Sir Oliver York dies aged 90

Stormaen’s longest serving prime minister passed away last night, aged 90.

GEORGETOWN — Sir Oliver York has died aged 90. The former prime minister died at his home in Georgetown at around 7pm last night surrounded by his family, including his daughter and incumbent prime minister, Naomi Stewart-York.

Sir Oliver was Stormaen’s longest serving prime minister, in office from March 1972 to July 1992. The country changed profoundly during his premiership, as he swept in radical economic, social and political reforms. Taxes were cut, most state owned industries were privatised and the nation’s manufacturing and services industries experienced a boom. The unelected upper chamber of Parliament was abolished and first-past-the-post voting abandoned in favour of mixed-member proportional representation. Political and judicial powers were repatriated from London and Stormaen fully committed itself to NATO.

His uncompromising, sometimes domineering, “presidential” style of governance alienated the leadership of the Progressive Conservative party he founded in 1966 and his public approval substantially declined following his unsuccessful pursuit of NAFTA membership and his controversial decision to officially apologise to the Innu First Nations of Stormaen. Already considering stepping down, a near fatal heart attack in summer 1992 made the decision for him and he resigned weeks later after two decades in power; his fall seemingly as rapid as his rise.

In the words of his successor as prime minister, John Simpson, “Sir Oliver was a great prime minister, a great leader and a great Stormaener. He was first and foremost a family man. But he was also the founding father of the modern Stormaen. The nation was his extended family and it will acutely feel his loss today.”

It is expected, in keeping with precedent, that the Governor-General Dame Delene James will offer the York family a state funeral. However, this is to be confirmed.