Allan Blakeney
Allan Emrys Blakeney, PC, OC, SOM, QC ( born September 7, 1925 in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, † April 16, 2011 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan ) was a Canadian politician. It was June 30, 1971 to May 8, 1982 Prime Minister of the Province of Saskatchewan. From 1970 to 1987 he was chairman of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party (NDP ).
Occupation and provincial policy
Blakeney grew up in the province of Nova Scotia. He studied law at Dalhousie University in Halifax and was among the best students at all, which is why he was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship. This allowed him to go to Oxford University, where he studied economics, modern history and philosophy. He also played hockey for the University team. In 1950 he returned to Canada and moved to Regina in the province of Saskatchewan, where he was appointed prime minister Tommy Douglas in the civil service.
In 1950 he married Molly Schwartz, who unexpectedly died seven years later. 1959 Blakeney joined a second marriage with Anne Gorham. He first worked as legal counsel for the state-owned enterprises in the province, then in a leading position in the Ministry of Finance. In 1960 he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan and was a minister in the governments of Tommy Douglas and his successor, Woodrow Stanley Lloyd. In 1964 his party was in opposition.
Prime minister
On July 4, 1970 Blakeney was elected the new chairman of the NDP. In the elections on 23 June 1971, he led his party to victory, a week later he took Ross Thatcher as Prime Minister from. Blakeneys economic policy was characterized by government intervention. His government promoted the establishment of state-owned enterprises for the extractive industries, especially a society to reduce potassium or potash. She also founded SaskOil, a state-owned oil and gas company. These measures have had to diversify the goal of the one-sided based on agriculture economic structure of the province.
At the national level Blakeney played a significant role in the debate about a new Canadian constitution. Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau wanted the Constitution completely separate from the ties with Britain and introduce a Charter of Fundamental Rights. Blakeney spoke out against the Charter, because he was convinced they bring a shift in power from elected representatives, to appointed judges with it. In protracted negotiations, he was able to assert that the Charter contains a proviso, which the provinces can suspend certain rights temporarily.
Other activities
The Government of the NDP had been in 1975 and 1978 confirmed by an absolute majority, but suffered in the elections in April 1982, a loss to the strengthened Progressive Conservatives. Blakeney was his position as Prime Minister on 8 May 1982 Grant Devine and became leader of the opposition. Although the NDP achieved in the elections in October 1986, just short more votes, but was due to distortions of the electoral system less seats. On November 7, 1987 Blakeney stepped down as party chairman.
Blakeney was also a seat in parliament from, took a two year break and was then a visiting lecturer in constitutional law at the University of Saskatchewan. He participated in various corporate boards and helped in South Africa in building democratic structures of government after the end of apartheid.