Roy Romanov
Roy John Romanow , PC , OC , SOM , QC (born August 12, 1939 in Saskatoon , Saskatchewan ) is a Canadian politician . He was Prime Minister of Saskatchewan Province from November 1, 1991 to February 8, 2001. From 1987 to 2001 he was chairman of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party (NDP).
Provincial politics
Romanov's parents immigrated to Canada from Ukraine . Little is known about his youth, as he is very concerned about protecting his privacy and for many years did not disclose his date and place of birth himself. From 1957 to 1964 he studied politics and law at the University of Saskatchewan . He was President of the Student Council, supported the then Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) and campaigned for free health care.
In October 1967 Romanov won the Saskatchewan legislative assembly election in the Saskatoon Riversdale constituency. In 1970 he ran unsuccessfully for chairmanship of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party , the successor party to the CCF. In 1971 Allan Blakeney appointed him to the cabinet and Romanov was then Deputy Prime Minister and Attorney General for eleven years . Romanov drafted the province's first human rights declaration and created an ombudsman .
His most important role, however, was that of negotiating the new Canadian Constitution . In 1981 the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that, according to unwritten law, the provinces must also be involved in the constitutional process. Since the provinces were skeptical of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms , Federal Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau was forced to accept a provisional clause. This clause was part of the November 4, 1981 agreement called the Kitchen Accord (“ Kitchen Accord ”). The agreement was so named because it was made during a nightly meeting in a kitchen at the Ottawa Conference Center . They had negotiated Jean Chrétien , Roy McMurtry and Roy Romanow, the federal, Ontario and Saskatchewan ministers of justice.
In the provincial elections in April 1982 Romanov lost his seat with a difference of only 22 votes. In the meantime he withdrew from politics and wrote a book about the creation of the Canadian constitution. In October 1986 he regained his seat and on November 7, 1987, he was elected party leader of the NDP Saskatchewans.
prime minister
Romanov led the NDP to an overwhelming election victory on October 21, 1991. On November 1, he took over the post of Prime Minister. His government was considered more moderate than previous CCF or NDP provincial governments. It followed a course that resembled the Third Way of the British Labor Party under Tony Blair . Romanov took on debts of 14 billion dollars from the previous conservative government. His government has been forced to cut spending, close numerous hospitals and raise taxes. In 1995 she succeeded in presenting a balanced budget for the first time in twelve years.
In the November 1999 elections, the NDP government was confirmed for the second time in a row, but the party did not win enough seats for an absolute majority. The NDP remained strong in the cities but had lost support from the rural population. They formed a coalition government with the Saskatchewan Liberal Party, and Romanov brought Liberal MPs into his cabinet.
further activities
At the end of September 2000 Romanov announced his impending resignation, he handed over his office on February 8, 2001 to Lorne Calvert . On April 4, 2001, at the direction of Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien , Governor General Adrienne Clarkson Romanov appointed chairman of a royal commission to develop proposals for reforming Canada's health care system. In December 2002 the commission published the “Romanov Report”, which two years later formed the basis for a reallocation of costs between the federal government and the provinces.
Since November 13, 2003 Romanov has been a member of the Canadian Privy Council , in the same year he was appointed Officer of the Order of Canada and received the Order of Merit of the Saskatchewan Province.
literature
- Gordon Barnhart : Saskatchewan Premiers of the Twentieth Century. Canadian Plains Research Center, Regina 2004. ISBN 0889771642 .
Web links
- Roy John Romanow ( English, French ) In: The Canadian Encyclopedia .
- Article Roy Romanow in the Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Romanov, Roy |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Romanow, Roy John (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Canadian politician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | August 12, 1939 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Saskatoon |