Don Morgan

Don Morgan
KC
Member of the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly
for Saskatoon Southeast
In office
November 5, 2003 – October 1, 2024
Preceded byPat Lorje
Succeeded byBrittney Senger
Deputy Premier of Saskatchewan
In office
August 23, 2016 – February 2, 2018
Preceded byDon McMorris
Succeeded byGordon Wyant
Personal details
Born1951 (age 72–73)
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Political partySaskatchewan Party
Residence(s)Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Alma materUniversity of Saskatchewan
OccupationLawyer
Websitedonmorgan.ca

Don Morgan KC (born 1951) is a Canadian provincial politician. He was the Saskatchewan Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan (MLA) for the constituency of Saskatoon Southeast from 2003 until 2024. Along with Donna Harpauer, he was the longest-serving sitting minister in Canada at the time he left the cabinet in August 2023, after announcing that he would not be seeking re-election.[1][2]

Morgan was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He is a graduate of the University of Saskatchewan College of Law. He was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1990. He practiced law from 1979 until 1988, when he became Chairman and CEO of the Saskatchewan Legal Aid Commission. Mr. Morgan again practiced law from 1992 to 2007.[3]

Minister Morgan was first elected to the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly in 2003 from Saskatoon Southeast constituency in 2003 and got re-elected again in 2007, 2011, 2016 and 2020 from the same seat. Mr. Morgan was first elected to the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly in 2003. In Opposition, he served as Justice Critic, Deputy Critic for First Nations and Métis Relations, Opposition Deputy House Leader, and served on the Private Members' Bills Committee.[4]

He was appointed Minister of Justice and Attorney General (JAG) in 2007.[5] He also served as Minister responsible for SaskTel during his first term as Cabinet Minister.[6] In June 2010, he was appointed Minister of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety (LRWS), a role he keeps today.[7] In the May 2012 Cabinet shuffle, he gave up his JAG responsibilities and was appointed Minister of Advanced Education, in addition to his LRWS role.[8] In the Cabinet shuffle of September 2013, Morgan relinquished his portfolio of Advanced Education, retained his position of Minister of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety, and added the position of Minister of Education. On August 23, 2016, Morgan was also appointed Deputy Premier,[9] and in August 2017, he relinquished his Education portfolio and was re-appointed as Minister of Justice and Attorney General.[6] Morgan was replaced as Deputy Premier by Gordon Wyant on February 2, 2018 following a cabinet shuffle due to Scott Moe's appointment as Premier.

He brought Clare's law in Saskatchewan and consolidated all the Labour and Workplace safety pieces into one piece of legislation which is now called Saskatchewan Employment Act. Over the years, he has appointed a growing number of Indigenous and first nations judges.

Morgan announced on August 25, 2023 that he would not seek re-election in the next general election.[10] He was shuffled out of cabinet on August 29, 2023, but was appointed Provincial Secretary for the remainder of his term.[11]

  1. ^ Prisciak, David; Bamford, Allison (2023-08-29). "Merriman, Duncan moved to new portfolios in major Sask. cabinet shuffle". CTV News Regina. Archived from the original on 2023-09-02. Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  2. ^ Benson, Andrew (2023-08-25). "Long time MLA Don Morgan won't seek re-election". Global News. Archived from the original on 2023-08-26. Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  3. ^ "Honourable Don Morgan Q.C." Government of Saskatchewan web site. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  4. ^ Morgan, Don. "constituency web site". Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  5. ^ "Saskatoon MLAs at cabinet table". Saskatoon StarPhoenix. November 22, 2007. Archived from the original on 10 November 2012. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  6. ^ a b "Don Morgan MLA Website". www.donmorgan.ca.
  7. ^ Government news release. "NEW CABINET TO CONTINUE GOVERNMENT'S GROWTH AGENDA". Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  8. ^ "Honourable Don Morgan, Q.C. - Government of Saskatchewan Cabinet - Government of Saskatchewan". Government of Saskatchewan.
  9. ^ "New Smaller Cabinet Includes Four New Faces". Government of Saskatchewan. 23 August 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  10. ^ "'Time to pass the torch': Long time Saskatoon MLA Don Morgan not seeking re-election in 2024". 25 August 2023.
  11. ^ "Merriman, Duncan moved to new portfolios in major Sask. Cabinet shuffle". 29 August 2023.