Woodrow Lloyd
Woodrow Stanley Lloyd ( * July 16, 1913 in Webb, Saskatchewan, † April 7, 1972 in Seoul, South Korea ) was a Canadian politician and trade unionist. It was November 7, 1961 to May 2, 1964 Prime Minister of the Province of Saskatchewan. During his tenure, he implemented the most significant reform project of his predecessor Tommy Douglas, the creation of a free health care in all areas. He was then to 1970 as chairman of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party opposition leader in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan.
Occupation and provincial policy
Lloyd was the youngest of twelve children of Welsh immigrants. In 1929 he enrolled at the School of Engineering of the University of Saskatchewan. Because of the world economic crisis he could not continue his studies after two semesters. Instead, first worked for a year on the family farm and then trained to become a teacher. In 1933 he joined the newly formed Union of Teachers Saskatchewan Teacher's Federation. From 1940 to 1944 he was president of that organization.
On June 15, 1944 Lloyd as a candidate of the socialist Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF ), was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan, the provincial parliament. Until his death he represented the constituency of Biggar. Prime Minister Tommy Douglas appointed him after the overwhelming victory of the CCF to the Minister of Education. At this time he was the youngest person who had ever occupied a ministerial post in Canada.
During the next 16 years, Lloyd took the full reconstruction of the education system in the province. Over 5000 local school boards were merged into 56 units in order to facilitate the financing and the same education opportunities to students throughout the province. In June 1960, Lloyd finance ministers of the province. Tommy Douglas became effective on November 7, 1961 returned as Prime Minister in order to preside (NDP ), the successor party to the CCF, the New Democratic Party and return to federal politics. Lloyd then took over the presidency of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party (NDP ) and the Office of the Prime Minister.
Prime minister
It remained Lloyd left to complete the most important reform project of its predecessor, the creation of a free health care in all areas at the provincial level. In July 1962, the physicians of the province went on strike with the support of the American Medical Association, for fear of massive loss of income for more than three weeks. The strike failed because the provincial government doctors from the UK flew, which guaranteed emergency care. A representative of the British National Health Service acted as mediator and could reach compromises in some contentious issues.
Initiated the success of Douglas and Lloyd continued health care reform soon had an impact on the federal policy. The conservative Prime Minister of Canada, John Diefenbaker, appointed a commission, which was chaired by Emmett Matthew Hall, one originating from Saskatchewan Justice of the Supreme Court. Hall recommended 1964, the nationwide introduction of national health insurance model of Saskatchewan. The Liberal minority government of Lester Pearson set this to 1966, with the federal government and provinces took over one half of the cost.
Other activities
The doctors' strike of 1962 had led to persistent discontent among the population. The NDP lost the provincial elections on 22 April 1964. Ten days later, Lloyd handed over his office to the Liberals Ross Thatcher and was leader of the opposition. He held until 1970 this position. After the final withdrawal from politics in 1971, Lloyd was appointed representatives of the United Nations Development Programme in South Korea. A few months later he died in Seoul at the age of 58 years.