1978 Saskatchewan general election

1978 Saskatchewan general election
← 1975 October 18, 1978 (1978-10-18) 1982 →
61 seats in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
32 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Allan Blakeney Richard Collver Ted Malone
Party New Democratic Progressive Conservative Liberal
Leader since July 4, 1970 March 18, 1973 December 11, 1976
Leader's seat Regina Elphinstone Nipawin Regina Lakeview (lost re-election)
Last election 39 7 15
Seats before 39 11 11
Seats won 44 17 0
Seat change Increase5 Increase6 Decrease11
Popular vote 228,791 181,045 65,498
Percentage 48.12% 38.08% 13.78%
Swing Increase8.05pp Increase10.46pp Decrease17.89pp
Premier before election

Allan Blakeney
New Democratic

Premier after election

Allan Blakeney
New Democratic

The 1978 Saskatchewan general election was held on October 18, 1978, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan.

The New Democratic government of Premier Allan Blakeney was returned for a third consecutive term with an increased majority in the legislature, and a larger share of the popular vote.

The Progressive Conservative Party of Richard Collver continued to increase its share of the popular vote in this election. They were the only other party to win seats and became the official opposition to the Blakeney government.

Fierce political infighting in the Liberal Party after the resignation of leader David Steuart led to electoral disaster in 1978. The Liberals had lost two of the 15 seats they won in 1975 to by-elections and two more Grits crossed the floor to the Tories prior to the 1978 election. Under the disputed leadership of Ted Malone, the Liberals lost all of the 11 seats they still held in the legislature and more than half the votes it had won in the 1975 election.

Results

Party Party Leader # of
candidates 		Seats Popular Vote
1975 Dissol. Elected % Change # % % Change
  New Democratic Allan Blakeney 61 39 39 44 +12.8% 228,791 48.12% +8.05%
  Progressive Conservative Richard Collver 61 7 11 17 +54.5% 181,045 38.08% +10.46%
  Liberal Ted Malone 61 15 11 – -100% 65,498 13.78% -17.89%
  Independent 2 – – – – 81 0.02% -0.62%
Total 185 61 61 61 – 475,415 100%  
Source: Elections Saskatchewan

Percentages

Popular vote
New Democratic
 
 48.12%
PC
 
 38.08%
Liberal
 
 13.78%
Others
 
 0.02%
Seats summary
New Democratic
 
 72.13%
PC
 
 27.87%

Ranking

Party Seats Second Third Fourth
  New Democratic 44 17 0 0
  Progressive Conservative 17 41 3 0
  Liberal 0 3 58 0
  Independents 0 0 0 2

Riding results

Names in bold represent cabinet ministers and the Speaker. Party leaders are italicized. The symbol " ** " indicates MLAs who are not running again.

Northwest Saskatchewan

Electoral district Candidates Incumbent
NDP PC Liberal Other
Athabasca   Frederick John Thompson
2,340 		Frank Petit
1,180 		Henry Coupland
498 		  Frederick John Thompson
Cut Knife-Lloydminster   Bob Long
3,828 		Bob Kent
3,213 		Bill Taylor
259 		  Miro Kwasnica**
Meadow Lake Gord McNeill
2,789 		  George McLeod
3,016 		Colin Campbell
537 		  Gordon James McNeill
Redberry   Dennis Banda
3,325 		John Gerich
2,916 		Peter Bomok
491 		  Dennis George Banda
Rosthern Howard Lucas
3,162 		  Ralph Katzman
4,708 		Bill Patrick
964 		  Ralph Katzman
The Battlefords   Eiling Kramer
4,589 		Rod McKenzie
2,175 		Mervin Zulyniuk
1,427 		  Eiling Kramer
Turtleford   Lloyd Johnson
2,983 		Charlie Wells
2,188 		Pauline H. Cadrain
620 		  Lloyd Emmett Johnson
November 26, 1980 By-election: The Battlefords
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
  NDP David Miner 3,432 48.59% -7.44
  Prog. Conservative Harry Zamonsky 2,143 30.34% +3.79
  Liberal Thomas Bidart 1,488 21.07% +3.65
Total 7,063 100.00

