W. Ross Thatcher
Encyclopedia
Wilbert Ross Thatcher, PC
(May 24, 1917 – July 22, 1971) was the ninth Premier of Saskatchewan
, Canada
, serving from 2 May 1964 to 30 June 1971.
Born in Neville
, Saskatchewan
, Thatcher was a Moose Jaw
–based businessman who developed an interest in politics shortly after the birth of his son, Colin Thatcher
, in 1938. Thatcher's father, Wilbur, had built a chain of hardware store
s across the province which Ross helped manage.
Thatcher graduated from high school at the age of 15 and attended Queen's University
in Kingston, Ontario
where he earned a commerce degree at the age of 18. Thatcher obtained a job as executive assistant to the vice-president of Canada Packers
in Toronto but had to return to Saskatchewan to run the family business when his father became ill.
Believing, as a result of the Great Depression
, that private business alone was unable to stimulate economic development in the province, he joined the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
and was elected to Moose Jaw city council on a labour-reform slate in 1942. In 1945
he was elected to Parliament
representing Moose Jaw
.
Due to his roots and belief in business, he was uncomfortable in the CCF and found himself on the right-wing of the party caucus. In 1955, he left the CCF over the issue of corporate tax
ation and sat out his term as an Independent MP
before running unsuccessfully for the Liberal Party of Canada
in the 1957 federal election
. During the campaign, he attacked the provincial CCF government's record on crown corporations, describing them as a dismal failure, upsetting Premier
Tommy Douglas
who challenged Thatcher to a radio debate which was held in the town of Mossbank
and was broadcast across the province. The debate was largely regarded as a draw between the two politicians but raised Thatcher's stock as he was seen as able to hold his own against the formidable Douglas establishing Thatcher as the anti-CCF standard bearer.
Thatcher was defeated by Hazen Argue
in the 1957 federal election and again in 1958
but Thatcher was nevertheless courted by the provincial Saskatchewan Liberal Party
and became its leader in 1959 at the party's leadership convention
defeating three rivals. He led the party into the 1960 provincial election
which was fought over the issue of Medicare
. The Liberals increased their level of public support but were unable to defeat the Saskatchewan CCF which had held power since the 1944 election
.
The Liberals had gained momentum, however, and the anti-CCF opposition coalesced around the party, particularly in the face of events such as the Saskatchewan Doctors' Strike
which hurt the CCF's popularity. The Thatcher Liberals won a string of by-election
s and then swept to victory in the 1964 provincial election
, defeating the CCF-NDP government which had governed the province for twenty years. Thatcher was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
, and became Premier
of the province.
Thatcher's government sold several crown corporations and declared the province "open for business" encouraging private investment in the potash
and other industries.
Despite the "Liberal" label, Thatcher's government was considered to be conservative for its time, and Thatcher often clashed with the federal Liberal
governments of Lester Pearson and Pierre Trudeau
over agricultural policy, social welfare policies (which the federal party supported and Thatcher opposed) and constitutional reform as well as the federal party's attempts to form a federal political organization in the province separate from Thatcher's party.
Following his government's re-election in 1967
, Thatcher introduced an austerity
program which cut government services, increased taxed and introduced user fees on medical procedures. Reduced government investment hurt the potash industry as well as agriculture and the government became increasingly unpopular. Thatcher's government was defeated by the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party
(the new name of the CCF) in the June 1971 election
and Allan Blakeney
succeeded Thatcher as premier.
In July 1971, only a few weeks after his defeat in the election, Thatcher died in his sleep in Regina
, Saskatchewan, apparently as a result of complications from diabetes and a heart condition. His death shocked the Saskatchewan public and his daughter-in-law JoAnn Thatcher later claimed she suspected the death was a suicide. But it was widely known that Thatcher had largely refused to deal with his severe diabetes and a former aide told reporters that Thatcher's health had been so run down that his death from natural causes surprised few insiders. CTV journalist Keith Morrison
interviewed Thatcher only a few hours before his death and is believed to be the last reporter to speak to him.
