Mr. Speaker, 50 years ago today the first socialist government in North America was elected in Saskatchewan.
On June 15, 1944 Tommy Douglas and his team of candidates from the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation came to office and with rolled up sleeves, a people first agenda and lots of hard work they set about the undaunting task of pulling Saskatchewan out of debt and improving the quality of life of its citizens.
In Saskatchewan the legacy of Tommy Douglas and his successors Woodrow Lloyd, who made hospitalization a reality, and Alan Blakeney, who presided over 11 consecutive balanced budgets, is is being taken up by current Premier Roy Romanow and a team of New Democrats who are successfully tackling and reducing what was the highest provincial per capital debt in Canada while at the same time establishing progressive health care reform.
A good future is based on remembering your past. Today we remember with respect and admiration Tommy Douglas and the Saskatchewan CCF.