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.

Facing the fallout of a poor crop growing season and a scandal involving SaskPower (Channel Lake), the New Democratic government of Premier Roy Romanow, challenged by the newly-created Saskatchewan Party, lost a significant share of the popular vote, winning exactly half of the fifty eight seats in the legislature.

The Saskatchewan Party was a right-wing party created by former members of the Progressive Conservative Party and by Liberals who were unhappy with the leadership of Jim Melenchuk.

The new party was led by Elwin Hermanson, a former Reform Party federal Member of Parliament. It won 39.61% of the popular vote, slightly more than the NDP's 38.73%, but only twenty five seats.

The NDP was able to continue to govern with the support of some Liberal Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs).

Some New Democrats who were unhappy with the government of Roy Romanow had left the party to form the New Green Alliance, an environmentalist party. This party won about 1% of the popular vote, and no seats in the legislature.

The Progressive Conservative Party nominated fourteen paper candidates, all in NDP strongholds, in order to preserve its status as a registered political party. The Tories did not actively campaign and won only a few votes.

Results

Notes:

* Party did not nominate candidates in previous election.

¹ One constituency, Wood River, was initially won by the Liberals, but the result was overturned by the courts. The Saskatchewan Party won the ensuing by-election.

Riding results

Northwest Saskatchewan

"People in bold represent party leaders and the Speaker"

-
bgcolor=whitesmoke|Athabasca
|
Rudi Peters
3,107|
Gary McArthur
1,242||
|
Maynard Sonntag
2,846|
Bob Young
2,523|
Don Coupland
722||
|
Ben Heppner
4,331|
Warren McCloud
690||
|
Ken Krawetz
4,529|
Richard McLeod
935|
David Sawkiw (Ind)
127
|
Keith Goulet
2,402|
Don Johannesson
336|
Winston McKay
627|
Quentin Agnew (PC)
117
|
Rod Gantefoer
4,096|
Ken Magnus
1,310||
|
Eldon Lautermilch
2,485|
Pauline Provost
754|
Jim Stiglitz
1,632|
Kevin Shiach (PC)
135
|
Greg Brkich
3,683|
Harvey McLane
2,617||
|
Randy Weekes
5,045|
Harry Lewchuk
1,084|
Ivan Olynyk (PC)
164
|
Wayne Elhard
4,116|
Barry Thienes
1,094||
|
Deb Higgins
3,052|
Doris Dunphy
1,850|
Marlin Belt
677|
Vanessa Slater (PC)
99
|
Lyle Stewart
3,939|
Gerald Aldridge
2,019||
|
Dan D'Autremont
5,655|
Joanne Johnston
792||
|
Ron Osika
3,403||
|
Bob Bjornerud
4,668|
Vic Polsom
929||
|
Clay Serby
2,874|
Lorne Gogal
2,578|
Richard Yaholnitsky
1,570||
|
Janice MacKinnon
3,123|
Martin Boser
1,325|
Tim Ponto
962|
Maisie Shiell (NGA) 256
|
Pat Atkinson
3,644|
Terry Biddell
1,468|
George Haines
1,063|
Patrick L. Smith (PC)
518
|
Graham Addley
3,227|
Robin Bellamy
2,676|
Vernice McIntyre
1,353||
|
Mark Wartman
3,625|
Murray Hugel
2,243|
Reina Sinclair
1,499||
] The close election results were challenged in the courts.

After five months a judicial decision came down and the results were certified on January 27, 2000 Saskatchewan Liberal Party incumbent Glen McPherson was declared by a judge the winner by a single vote defeating Yogi Huyghebaert from the Saskatchewan Party.cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2000/01/27/mcpherson000127.html |title = McPherson wins Wood River | publisher = CBC News
date = January 27, 2000] The Saskatchewan Party decided to challenge the judicial decision, and it was overturned and dissolved based on irregularities in the absentee ballots.

The seat was dissolved and a by-election was called by Premier Roy Romanow on May 29, 2000.cite web|url=http://www.gov.sk.ca/news?newsId=bcdf6b35-1607-438b-9320-2946ce022472 |title = Wood River By-election June 26 | publisher = Government of Saskatchewan | date = May 29, 2000| accessdate=2007-10-15] McPherson did not run in the subsequent by-election, choosing to reject the NDP-Liberal coalition. His candidacy for the Liberal party was replaced by Gerry Ruehs.cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2000/06/26/woodriver000626.html |title = Wood River by-election underway| publisher = CBC News | date = June 26, 2000 | accessdate=2007-10-15] Huyghebaert ended up winning the by-election.

References

Source: [http://www.elections.sk.ca/history.php#provincialvotesummaries Elections Saskatchewan]

ee also

*List of Saskatchewan political parties