Thatcher's widow Peggy was persuaded to run for the federal parliament in support of Pierre Trudeau's Liberals in the 1972 federal election
but fared poorly coming in a weak third in Regina East
.
Ross Thatcher was the father of Colin Thatcher
, a Conservative
minister in the Saskatchewan cabinet in the 1980s who was later charged and convicted of murdering his ex-wife.
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
(May 24, 1917 – July 22, 1971) was the ninth Premier of Saskatchewan
Premier of Saskatchewan
The Premier of Saskatchewan is the first minister for the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. They are the province's head of government and de facto chief executive....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, serving from 2 May 1964 to 30 June 1971.
Born in Neville
Neville, Saskatchewan
-External links:*******-Footnotes:...
, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, Thatcher was a Moose Jaw
Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
Moose Jaw is a city in south-central Saskatchewan, Canada on the Moose Jaw River. It is situated on the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Regina. Residents of Moose Jaw are known as Moose Javians. It is best known as a retirement and tourist city that serves as a hub to the hundreds of small towns...
–based businessman who developed an interest in politics shortly after the birth of his son, Colin Thatcher
Colin Thatcher
Wilbert Colin Thatcher is a Canadian former politician convicted for the murder of his ex-wife, JoAnn Wilson.-Political life:Colin Thatcher is the son of Wilbert Ross Thatcher, premier of Saskatchewan from 1964 to 1971...
, in 1938. Thatcher's father, Wilbur, had built a chain of hardware store
Hardware store
Hardware stores, sometimes known as DIY stores, sell household hardware including: fasteners, hand tools, power tools, keys, locks, hinges, chains, plumbing supplies, electrical supplies, cleaning products, housewares, tools, utensils, paint, and lawn and garden products directly to consumers for...
s across the province which Ross helped manage.
Thatcher graduated from high school at the age of 15 and attended Queen's University
Queen's University
Queen's University, , is a public research university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded on 16 October 1841, the university pre-dates the founding of Canada by 26 years. Queen's holds more more than of land throughout Ontario as well as Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England...
in Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
where he earned a commerce degree at the age of 18. Thatcher obtained a job as executive assistant to the vice-president of Canada Packers
Canada Packers
Canada Packers was the largest meat packing and meat processing company in Canada, located in Ontario. It is now part of Maple Leaf Foods through a merger with Maple Leaf Mills....
in Toronto but had to return to Saskatchewan to run the family business when his father became ill.
Believing, as a result of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, that private business alone was unable to stimulate economic development in the province, he joined the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation was a Canadian political party founded in 1932 in Calgary, Alberta, by a number of socialist, farm, co-operative and labour groups, and the League for Social Reconstruction...
and was elected to Moose Jaw city council on a labour-reform slate in 1942. In 1945
Canadian federal election, 1945
The Canadian federal election of 1945 was the 20th general election in Canadian history. It was held June 11, 1945 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 20th Parliament of Canada...
he was elected to Parliament
Parliament of Canada
The Parliament of Canada is the federal legislative branch of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in the national capital, Ottawa. Formally, the body consists of the Canadian monarch—represented by her governor general—the Senate, and the House of Commons, each element having its own officers and...
representing Moose Jaw
Moose Jaw (electoral district)
Moose Jaw was a federal electoral district in Saskatchewan, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1908 to 1953 and from 1968 to 1988.This riding was created in 1907 from parts of Assiniboia West and Calgary ridings...
.
Due to his roots and belief in business, he was uncomfortable in the CCF and found himself on the right-wing of the party caucus. In 1955, he left the CCF over the issue of corporate tax
Corporate tax
Many countries impose corporate tax or company tax on the income or capital of some types of legal entities. A similar tax may be imposed at state or lower levels. The taxes may also be referred to as income tax or capital tax. Entities treated as partnerships are generally not taxed at the...
ation and sat out his term as an Independent MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
before running unsuccessfully for the Liberal Party of Canada
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
in the 1957 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1957
The Canadian federal election of 1957 was held June 10, 1957, to select the 265 members of the House of Commons of Canada. In one of the great upsets in Canadian political history, the Progressive Conservative Party , led by John Diefenbaker, brought an end to 22 years of Liberal rule, as the...
