Ken Krawetz

Hon. Ken Krawetz
MLA for Canora-Pelly
Incumbent
Assumed office 1995
Preceded by	first member
Minister of Finance
Incumbent
Assumed office June 29, 2009
Preceded by	Rod Gantefoer
Succeeded by	current
Leader of the Opposition
In office 1996–1999
Preceded by	Ron Osika
Succeeded by	Elwin Hermanson
Personal details
Born	Rama, Saskatchewan
Political party	Saskatchewan Party (1997-current)
Other political affiliations	Liberal (1995-1997)
Religion	Ukrainian Catholic

Kenneth Patrick ("Ken") Krawetz is a Canadian provincial politician. He is the Saskatchewan Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan for the constituency of Canora-Pelly, and the current Deputy Premier of Saskatchewan and Deputy Leader of the Saskatchewan Party.

Background

Krawetz was first elected to the Saskatchewan legislature in the 1995 provincial election as a Liberal. He became Leader of the Opposition in 1996 when Jim Melenchuk was chosen Liberal Party leader as Melenchuk did not have a seat in the legislature. In 1997, Krawetz joined four other Liberal MLAs and four Progressive Conservative MLAs in leaving their respective parties in order to form the new Saskatchewan Party. He remained as Leader of the Opposition until the 1999 election of Saskatchewan Party leader Elwin Hermanson to the legislature.

Following the 2007 provincial election that saw the Saskatchewan Party take power for the first time the new Premier, Brad Wall, appointed Krawetz to cabinet as Deputy Premier and Minister of Education. In a cabinet shuffle on June 29, 2010, Premier Wall appointed Ken Krawetz as Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance.

Awards

In January 2009, Ken Krawetz was presented with the Order of King Yaroslav the Wise – the highest honour a non-citizen of Ukraine can receive – by Ukraine's president, Viktor Yushchenko, in recognition of Krawetz's efforts in ensuring the passage of the Ukrainian Famine and Genocide (Holodomor Memorial Day) Act (Bill 40) through the Saskatchewan legislature; and in promoting awareness throughout the province of the Holodomor's 75th anniversary during 2007 and 2008.