Veteran Saskatchewan MLA Bill Boyd says he’s retiring from public life and resigning his seat in Kindersley, effective Sept. 1.
Boyd said in a statement issued by the Saskatchewan Party that his retirement can be part of a party renewal that Premier Brad Wall talked about when Wall announced his own retirement last week.
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Boyd served as a cabinet minister from 2007 to 2016, holding various portfolios, including energy and resources, and economy.
However, he was most recently in the middle of a controversy over a land deal outside Regina and was also the minister responsible for SaskPower in 2014 when 105,000 smart meters had to be removed because of a fire hazard.
Boyd was first elected in 1991 as a Progressive Conservative, but left the PCs to help form the Saskatchewan Party in 1997.
He stepped down as an MLA in 2002, but ran again in 2007 and was elected as part of the first Saskatchewan Party government.
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Wall said Boyd has been an important part of the Saskatchewan Party throughout its 20-year history.
“It’s no exaggeration to say if it wasn’t for Bill Boyd, there wouldn’t be a Saskatchewan Party,” Wall said in the statement Tuesday.
“Bill was willing to give up his position as (Progressive Conservative) party leader to help form this new political voice for Saskatchewan, and has been a key reason for our party’s success ever since.”
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