Saskatchewan Liberals vote to change party name

The Saskatchewan Liberal Party has passed a motion to change the party's name.

Eighty-five percent of Saskatchewan Liberal Party constituents voted to change their party's name at its Annual General Meeting on Saturday.

The Saskatchewan Liberal Party leader Jeff Walters says changing its name is a step in the full rebranding of the political party.

"The idea is to really reconnect with the public here," Walters said.

"It's no secret that we haven't exactly been the most successful of political parties here in Saskatchewan."

In the 2020 provincial election, the Saskatchewan Liberal Party received 355 votes, which was 0.08 per cent of the total 444,997 votes.

Walters said the party hasn't had a sitting MLA in 25 years. He hopes rebranding can help change their luck.

"To improve on those results, you have to rethink what it's all about for us, the greatest good for the greatest number of people," Walters said. "You can't do that if you're not seen as politically viable."

Walter hopes the rebranding of the Saskatchewan Liberal Party can help with dwindling voter turnout in the province. In the 2020 provincial election only 53 per cent of eligible voters cast a ballot.

"The two-party system voter turnout that's going on is almost at historic lows here, people are looking for something that best reflects them and they're not seeing it," Walters said.

"So our hope is that at the end of the process we are at the face of the disenfranchised 50 per cent that are no longer voting."

In the 2020 election, the Saskatchewan Party received 61 per cent of the votes while the Saskatchewan NDP received 31 per cent.

Walters said that the changing the name from the Saskatchewan Liberal Party has been considered for a long time since they detached from the federal liberals back in 2009.

"Every single provincial party except for us have gone through this process, gone through a name change and a rebrand, but we haven't ," Walters said

"We think it's time to do so."

At the Saskatchewan Liberal Party's next executive meeting, the party will consider creating a system where any member of the public could submit suggestions for a new name.