list movements of the four western provinces joined toform a national party called the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (CCF). (5Wong1). In 1935 Douglas ran federally for the CCF and won a seat representing the Weyburndistrict. The CCF won only 5 seats in the Federal election in 1935. Douglas made aname for himself in the House of Commons as an excellent speaker. He found changescame slowly at the federal level of government. He went on to serve two terms inFederal politics. In 1942, while still sitting as an Member of Parliament Tommy Douglas becamethe leader of the Saskatchewan CCF party. The CCF party won the provincial election in1944. Douglas became the first leader of a socialist government in North America. Tommy vowed to spend 70% of government money on social programs and his sloganwas Humanity First. Tommy Douglas and the CCF were in power in Saskatchewan for17 years. During this time Douglas held true to his word and implemented countlesssocial policies and changes. Douglas gave bargaining powers to unions. The CCF paidoff Saskatchewans debt, paved roads, and provided electricity and sewage. The Crowncorporations were established during Douglass reign. The CCF government providedthe University of Saskatchewan with a medical school and made school units larger.(6Wong 2). The most significant achievement Tommy Douglas made in his time ingovernment was the establishment of universally available tax funded Medicare. (7Vella, Vanessa. Tommy Douglas - The Father of Medicare 3pp. Online. Internet. 9Oct. 2000. Available WWW: http://www.savemedicare.com/y01ma00b.htm) Douglasfaced resistance from doctors who did not want Medicare and who also staged a strike. He was able to implement healthcare in 1961 in Saskatchewan. His model for healthcarewas later implemented in every province in Canada. (8T. Mcleod and I. Mcleod 196). In 1961, Douglas left provincial politics once again. He became the first leader ofthe N...
