A general election was called for Saskatchewan by Premier Ross Thatcher on Friday. Saskatchewan voters will go to the polls on Wednesday, Oct. 11[, 1967].
The election will come three and a half years after Premier Thatcher’s Liberal government ended 20 years of rule by the CCF. The present government was elected in May of 1964. At that time it took 33 seats in the 59-seat provincial legislature.
At present the Thatcher government holds 31 seats with one vacancy. The CCF, under former Premier Woodrow S. Lloyd, now holds 26 and Progressive Conservative Leader Martin Pederson holds his party’s only seat.
Over the past few months, in anticipation of Friday's announcement, all political parties have been active. The Liberals have nominated a full list of 59 candidates while the CCF presently have 55 in the running. The PC’s Wye named 26 candidates.
The two provincial constituencies in the Tisdale area have already named candidates to contest the election. In Melfort-Tisdale, at this point, it is a three-way fight. The present member, Clarence G. Willis of the CCF, has again been named by that party. A former Melfort resident, Mr. Willis now makes his blame in Regina.
A Tisdale business man, Don Lamb, was named some months ago as the Liberal standard bearer. A newcomer to the provincial political scene, Mr. Lamb has been active in civic politics, 'church and lodge work for many years. He is a veteran, of service with the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve in World War II.
Orville Pederson has been named to run in this riding for the Social Credit. He is a farmer in the Fairy Glen district.
The Progressive Conservatives leave not as yet named a candidate to contest the Melfort-Tisdale riding.
To date it is a three-way contest in the Kelsey riding. This riding begins at the east boundary of Tisdale and runs east to the Manitoba boundary.
Liberal Bill McHugh of Mistatim is again in the running for the Liberals A surprise candidate in the last general election, Mr. McHugh narrowly missed upsetting the dean of the legislature, John H. Brockelbank of the CCF.
Mr. Brockelbank is retiring from the provincial legislature when this session ends. The CCF have named as his successor on the election ticket Jack Messer of Tisdale. Mr. Messer farms at a large scale a few miles north-east of Tisdale.
The Progressive Conservatives have again nominated Carston Johnson. Mr. Johnson, a farmer, ran third in the last election.
In announcing the election, Premier Ross Thatcher said, “Although our term of office has not been quite completed, we have reached a point where a new mandate is required. This is essential to assure potential investors in Saskatchewan of the maintenance of a favourable political climate – one which will continue to en-courage private enterprise progress, while at the same time, permitting our people to share in the manifold benefits 'through more and better jobs, rising incomes, and living standards.
“Accordingly, we have asked the Lieutenant-Governor to is-sue the Writ for a general election to take place Wednesday, Oct. 11, 1967.
“On that day, we shall ask the people to judge our record, and hopefully to give us the renewed mandate for Saskatchewan’s continued expansion under policies whirl: have been outstandingly successful since the Liberal Government took office in 1964.”
Editor’s note: the Liberals would win the election with 35 seats, three more than they had before while the CCF would lose two and the Progressive Conservatives would lose their single seat.
Clarence Willis would won the Melfort-Tisdale seat for the CCF and Jack Messer would win the Kelsey seat for the CCF.
