23 Facts About Lorne Calvert

Lorne Albert Calvert was born on December 24,1952 and is a Canadian politician who served as the 13th premier of Saskatchewan, from 2001 to 2007.

Lorne Calvert served as the MLA for Moose Jaw Wakamow from 1986 to 1999.

Lorne Calvert became premier when he was elected NDP leader in 2001 after the retirement of Roy Romanow.

Lorne Calvert's party was defeated in the 2007 election by Brad Wall's Saskatchewan Party.

Lorne Calvert received his undergraduate degree in economics at the University of Regina.

From 1979 to 1986, Lorne Calvert was the minister of the pastoral charge of Zion United Church in Moose Jaw.

Lorne Calvert entered provincial politics ahead of the 1986 provincial election, running as a New Democrat on a platform of prohibiting the construction of a proposed casino in Moose Jaw.

Lorne Calvert was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan as the Member for the constituency of Moose Jaw South, serving in the Official Opposition to Grant Devine's Progressive Conservative government.

Lorne Calvert was re-elected in the 1991 and 1995 elections, when the NDP was both times elected to majority governments under the leadership of Roy Romanow.

Lorne Calvert held a number of cabinet positions during his tenure, including as associate minister of health and minister responsible for SaskPower and SaskEnergy; from 1995, he was responsible for two large portfolios as both Minister of Health and Minister of Social Services.

However, Lorne Calvert followed through on his promise to significantly increase social spending, particularly in education and healthcare, and persistently drew a stark contrast between his party's support for the province's major remaining crown corporations and Saskatchewan Party leader Elwin Hermanson's willingness to pursue privatization.

Lorne Calvert's spending plans were buoyed by a renewed boom in commodity prices, which led to significant increases in resource revenue for the province.

Lorne Calvert instigated a tax review committee that led to corporate tax cuts, designed to bring the province more in line with its neighbours.

Late in the term, Lorne Calvert became increasingly antagonistic with the federal government, a minority parliament led by Stephen Harper's Conservatives.

In March 2007, Lorne Calvert argued that the clawback of non-renewable resource revenues from the equalization formula as implemented in the 2007 federal budget would leave Saskatchewan getting significantly less than had been promised.

Lorne Calvert instructed his government to prepare a lawsuit against the federal government, a tactic that was interrupted by the fall provincial election.

Just two weeks after the 2007 election, federal NDP spokesman Brad Lavigne confirmed to reporters that Jack Layton's office had asked Lorne Calvert to consider standing as a candidate in the 2008 federal election.

Lorne Calvert declined to run, but stated that he would support the party's federal candidates.

Lorne Calvert announced on October 16,2008, that he would be stepping down as party leader, triggering a leadership race.

From 2009 to 2018, Lorne Calvert was the principal at St Andrew's College in Saskatoon.

In 2015, Lorne Calvert was named to the Saskatchewan Order of Merit.

Lorne Calvert is married to Betty Lorne Calvert; they have two children.

In 2005, Lorne Calvert made a cameo appearance on the Saskatchewan-based sitcom Corner Gas.