Happy Anniversary To 2 Saskatchewan M.P's.

   Regina-Wascana Liberal M.P Ralph Goodale has hit a milestone in politics. He's served in the Commons for 25 years, meaning a Silver Anniversary. He was first elected to Parliament in 1974, and served to 1979, when he was defeated.
   He left federal politics and became leader of the Saskatchewan Liberal Party in 1981, stepping down in 1988 to seek the federal nomination for a riding in Regina, which he lost.
   After spending the next 5 years in the private sector, he again ran in 1993 and won as the Liberals got a majority. He's been re-elected ever since. He's held quite a few cabinet posts, including Natural Resource, Agriculture, and later Finance minister.
   His time in Parliament has not been without controversy. In 2005, the RCMP launched a probe into whether details regarding government tax policies relating to income trust funds were leaked from the Finance Minister's office. In 2007, Goodale was cleared of any wrongdoing, but a department official was charged with breech of trust.
   I've known Ralph for 16 years, and have dealt with him numerous times on numerous topics. Mr. Goodale, even when he was finance minister in the Paul Martin government, always made time for either myself or other members of the team in Regina. He also made himself available to be put on the hot-seat on a talk show I hosted for a few years. A poll of his compatriots resulted in his being named the hardest working M.P on the Hill.
   Ralph's name had been bandied about as a possible leadership candidate after the Stephan Dion defeat at the polls. In fact, I was given to understand he'd been taking a crash course in French immersion. But after careful thought, and not a few conversations with his wife Pam, the decision was made against a leadership bid.
   Mr. Goodale is the lone Liberal M.P in Saskatchewan.
   And he's not the only M.P celebrating an anniversary this week.

   Yorkton-Melville Conservative M.P Garry Breitkreuz celebrates 20 years of service. He was first elected in 1993 as a member of the Reform Party, and has been re-elected ever since. While he has no formal position in the cabinet, he is the former Deputy House Leader of the Opposition, Conservative Party Deputy House Leader, Deputy Whip of the Official Opposition, Chief Opposition Whip, and Critic to the Solicitor General. He was also an outspoken critic of the Federal Gun Registry.
   While I have spoken with Mr. Breitkreuz in the past, I don't know him as well as Mr. Goodale. But having moved to Yorkton, I'm sure I'll have the pleasure of getting to know him just as well in the future.
   Happy Anniversary Mr Breitkreuz and Mr. Goodale.

TTFN