Saskatchewan Liberal Party: Good news for Saskatchewan! The Liberal party in the province has decided to finally stop being liberal. They have begun to hate their liberal instincts.
In the midst of a provincial landscape marked by growing anti–liberal sentiments, the Saskatchewan Liberal Party has suddenly come to the senses that the very brand it has been championing for years may no longer serve them well. So, it is undergoing a change.
As per a report by the Saskatoon StarPhoenix, the Saskatchewan Liberal Party is seeking a new name after its members decided to stop using the moniker “Liberal.” According to a press release from the organization, at their annual general meeting held on 26th March in Saskatoon, a “decisive“ 88% of the party‘s members voted in favour of the change.
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In a follow-up interview with Postmedia, party leader Jeff Walters called for “a reimagining” of how the party and said that the name change is “a once–in–a–lifetime” opportunity while insisting this will be more than just a “cosmetic” change.
Moreover, Walters also previously managed a party logo makeover last summer while also participating in a Saskatoon–Meewasin by–election.
“Obviously, the Liberal brand in Saskatchewan is lagging right now,” Walters said, noting that political popularity is “cyclical.” In Saskatchewan, the Liberals have “a legacy,” according to Walters. They are the oldest political party in the province and have achieved majority victories in eight of the nine elections since the province’s formation in 1905.
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History of the Saskatchewan Liberal Party
The Saskatchewan Party, which has since 2007 won four consecutive majority administrations, was founded as a result of infighting after that election. Four sitting Liberal MLAs left the party and joined four Progressive Conservative MLAs to form the Saskatchewan Party. The Liberals have been shut out of the legislature again in 2003, and have not returned. Meanwhile, the party noted for its liberal policies and progressive values has come into growing conflict with the people it tries to represent. This group has been referred to as the Liberal Caucus for a long time and proudly wears the label of liberalism as a badge of honour.
Yet as the tides of conservatism washed over the province, they discovered that it was difficult to relate to the very people they were trying to help. The party is aware that in order to radically shift how the public views it and maintain its relevance and effectiveness going forward, it must be willing to modify its ideology and policies in order to better address the concerns of the populace. There will undoubtedly be others who view this decision as a capitulation to conservatism and a betrayal of the basic values on which the party was formed. In actuality, though, it is an acknowledgement that political philosophy must constantly be balanced by the facts of the world we live in.
