Cline, Eric (1955-)

Eric Cline, March 2000, on budget day.

Don Healy (Regina Leader-Post)

Cline was born August 12, 1955. He was raised and educated in Saskatoon, earning degrees in Political Science (1976) and law (1979) at the University of Saskatchewan. He practiced law with Mitchell, Taylor, Romanow and Ching. He married Pauline Melis in 1988. Cline ran in Regina South in 1975 but was defeated. He was elected MLA for Saskatoon Idylwyld in 1991, and was re-elected from Saskatoon in 1995, 1999, and 2003. Romanow appointed him to Cabinet in 1995 as Minister of Health. This post required that he manage the consequences of healthcare cutbacks and reforms implemented during the Romanow government’s first term. He was appointed Minister of Finance after the 1997 provincial budget. In the 2000 budget, Cline introduced the largest income-tax cuts in Saskatchewan’s history. He sought to make Saskatchewan more competitive with other provinces in attracting and retaining high-income individuals and business investment. He recovered about half the cost of these cuts by applying the sales tax to more goods. Early in 2003, Calvert moved Cline from Finance and appointed him Minister of Justice and Attorney General, and Minister of Industry and Resources. After the 2003 election, Cline was re-appointed only to Industry and Resources.

Erin M.K. Weir