{{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 = }} '''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 (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]]