. During the campaign, he attacked the provincial CCF government's record on crown corporations, describing them as a dismal failure, upsetting Premier
Premier of Saskatchewan
The Premier of Saskatchewan is the first minister for the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. They are the province's head of government and de facto chief executive....
Tommy Douglas
Tommy Douglas
Thomas Clement "Tommy" Douglas, was a Scottish-born Baptist minister who became a prominent Canadian social democratic politician...
who challenged Thatcher to a radio debate which was held in the town of Mossbank
Mossbank, Saskatchewan
Mossbank is a town in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada. It is located south of Old Wives Lake and 70 km south of Moose Jaw- See also :* List of communities in Saskatchewan* List of towns in Saskatchewan* RCAF Station Mossbank- History :...
and was broadcast across the province. The debate was largely regarded as a draw between the two politicians but raised Thatcher's stock as he was seen as able to hold his own against the formidable Douglas establishing Thatcher as the anti-CCF standard bearer.
Thatcher was defeated by Hazen Argue
Hazen Argue
Hazen Robert Argue, PC was a Canadian politician based in Saskatchewan who served in Ottawa for 43 years at various levels of Canada's federal government. He was first elected as a Co-operative Commonwealth Federation Member of Parliament in 1945 and ended his career as a Liberal Party Senator...
in the 1957 federal election and again in 1958
Canadian federal election, 1958
The Canadian federal election of 1958 was the 24th general election in Canada's history. It was held to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 24th Parliament of Canada on March 31, 1958, just nine months after the 23rd election...
but Thatcher was nevertheless courted by the provincial Saskatchewan Liberal Party
Saskatchewan Liberal Party
The Saskatchewan Liberal Party is a liberal political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan.-Early history :The party dominated Saskatchewan politics for the province's first forty years providing six of the first seven Premiers, and being in power for all but five of the years between the...
and became its leader in 1959 at the party's leadership convention
Leadership convention
In Canadian politics, a leadership convention is held by a political party when the party needs to choose a leader due to a vacancy or a challenge to the incumbent leader.- Overview :...
defeating three rivals. He led the party into the 1960 provincial election
Saskatchewan general election, 1960
The Saskatchewan general election of 1960 was the fourteenth provincial election held in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on June 8, 1960, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan....
which was fought over the issue of Medicare
Medicare (Canada)
Medicare is the unofficial name for Canada's publicly funded universal health insurance system. The formal terminology for the insurance system is provided by the Canada Health Act and the health insurance legislation of the individual provinces and territories.Under the terms of the Canada Health...
. The Liberals increased their level of public support but were unable to defeat the Saskatchewan CCF which had held power since the 1944 election
Saskatchewan general election, 1944
The Saskatchewan general election of 1944 was the tenth provincial election in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on June 15, 1944 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan....
.
The Liberals had gained momentum, however, and the anti-CCF opposition coalesced around the party, particularly in the face of events such as the Saskatchewan Doctors' Strike
Saskatchewan Doctors' Strike
The 1962 Saskatchewan Doctors' Strike was a 23-day labour action exercised by medical doctors in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan in an attempt to force the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation government of Saskatchewan to rescind its program of universal medical insurance...
which hurt the CCF's popularity. The Thatcher Liberals won a string of by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
s and then swept to victory in the 1964 provincial election
Saskatchewan general election, 1964
The Saskatchewan general election of 1964 was the fifteenth provincial election held in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on April 22, 1964, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan....
, defeating the CCF-NDP government which had governed the province for twenty years. Thatcher was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
The 25th Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan was in power from 2003 until November 20, 2007. It was controlled by the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party under premier Lorne Calvert.-Members:-By-elections:...
