Gordon Wyant

Gordon S. Wyant, KC (born 1957) is a Canadian lawyer and politician. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan with the Saskatchewan Party for the constituency of Saskatoon Northwest from 2010 to 2024. Wyant served in the cabinets of both Brad Wall and Scott Moe, including two stints as Attorney General. Prior to entering provincial politics, Wyant served on Saskatoon City Council from 2003 to 2010.

Early life and career

Wyant was born and raised in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He earned both bachelor's and law degrees from the University of Saskatchewan. After receiving his law degree in 1986, Wyant was admitted to the bar in 1987 and practiced corporate law in Saskatoon. In 2008, he was appointed Queen's Counsel. Wyant served as a member of the Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners and on the Board of Directors of Saskatoon's Credit Union Centre. He was also a public school board trustee from 2000 to 2002. Wyant worked as the business manager for Serge LeClerc before LeClerc was elected as MLA for Saskatoon Northwest as a member of the Saskatchewan Party in 2007.

Political career

Saskatoon Public School Board

Wyant was a Public School Board Trustee from 2000 until 2003. He served two years as Board Chair.

Saskatoon City Council

Wyant was first elected to Saskatoon's City Council in 2003, representing Ward 5, and was re-elected in 2006 and 2009. During his time on council, Wyant was considered to be part of a conservative bloc of councillors who tended to align their votes. He was a supporter of curbside recycling and a critic of the rapid development of " big box" shopping centres.

Saskatchewan Party MLA

Serge LeClerc resigned as Saskatoon Northwest MLA in 2010, triggering a by-election for the seat. Wyant ran to succeed LeClerc under the Saskatchewan Party banner. He was elected MLA for Saskatoon Northwest on October 18, 2010, and consequently resigned from City Council. Wyant went on to be re-elected in the 2011 provincial election; he was then named Deputy House Leader and in 2012 was named to Premier Brad Wall's cabinet as Minister of Justice and Attorney General.

After Wall announced in August 2017 that he would be retiring, Wyant resigned from cabinet and entered the race to succeed Wall as Saskatchewan Party leader and Saskatchewan Premier. During his leadership campaign, Wyant promised a public inquiry into the Global Transportation Hub land scandal—an issue he first identified and flagged to the party in 2012 when serving as Attorney General—and pledged a $30 million increase in funding for education. Wyant criticized the emergence of abortion as a campaign issue, stating that the Supreme Court had offered "finality" on the issue. While he was criticized for his membership with the federal Liberal Party—which he cancelled in September 2017—Wyant promised to continue the party's combative approach to federal relations. Wyant ultimately finished fourth in the 2018 leadership election after being eliminated on the third ballot; the election was won by Scott Moe.

After Moe was sworn in as Premier, Wyant was appointed Deputy Premier and Minister of Education. He ended his advocacy for an inquiry into the GTH scandal, stating that it was the government's position to "move on" from it. Wyant was in charge of the education portfolio during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and guided the implementation of the province's plans for reopening schools in the fall of 2020. In a late 2020 cabinet shuffle, Wyant took over the justice portfolio, beginning a second stint as Attorney General; he stayed in that role until May 2022, when he was named the advanced education minister. On October 12, 2023, Wyant voted with the government to introduce the controversial Bill 137—the Education Parents' Bill of Rights Amendment Act. Wyant was absent for subsequent votes, including the vote that enshrined the Parents' Bill of Rights into law. Despite the absences, Premier Moe stated that he was "100 per cent" confident that Wyant supported the legislation.

On February 6, 2024, despite having already been acclaimed the Saskatchewan Party candidate for the renamed riding of Saskatoon Chief Mistawasis, Wyant announced that he would not seek re-election in the 2024 provincial election. The same week, Wyant suggested that he was contemplating running to become mayor of Saskatoon in the fall 2024 municipal election. He was shuffled out of cabinet on May 17, and on June 10 he resigned as MLA for Saskatoon Northwest.

Saskatoon Mayoral campaign

On June 10, 2024, Wyant officially announced his run for mayor of Saskatoon in the 2024 municipal election; Wyant boasted about his connection with the Saskatchewan Party and stated that his campaign would focus on the planks of public safety, affordability, and transparency. Wyant ultimately finished as runner-up to two-term councillor Cynthia Block.

Personal life

Wyant has four children with his wife, Christine Hrudka.

Electoral history

Provincial cabinet positions

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wyant, Gordon
Living people
1957 births
Saskatchewan Party MLAs
Saskatoon city councillors
University of Saskatchewan alumni
University of Saskatchewan College of Law alumni
Attorneys general of Saskatchewan
Lawyers in Saskatchewan
Members of the Executive Council of Saskatchewan
Deputy premiers of Saskatchewan
21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan