Broten was born in Regina, Saskatchewan and spent his early years in Northern Saskatchewan in La Loche, Green Lake, Meadow Lake and La Ronge before his family settled in Saskatoon where he attended Marion M. Graham Collegiate. His grandfather, Hans Broten, served in the Legislative Assembly in the 1960s under Tommy Douglas and Woodrow Lloyd. He holds a bachelor's degree in international studies from the University of Saskatchewan and a master's degree in political science from Simon Fraser University. He worked as a policy analyst with the provincial government, in the Department of Culture, Youth and Recreation, and later as a health policy manager with the Saskatchewan Medical Association. He was also an elected board member with the Saskatoon Co-op.
Political career
Broten was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan in the 2007 provincial election, and was re-elected in the 2011 provincial election. On September 5, 2012, Broten announced his intention to run for the leadership of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party. He was one of four candidates, alongside doctor Ryan Meili, MLA Trent Wotherspoon, who Broten would appoint to be his deputy leader immediately after the leadership election, and Erin Weir although Weir withdrew before the vote. Broten won the leadership on the second ballot. His popularity and support among the party grew quickly, with Broten receiving strong endorsements in two party constitutionally-required leadership review votes since his election with 98.7 per cent of delegates' votes on a secret ballot at the party's convention on May 31, 2014 during the party's convention in Moose Jaw and on May 23, 2015 he received 98 per cent of delegates' votes on a secret ballot during the party's convention in Regina. Broten has been known to focus on seniors care, better access and shorter wait times for health care, the elimination of high-cost ambulance fees and a lower cost of living for families in the province. Broten has also proposed caps on classrooms sizes and an increase in the number of educational assistants and pushed for economic reforms including a new procurement policy, and moving away from P3 deals, which he says costs more and ships benefits to other jurisdictions. Broten supports responsible resource development in Saskatchewan. Broten has also put a spotlight on the governing Saskatchewan Party's conversion to John Black Lean. In his time as opposition leader, Broten has been seen as productive, with moves like convincing the majority government to support his landmark private member's bill to create an asbestos registry for the province - known as Howard's Law - as well as measures to support local business and convincing the government to change its long-standing policy on Canada's Senate. Broten has consistently supported abolishment of Canada's upper chamber.
The NDP under Broten was defeated in the 2016 provincial election in which Brad Wall and the Saskatchewan Party was elected to a third successive majority government. The NDP under Broten won 10 seats, a gain of one seat from the previous election, to the Saskatchewan Party's 51 seats. In the 2016 election Broten ran in Saskatoon Westview, a reconfigured version of his old riding, and lost to Saskatchewan Party candidate David Buckingham by 232 votes. Broten resigned as party leader on April 11, 2016. He thus became only the second Saskatchewan CCF/NDP leader since before World War II to have never served as premier.
