Bill Boyd announces retirement as MLA for Kindersley

Kindersley MLA Bill Boyd has announced he will be retiring from politics and thus resigning from his seat as of Sept. 1.

He was first elected in 1991 as a Progressive Conservative MLA and became PC Leader in 1994.Boyd was one of the original members of the Saskatchewan Party in 1997, pushing for its formation.

His announcement follows a similar retirement notice from Premier Brad Wall on Aug. 10. Wall said he will stay on until the party elects a new leader.

"When Premier Wall announced his retirement, he talked about renewal within the Saskatchewan Party," Boyd said, in a statement.

"I have been the MLA for Kindersley for a long time, so my retirement and a new MLA can be part of that renewal."

Boyd stepped down as MLA in 2002 and left politics for a time but ran again in 2007 and was elected as part of the first Saskatchewan Party government.

He was re-elected in 2011 and 2016.

"I want to thank the people of Kindersley constituency for the trust they placed in me over the past 26 years by electing me six times," Boyd said in the statement.

"It has been a tremendous honour for me to serve as MLA for this great part of our province."

'Now is the right time for this decision': Wall

Boyd served as a cabinet minister in the Sask. Party governments from 2007 to 2016, overseeing various ministries including energy and resources, and economy.

"If it wasn't for Bill Boyd, there wouldn't be a Saskatchewan Party,"Wall said, also in a statement.

"Bill clearly feels it's time for renewal in our party and for the Kindersley constituency, so now is the right time for this decision."

Boyd is the third MLA this summer to announce his departure. Besides Wall's retirement announcement, Saskatoon-FairviewMLA Jennifer Campeau resigned in June to take a job in British Columbia. Abyelection will be held in that ridingon Sept. 7.