, and became Premier
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in some countries and states.-Examples by country:In many nations, "premier" is used interchangeably with "prime minister"...
of the province.
Thatcher's government sold several crown corporations and declared the province "open for business" encouraging private investment in the potash
Potash
Potash is the common name for various mined and manufactured salts that contain potassium in water-soluble form. In some rare cases, potash can be formed with traces of organic materials such as plant remains, and this was the major historical source for it before the industrial era...
and other industries.
Despite the "Liberal" label, Thatcher's government was considered to be conservative for its time, and Thatcher often clashed with the federal Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
governments of Lester Pearson and Pierre Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
over agricultural policy, social welfare policies (which the federal party supported and Thatcher opposed) and constitutional reform as well as the federal party's attempts to form a federal political organization in the province separate from Thatcher's party.
Following his government's re-election in 1967
Saskatchewan general election, 1967
The Saskatchewan general election of 1967 was the sixteenth provincial election held in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on October 11, 1967, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan....
, Thatcher introduced an austerity
Austerity
In economics, austerity is a policy of deficit-cutting, lower spending, and a reduction in the amount of benefits and public services provided. Austerity policies are often used by governments to reduce their deficit spending while sometimes coupled with increases in taxes to pay back creditors to...
program which cut government services, increased taxed and introduced user fees on medical procedures. Reduced government investment hurt the potash industry as well as agriculture and the government became increasingly unpopular. Thatcher's government was defeated by the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party
Saskatchewan New Democratic Party
The Saskatchewan New Democratic Party is a social-democratic political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It currently forms the official opposition, but has been a dominant force in Saskatchewan politics since the 1940s...
(the new name of the CCF) in the June 1971 election
Saskatchewan general election, 1971
The Saskatchewan general election of 1971 was the seventeenth provincial election in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on June 23, 1971, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan....
and Allan Blakeney
Allan Blakeney
Allan Emrys Blakeney, PC, OC, SOM, QC, FRSC was the tenth Premier of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan from 1971 to 1982, and leader of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party .-Life and career:...
succeeded Thatcher as premier.
In July 1971, only a few weeks after his defeat in the election, Thatcher died in his sleep in Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
, Saskatchewan, apparently as a result of complications from diabetes and a heart condition. His death shocked the Saskatchewan public and his daughter-in-law JoAnn Thatcher later claimed she suspected the death was a suicide. But it was widely known that Thatcher had largely refused to deal with his severe diabetes and a former aide told reporters that Thatcher's health had been so run down that his death from natural causes surprised few insiders. CTV journalist Keith Morrison
Keith Morrison
Keith Morrison is a Canadian, veteran broadcast journalist. Since 1995, he has been a correspondent for Dateline NBC.-Career:...
interviewed Thatcher only a few hours before his death and is believed to be the last reporter to speak to him.
Thatcher's widow Peggy was persuaded to run for the federal parliament in support of Pierre Trudeau's Liberals in the 1972 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1972
The Canadian federal election of 1972 was held on October 30, 1972 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 29th Parliament of Canada. It resulted in a slim victory for the governing Liberal Party, which won 109 seats, compared to 107 seats for the opposition Progressive...
but fared poorly coming in a weak third in Regina East
Regina East
Regina East was a federal electoral district in Saskatchewan, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1968 to 1988.This riding was created in 1966 from parts of Humboldt—Melfort, Melville, Moose Jaw—Lake Centre, QuAppelle, Regina City and Yorkton ridings.It was abolished...
.
Ross Thatcher was the father of Colin Thatcher
Colin Thatcher
Wilbert Colin Thatcher is a Canadian former politician convicted for the murder of his ex-wife, JoAnn Wilson.-Political life:Colin Thatcher is the son of Wilbert Ross Thatcher, premier of Saskatchewan from 1964 to 1971...
, a Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan is a right-of-centre political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Prior to 1942, it was known as the Conservative Party of Saskatchewan. Members are commonly known as Tories....
minister in the Saskatchewan cabinet in the 1980s who was later charged and convicted of murdering his ex-wife.