Northeast Saskatchewan

Electoral district Candidates Incumbent
NDP PC Liberal Other
Cumberland   Norm MacAuley
2,586 		George L. Horne
1,254 		Leon E. McAuley
526 		  Norman H. MacAuley
Kelsey-Tisdale   John R. Messer
4,031 		Neil Hardy
3,461 		P. Hudson Foga
527 		  John Rissler Messer
Kinistino   Don Cody
4,042 		Louis A. Domotor
2,661 		Robert G. Michayluk
706 		  Arthur Thibault**
Melfort   Norm Vickar
3,102 		Bill Warner
3,749 		John W. Calderwood
605 		  Norman Vickar
Nipawin Irvin G. Perkins
3,262 		  Richard Collver
3,733 		Ron J. Wassill
568 		  Richard Lee Collver
Prince Albert   Mike Feschuk
4,472 		Richard E. Spencer
3,514 		Helga Reydon
286 		  Mike Feschuk
Prince Albert-Duck Lake   Jerome Hammersmith
3,618 		Norm Wipf
3,569 		Colonel J. Archibald
660 		  Norm Wipf
Shellbrook   George Bowerman
3,835 		John P. Meagher
3,029 		Manley R. McLachlan
511 		  George Bowerman
November 26, 1980 By-election: Kelsey-Tisdale
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
  Prog. Conservative Neil Hardy 3,334 48.39% +5.23
  NDP Lars Bracken 3,232 46.91% -3.36
  Liberal Jim Russell 324 4.70% -1.87
Total 6,890 100.00

West Central Saskatchewan

Electoral district Candidates Incumbent
NDP PC Liberal Other
Arm River Donald Leonard Faris
3,308 		  Gerald Muirhead
3,501 		Greg Wensel
1,101 		  Donald Leonard Faris
Biggar   Elwood L. Cowley
4,787 		Roy Norris
3,270 		Lynn Tokle
552 		  Elwood Lorrie Cowley
Humboldt   Edwin Tchorzewski
4,272 		John Bajbula
2,439 		Peter Cline
1,065 		  Edwin Tchorzewski
Kindersley David G. Thomson
2,461 		  Bob Andrew
2,774 		Allan McMillan
1,937 		  Allan Neil McMillan
Rosetown-Elrose Jim Mills
3,056 		  Herbert Swan
3,587 		Calvin W. Fensom
1,011 		  Roy Bailey**
Wilkie Ray Heather
2,371 		  Jim Garner
2,865 		Linda Clifford
1,975 		  Linda Clifford

East Central Saskatchewan

Electoral district Candidates Incumbent
NDP PC Liberal Other
Canora   Al Matsalla
4,258 		Eugene Teslia
2,647 		Joseph F. Matsalla
730 		  Al Matsalla
Kelvington-Wadena   Neil Byers
4,165 		Ray Meiklejohn
3,366 		A. Ben Ferrie
521 		  Neil Erland Byers
Last Mountain-Touchwood   Gordon MacMurchy
4,150 		Arnold Tusa
3,795 		Gill Fontaine
385 		  Gordon S. MacMurchy
Melville   John Kowalchuk
4,072 		Glenn Miller
3,465 		Cecil Headrick
901 		  John Russell Kowalchuk
Pelly   Norm Lusney
3,739 		Donald F. Boyd
2,130 		Rudolph Els
760 		  Norm Lusney
Quill Lakes   Murray Koskie
3,662 		W. Brian Wildeman
2,251 		Mervyn T. Warner
919 		  Murray James Koskie
Saltcoats   Ed Kaeding
3,354 		Walter R. Johnson
3,265 		Gabriel R. Neumeier
680 		  Ed Kaeding
Yorkton   Randy Nelson
4,128 		Ray S. Malinowski
3,637 		Irene Konkin
1,036 		  Randall Neil Nelson

Southwest Saskatchewan

Electoral district Candidates Incumbent
NDP PC Liberal Other
Assiniboia-Gravelbourg   Allan Engel
3,126 		Wilf Lethbridge
2,331 		Roy Nelson
2,662 		  Roy Nelson
Maple Creek Norman Arndt
2,327 		  Joan Duncan
3,496 		W.V. "Fred" Deis
1,341 		  Bill Stodalka**
Moose Jaw North   John Skoberg
4,483 		Kerry R. Chow
3,579 		Gene Chura
1,003 		  John Leroy Skoberg
Moose Jaw South   Gordon Snyder
4,512 		Arthur "Bud" Smith
2,408 		Terry W. Ocrane
716 		  Gordon Taylor Snyder
Morse   Reg Gross
2,587 		Art Martens
2,203 		Jack Wiebe
2,024 		  John Edward Niel Wiebe
Shaunavon   Dwain Lingenfelter
2,778 		Jim Lacey
2,145 		Eiliv "Sonny" Anderson
2,385 		  Eiliv "Sonny" Anderson
Swift Current Spencer Wooff
3,288 		  Dennis Ham
3,620 		Stew Tasche
936 		  Dennis Ham
Thunder Creek D. Hicks
2,424 		  Colin Thatcher
3,359 		Ron Gleim
1,270 		  Wilbert Colin Thatcher

