The Party's Origins and Political Basis
Historically, Saskatchewan politics has tended towards a two-party system, 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 it being soundly defeated by the NDP in 1991. The Conservatives lost almost half of their popular vote and retained only 10 of the 66 seats in the Legislature. A subsequent corruption scandal further weakened the Tories, 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 (PC leader Bill Boyd, Dan D'Autremont, Ben Heppner, Don Toth) and four Liberal Party members of the Legislature (Bob Bjornerud, June Draude, Rod Gantefoer, Ken Krawetz). However, it did not result in a formal merger between the two parties. While most Tory supporters and members joined the new party, the Progressive Conservative Party itself was not disbanded, as the party would have to forfeit its assets to the government if it ever lost its registration. Instead, the Tories essentially went dormant for the next two election cycles; with a select group running the minimum number of candidates necessary to keep the party alive, while its assets were held in trust. The Saskatchewan Party attracted fewer party members of 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. In 1998, former Reform Party federal house leader Elwin Hermanson was elected the party's first leader.
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