NDP/Liberal Coalition
The election resulted in a divided legislature, with the governing NDP and the opposition each winning exactly 29 seats. As a result, Romanow negotiated a coalition agreement with the Liberal Party, which saw that party's three MLAs given cabinet posts in exchange for supporting the government. One of the three Liberal MLAs, Jack Hillson, subsequently resigned from the cabinet and sat as an independent for the duration of the Assembly.
Shortly after being elected leader of the Liberal Party in 2001, David Karwacki ordered an end to the coalition agreement. However, the two Liberal MLAs who remained in cabinet, Jim Melenchuk and Ron Osika, instead quit the Liberal caucus and continued in coalition with the NDP as independent MLAs. Both subsequently ran as NDP candidates in the 2003 election, but were both defeated.
Read more about this topic: 24th Legislative Assembly Of Saskatchewan
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