After a long and winding road, the provincial Liberals finally have a leader.
He is Darrin Lamoureux, and he was acclaimed as Liberal leader following the close of nominations Aug. 8. The party announced his acclamation in a news release Aug. 21.
Lamoureux, who has been serving as interim leader of the party since December of last year, is expected to officially take over as the permanent leader this fall when the party holds its annual general meeting.
He is from Regina and has a background in the construction industry. Liberal politics also runs in the family: his brother is Kevin Lamoureux, a longtime Manitoba Liberal who has served there as an MLA and an MP.
The new Saskatchewan Liberal leader takes over a party that has had no elected members in the legislature since 2003.
"I deeply appreciate the support shown by the executive and Liberal membership to have me lead the party into the next election," said Lamoureux. The Liberal leader has pledged to hold the provincial Brad Wall government to account.
"The people of Saskatchewan are in need of a party that is willing to stand up to the Wall government and hold the Sask. Party accountable for the mismanagement of their tax dollars. This government has had a free ride for far too long, along with an NDP opposition unable to hold them accountable for their mistakes."
Lamoureux's acclamation follows what was a lengthy wait for a new permanent leader for the provincial Liberals following the resignation of Battlefords-based Ryan Bater as leader in January 2012.
Bater's departure came following an abysmal showing by the Liberals in the 2011 provincial election, in which they ran only nine candidates and garnered only 0.6 per cent of the vote province wide.
Bater won a seat on North Battleford city council later on in 2012.
Meanwhile the provincial Liberals settled into a long period without a permanent leader. Party activist Greg Gallagher filled the leadership role for much of that time on an interim basis.
In 2013, a leadership race was finally called but by the August deadline only one candidate, recent university graduate Reid Hill, had filed his nomination papers.
Hill appeared the winner by acclamation, however he never did officially take over as leader. The party and Hill ultimately decided to defer the leadership selection until 2014.
Hill ultimately backed out of the race entirely, leaving the job as Lamoureux's for the taking.