Southeast Saskatchewan

Electoral district Candidates Incumbent
NDP PC Liberal Other
Bengough-Milestone Jim Liggett
3,069 		  Bob Pickering
3,118 		Rod MacDonald
1,018 		  David Lange**
Estevan Norman Blondeau
2,703 		  Bob Larter
4,376 		Paul Bachorcik
948 		  Robert Austin Larter
Indian Head-Wolseley Pat Connolley
2,400 		  Doug Taylor
2,893 		Cyril MacDonald
1,943 		  Cyril Pius MacDonald
Moosomin Fred A. Easton
2,614 		  Larry Birkbeck
3,353 		J. Sinclair Harrison
1,964 		  Larry Birkbeck
Qu'Appelle Greg Willows
6,844 		  John Gary Lane
7,231 		J. Don McCullough
1,541 		  John Gary Lane
Souris-Cannington Dean Fraser
2,019 		  Eric Berntson
3,739 		Gerard Belisle
1,170 		  Eric Arthur Berntson
Weyburn   Jim Pepper
3,517 		Glen Dods
3,449 		Ron Chapdelaine
981 		  James Auburn Pepper
November 26, 1980 By-election: Estevan
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
  NDP John Chapman 2,918 36.79% +3.12
  Prog. Conservative Grant Devine 2,858 36.03% -18.49
  Liberal Ralph Goodale 2,156 27.18% +15.37
Total 7,932 100.00

Saskatoon

Electoral district Candidates Incumbent
NDP PC Liberal Other
Saskatoon Buena Vista   Herman Rolfes
3,786 		Reg Schafer
2,343 		Doris Serne
1,272 		  Herman Harold Rolfes
Saskatoon Centre   Paul Mostoway
5,246 		Harry Baker
2,743 		Jean Korchin
1,453 		  Paul Peter Mostoway
Saskatoon Eastview   Bernie Poniatowski
4,018 		Kimberly Young
3,322 		Marie Eaton
1,257 		  Glen Penner**
Saskatoon Mayfair   Beverly Dyck
4,328 		Donna L. Birkmaier
2,394 		Dick Reed
1,104 		  Beverly Dyck
Saskatoon Nutana   Wes Robbins
4,739 		Grant Devine
2,466 		John A. Shanks
1,080 		  W. Albert Robbins
Saskatoon Riversdale   Roy Romanow
5,225 		Mary Cherneskey
2,205 		Nestor W. Romaniuk
640 		  Roy Romanow
Saskatoon Sutherland   Peter Prebble
5,007 		Bill Lane
4,722 		Douglas R. Knott
1,845 		  Harold William Lane
Saskatoon Westmount   John Edward Brockelbank
5,651 		Peter Shinkaruk
2,427 		Peter Sydney Groves
909 		  John Edward Brockelbank

Regina

Electoral district Candidates Incumbent
NDP PC Liberal Other
Regina Centre   Ned Shillington
3,767 		Keith Jeal
1,451 		George Exner
935 		William C. Beeching (Ind.) 45   Edward Shillington
Regina Elphinstone   Allan Blakeney
4,390 		Christine Whitaker
1,250 		R. Lawson Wilde
596 		  Allan Blakeney
Regina Lakeview   Doug McArthur
3,351 		Ian McPherson
1,684 		Ted Malone
2,366 		  Edward Cyril Malone
Regina North East   Walt Smishek
4,831 		F. Warren Denzin
2,248 		Del Miller
805 		Roger D. Annis (Ind.) 36   Walter Smishek
Regina North West   Ed Whelan
5,575 		Philip Lundeen
3,142 		J. Culliton Poston
1,443 		  Edward Charles Whelan
Regina Rosemont   Bill Allen
4,524 		Florian Vanderlinde
2,154 		Gerry Bassendowski
766 		  William J. G. Allen
Regina South John Hettema
3,114 		  Paul Rousseau
3,325 		Philip M. Desjardine
1,688 		  Stuart Cameron**
Regina Victoria   Henry Baker
3,729 		Andrew G. Shepherd
1,594 		Glenn Caleval
820 		  Henry Harold Peter Baker
Regina Wascana   Clint White
3,993 		Allan W. Wagar
2,945 		J. Duane Koch
1,859 		  Anthony Merchant**
October 17, 1979 By-election: Regina North West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
  NDP John Solomon 3,354 47.75% -7.12
  Liberal Ted Malone 2,211 31.47% +17.27
  Prog. Conservative Philip Lundeen 1,460 20.78% -10.15
Total 7,025 100.00

See also

References