Date: Tue, 30 Nov 2004 10:08:49 -0800
From: Mycos mycos@SHAW.CA
Subject: [NEWSROOM-L] The Greatest Canadian: Tommy Douglas
Last night, we had the final vote on we consider to be the greatest Canadian http://www.cbc.ca/greatest/ of all time. The list to choose from included such diverse personalities as those ranging from Terry Fox to scientists like David Suzuki, Alexander Graham Bell and Frederick Banting, to politicos like Trudeau, Nobel Prize winner Lester Pearson, to relatively unknowns like Tommy Douglas. Well, in true Canadian fashion, and something I am quite proud of, the winner was indeed the relative unknown; Tommy Douglas. \
So. Who is he? Read on... and gain some insight into just how much more different Canadians really are compared to our American friends*
* For the time being. The longer America continues to inflict upon us that nut-job you call "President", you are being referred to more and more often by the much more impersonal term "acquaintance",
Anyhow. Tommy Douglas. *The* Greatest Canadian......
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Excerpts:
"Douglas resigned his federal seat to lead the Saskatchewan CCF (Commonwealth Cooperative Federation the precursor to todays New Democratic Party http://www.ndp.ca/ ) and, in the memorable election of June 15, 1944 he led the party to a massive victory, winning 47 of 53 seats. At the age of 39, he became head of the first *democratic socialist* government in North America."
(highlights mine (*)
"More than 100 bills, 72 of them aimed at social or economic reform, were passed during the CCF's first year in power. By the end of two years, they had removed the sales tax from food and meals and managed to reduce the provincial debt by $20 million."
"New departments were established which reflected the government's priorities. These included the new Department of Co-operatives, the Department of Labour and the Department of Social Welfare. To pay for the new departments, all the CCF cabinet ministers took a 28 per cent pay cut."
"In 1944, pensioners were granted free medical, hospital and dental services, and the treatment of diseases such as cancer, tuberculosis, mental illness and venereal disease was made free for all."
"In 1947, Douglas introduced universal hospitalization at a fee of $5 per year per person. "It is paid out of the treasury. Instead of the burden of those hospital bills falling on sick people, it is spread over all the people," Douglas said. In 1959, twelve years later, when the province's finances seemed to him to be strong enough, Douglas announced the coming of the medicare plan. It would be universal, pre-paid, publicly administered, provide high quality care, including preventive care, and be accepted by both providers and receivers of the medical service. "
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Gary Williams
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