Pat Atkinson

{{Short description|Canadian politician}} {{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = | honorific_prefix = [[The Honourable]] | name = Pat Atkinson | honorific_suffix = [[Executive Council of Saskatchewan|ECS]] | caption = | birth_date = September 27, 1952 | birth_place = [[Biggar, Saskatchewan]] | assembly1 = Saskatchewan Legislative | constituency_AM1 = [[Saskatoon Nutana]] | term_start1 = June 21, 1995 | term_end1 = October 10, 2011 | predecessor1 = [[Herman Rolfes]] | successor1 = [[Cathy Sproule]] | term_start2 = October 20, 1986 | term_end2 = September 20, 1991 | predecessor2 = [[Evelyn Bacon]] | successor2 = [[Herman Rolfes]] | assembly3 = Saskatchewan Legislative | constituency_AM3 = [[Saskatoon Broadway]] | term_start3 = October 21, 1991 | term_end3 = May 23, 1995 | predecessor3 = first member | successor3 = riding abolished | party = [[Saskatchewan New Democratic Party|New Democratic Party]] | occupation = }}

'''Patricia''' "'''Pat'''" '''Atkinson''' (born September 27, 1952)<ref name="esask"/> is a Canadian provincial [[politician]]. She was a [[Saskatchewan New Democratic Party]] member of the [[Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan]] from 1986 to 2011, and is the longest-serving female MLA in Saskatchewan's history.<ref name="retirement">{{cite web |url = https://thestarphoenix.com/news/Atkinson+retires/4092173/story.html |title = MLA Pat Atkinson retires |work = [[The StarPhoenix]] |publisher = [[Postmedia Network]] |date = January 11, 2011 |accessdate = 2011-01-12 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

She was born in [[Biggar, Saskatchewan]], the daughter of Roy Atkinson, and received degrees in arts and education from the [[University of Saskatchewan]]. She worked as a teacher therapist and school principal for the Radius Community School in [[Saskatoon, Saskatchewan|Saskatoon]]. Atkinson also served on the board of the Saskatoon Community Clinic.<ref name="esask">{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://esask.uregina.ca/entry/atkinson_patricia_1952-.html |title=Atkinson, Patricia (1952–) |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan |accessdate=2012-09-18}}</ref>

She ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the Saskatchewan assembly in 1982.<ref name="esask"/> Atkinson was first elected in 1986, while the NDP was still in opposition. When the party was elected to government in the 1991 provincial election, she held a number of major cabinet positions, including minister of social services, health, education, Crown corporations, and finance. She was a supporter of [[Lorne Calvert]] and helped him win the party leadership in 2001. After the NDP was defeated in the 2007 election, she served as deputy leader of the opposition. Atkinson announced her retirement on January 11, 2011.<ref name="retirement" />

==References== {{Reflist}} {{Calvert Ministry}} {{Romanow Ministry}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Atkinson, Pat}} [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:1952 births]] [[Category:Saskatchewan New Democratic Party MLAs]] [[Category:Women MLAs in Saskatchewan]] [[Category:20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan]] [[Category:20th-century Canadian women politicians]] [[Category:21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan]] [[Category:21st-century Canadian women politicians]] [[Category:Ministers of finance of Saskatchewan]] [[Category:Women government ministers of Canada]] [[Category:Members of the Executive Council of Saskatchewan]] [[Category:Female finance ministers]]