "over-zealous" volunteer who inappropriately signed up 1,100 new members on two First Nations reserves in the Meadow Lake area. These memberships were processed and submitted to the NDP provincial office by the Lingenfelter campaign along with payment in the form of $10 and $20 bills. In response to this revelation, the party asked Saskatchewan lawyer Bob Hale to investigate.^[5] The Hale report cleared Lingenfelter of any wrong-doing although Hale was unable to speak to the volunteer at the centre of this situation. The matter has been investigated by the R.C.M.P.^[6] In politically sensitive cases, it is standard practice to pass the file to prosecutors in other jurisdictions to determine if charges should be laid. The file in this case was passed to the Manitoba Attorney-General. In January of 2010 the commercial crime section of the RCMP charged the Lingenfelter campaign volunteer Ernest Morin with forgery, uttering and attempting to utter forged documents. ^[7]

2009 Regina Douglas Park by-election

Lingenfelter was later nominated as the NDP candidate for the by-election in Regina Douglas Park.^[8]

On September 21, Douglas Park voters elected Lingenfelter, giving him 50.25% of the total votes counted in a three-way race matching him against the Saskatchewan Party candidate, Kathleen Peterson, and the Green Party's Victor Becker Lau.^[9]

In the Saskatchewan general election held on November 7, 2011, Lingenfelter lost his constituency seat of Regina Douglas Park to the Saskatchewan Party's Russ Marchuk and resigned as leader of the Saskatchewan NDP^[10].

References

1. ^ http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/skvotes2011/story/2011/11/07/sk-votes-ndp-lingenfelter.html
2. ^ "Dwain Lingenfelter". Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan. http://www.legassembly.sk.ca/members/Bios/lingenfelter.htm. Retrieved 2009-11-18. 
3. ^ Lingenfelter makes it official. http://www2.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/news/story.html?id=62d96091-048b-4dc2-9bb3-31cc1e877020.html
4. ^ United Steelworkers Union endorses Lingenfelter. http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2009/29/c6585.html
5. ^ Party ask Hale to investigate http://saskndp.ca/news?id=319.html
6. ^ http://www.thestarphoenix.com/Party+report+clears+Lingenfelter+memberships+fiasco/1596830/story.html
7. ^ "Mounties lay forgery charges over Sask. NDP contest". CBC News. January 19, 2010. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/saskatchewan/story/2010/01/19/sk-rcmp-charges-ndp-leadership-campaign-membership.html. 
8. ^ New Democrats Pick Lingenfelter in Regina Douglas Park http://www.saskndp.com/news?id=333
9. ^ "Constituency of Regina Douglas Park By-Election". Elections Saskatchewan. http://www.elections.sk.ca/douglaspark/index.php. Retrieved 2009-12-03. 
10. ^ http://www.globalsaskatoon.com/lingenfelter+resigns+after+ndp+handed+worse-ever+election+defeat/6442516921/story.html

External links

• Saskatchewan New Democrats

Persondata
Name	Lingenfelter, Dwain
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	February 27, 1949
Place of birth	Shaunavon, Saskatchewan
Date of death
Place of death