Allan Emrys Blakeney PC OC SOM QC FRSC (September 7, 1925 – April 16, 2011) was a Canadian politician who served as the tenth premier of Saskatchewan from 1971 to 1982.

Originally from Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, Blakeney moved to Regina, Saskatchewan, and worked in the province's civil service before running for office with the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) under Tommy Douglas.

Before he was premier, Blakeney played a key role in the implementation of the first Canadian public health insurance program (Medicare) in 1962.

[3] Although he grew up in a conservative household—his father worked as an election scrutineer for the Conservatives in Nova Scotia—Blakeney's time in law school, the events of the Second World War, and his experience in postwar England, where Clement Atlee's Labour government was actively building the British welfare state, all inclined him towards government intervention in meeting the needs of citizens.

[6] Blakeney was attracted to the province due to the innovation of Tommy Douglas' CCF administration, which in 1944 had become the first social democratic government elected in North America.

[16][17] Blakeney's first election platform as leader was titled "A New Deal for People", and it offered an ambitious social democratic agenda premised on state intervention in the economy and strong support for organized labour, and promising expanded health and social programs, including drug and children's dental programs, housing development, and increased supports for the poor and elderly.

[8] In the 1971 provincial election, Blakeney defeated Thatcher's Liberals and led the NDP to power with their highest ever share of the popular vote at 55%.

[16] One of Blakeney's key priorities was putting together a strong cabinet and building a robust civil service, which had been significantly weakened by Thatcher, who had prioritized a smaller government.

Blakeney believed in evidence-based policy and relied heavily on the professional civil service and delegation to cabinet ministers.

[18][19] In terms of policy, the government quickly enacted extensive labour reforms, for example making it easier for workers to organize and guaranteeing the right to collectively bargain.

[22] Blakeney also introduced programs to stabilize crop prices, retain transportation links, and modernize rural life.

Blakeney later stated that he looked back "ruefully" on the government's uneven efforts to stem the tide of corporatization in agriculture, citing the extremely high costs—such as those borne by many European states—as a barrier to true success.

The potash industry was initially shocked by nationalization, but the province managed to arrange purchase agreements and never had to expropriate any mines.

[25] However, the Blakeney government also created a Department of the Environment, introduced environmental assessment standards, and held a number of public inquiries into resource projects.

[24] Blakeney was also instrumental in the development of Section 33 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which enshrined the notwithstanding clause and thus preserved a preeminent role in legislation for elected governments over appointed courts.

[29] After an initial draft without it was agreed to, Blakeney and his team also ensured the ultimate inclusion of Section 35, which enshrined Indigenous rights in the Constitution.

[33] Public fatigue with constitutional matters made the NDP vulnerable to charges that they had lost touch with issues on the ground in Saskatchewan.

The party also lost significant union support—normally a bulwark for the NDP—ahead of the election due both to its support for federal wage and price controls and for conflicts with organized labour late in its term, including legislating hospital staff back to work in 1982.

[31][35] In addition, Devine and his PCs ran an aggressive campaign on the slogan, "There's so much more we can be", promising more private business opportunities along with tax and interest relief.

Blakeney led the party into the 1986 provincial election, and particularly after a string of deficit budgets from the PCs, reversing the 1982 result appeared possible.

However, the PCs—who secured a $1 billion farming aid package from Brian Mulroney's federal Progressive Conservative government on the eve of the election—managed to ride a dominant performance in rural Saskatchewan into a second term.

After retiring from politics, Blakeney took a two-year chair teaching constitutional law at Osgoode Hall at Toronto's York University.

In the 1990s, Blakeney worked on an International Development Research Centre project advising the African National Congress in South Africa.

The project mainly entailed discussions ahead of the 1994 national elections, and Blakeney helped to advise on the nuances of federal political systems.

[40] The same decade, Blakeney spent time in the former Soviet republics of Russia and Kyrgyzstan—Cameco operated one of he largest gold mines in the latter—advising legislators and government.