View source for Ron Osika

{{Short description|Canadian politician}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image               = 
| honorific-prefix = [[The Honourable]]
| name                = Ronald Osika
| honorific-suffix    = [[Executive Council of Saskatchewan|ECS]]
| caption             = 
| office             = 22nd [[Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan]]
| term_start         = December 6, 1999
| term_end           = February 7, 2001
| predecessor        = [[Glenn Hagel]]
| successor          = [[Myron Kowalsky]]
| office1             = [[Leader of the Opposition (Saskatchewan)]]
| term_start1         = November 12, 1995
| term_end1           = November 24, 1996
| predecessor1        = [[Lynda Haverstock]]
| successor1          = [[Ken Krawetz]]
| office2             = Member of the [[Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan]] for [[Melville (provincial electoral district)|Melville]]
| term_start2         = June 21, 1995
| term_end2           = November 5, 2003
| predecessor2        = [[Evan Carlson]]
| successor2          = ''riding merged into [[Melville-Saltcoats]]''
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|1939|02|27}}
| birth_place         = [[Hafford, Saskatchewan]]
| death_date          = 
| death_place         = 
| party               = [[Liberal Party of Saskatchewan|Liberal]] (1995-2001)<br/>[[Saskatchewan NDP|NDP]] (since 2003)
| spouse              = 
| religion            = |
}}
'''Ronald (Ron) Osika''' (born February 27, 1939) is a former Canadian politician, who served in the [[Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan]] from 1995 to 2003.

The son of Polish immigrants, he was born on a homestead near [[Hafford, Saskatchewan|Hafford]], [[Saskatchewan]], and educated in [[Battleford, Saskatchewan|The Battlefords]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/Infoparl/english/issue.asp?param=74&art=168 |title=CPA Activities: The Canadian Scene |work=Canadian Parliamentary Review |year=2000 |accessdate=2009-12-04}}</ref> A former officer in the [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police]], Osika's first foray into politics was an unsuccessful bid for a [[Reform Party of Canada|Reform Party]] nomination in 1992.<ref name=cp>"Former Liberals in coalition government formally join Saskatchewan NDP", ''Canadian Press'', September 5, 2003</ref>

He was first elected from [[Melville (provincial electoral district)|Melville]] as [[Liberal Party of Saskatchewan|Liberal]] MLA in the [[Saskatchewan legislature]] in the [[1995 Saskatchewan general election|1995 provincial election]]<ref name=cp/> that saw the Liberals go from a single seat to 11 to form the [[official opposition]]. Osika served as interim [[Leader of the Opposition (Saskatchewan)|Leader of the Opposition]] in November 1995 after [[Lynda Haverstock]] was forced to resign as leader by her caucus.<ref>Canadian Press, "Osika to lead Saskatchewan Liberals", ''Globe and Mail'', November 16, 1995</ref> He remained leader until November 1996 when [[Jim Melenchuk]] was chosen as Haverstock's permanent replacement. The [[1999 Saskatchewan general election|1999 provincial election]] reduced [[Roy Romanow]]'s [[Saskatchewan NDP|NDP]] to a [[minority government]] while also reducing the Liberals to [[Third party (politics)|third party]] status with four MLAs. The Liberals agreed to enter into a [[coalition government]] and Osika became [[Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan]] from 1999 until February 2001 when he joined Calvert's [[Executive Council of Saskatchewan|Cabinet]] as Municipal Affairs minister.<ref>"Swearing-in ceremony for new premier, cabinet",  ''Canadian Press'', February 9, 2001</ref><ref>"Saskatchewan Liberal Ron Osika decides to stay in coalition cabinet with NDP", ''Canadian Press'', October 30, 2001</ref> In October 2001, the Liberal Party elected [[David Karwacki]] as its new leader. He ordered the Liberal MLAs to leave the coalition government but Osika and Melenchuk refused and became Independents signing a new coalition agreement with Calvert in late 2001.<ref>"Sask premier Calvert confirms coalition deal with two former Liberal MLAs" ''Canadian Press'', November 7, 2001</ref> In early 2002, Osika became Government Relations Minister and at various times had additional responsibilities for aboriginal affairs, [[SaskWater]], the [[Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority]] and the [[Saskatchewan Property Management Corporation]]. He ran for re-election as an NDP candidate in the [[2003 Saskatchewan general election|2003 provincial election]] but was defeated in the riding of [[Melville-Saltcoats]].<ref>Parker, James, "NDP wins narrow Sask. victory: Party wins fourth consecutive term with razor-thin two-seat majority ", ''Edmonton Journal'', November 6, 2003</ref>

Osika turned to municipal politics after his defeat and was mayor of [[Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan|Fort Qu'Appelle]] from 2005 to 2016 when he chose not to seek another term.<ref>"Osika returns", ''Canadian Press'', April 28, 2005</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

{{Saskatchewan Liberal Party leaders}}
{{Speakers of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan}}
{{Calvert Ministry}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Osika, Ron}}
[[Category:Speakers of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan]]
[[Category:Leaders of the opposition of Saskatchewan]]
[[Category:Members of the Executive Council of Saskatchewan]]
[[Category:Saskatchewan Liberal Party MLAs]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Saskatchewan political party leaders]]
[[Category:People from Fort Qu'Appelle]]
[[Category:1939 births]]
[[Category:Independent MLAs in Saskatchewan]]
[[Category:21st-century mayors of places in Saskatchewan]]
[[Category:Leaders of the Saskatchewan Liberal Party]]
[[Category:20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan]]
[[Category:21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan]]