Ken Dillen
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Kenneth George Dillen (born April 29, 1938 at the Serpent River Indian Reserve in Cutler, Ontario) is a Canadian politician as political activist. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1973 to 1977, and represented the social-democratic New Democratic Party. He now lives in Saskatchewan, and promotes a right-wing/libertarian political ideology.
Dillen was educated in Ontario schools and at the Canadian Army Apprentice Training School in Camp Borden. He was ironworker before entering politics, and became President of one of the largest industrial unions in Manitoba after moving to that province. He was also a member of the Manitoba Metis Federation during this period.
He was elected to the Manitoba legislature in the provincial election of 1973, narrowly defeating Progressive Conservative candidate Anna Derby in the northern riding of Thompson. He was the province's first MLA of aboriginal descent in several years.
Dillen was not appointed to the cabinet of Edward Schreyer, but served as Schreyer's legislative assistant. He lost to Progressive Conservative candidate Ken MacMaster by 916 votes in the election of 1977.
He then moved to Saskatchewan and worked in a variety of positions, including Field Staff Coordinator for the Key Lake Board of Inquiry, overseeing uranium mining operations. He has also been a founding member of the Interprovincial Association on Native Employment, the Interprovincial Inland Fisherman's Association and the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.
Despite his background in the labour movement and social-democratic politics, Dillen is now a supporter of the "right-to-work" movement and an opponent of mandatory unionization. He is especially opposed to unionization efforts in the Walmart chain.
Dillen is not currently associated with any political party. In late 2004, he referred to the Saskatchewan NDP as communistic for its efforts to unionize part-time workers. He has also dismissed the right-wing opposition Saskatchewan Party as "nothing more than disaffected socialists", and has often referenced Milton Friedman's Capitalism and Freedom as representative of his own beliefs.
Dillen also opposes gun control, the Canadian Wheat Board and the Kyoto Accord, and has spoken out against efforts by the Ontario government to ban pit bulls.
He is currently Secretary of the Prairie Centre Policy Institute.
[edit] External links
- [1] - Dillen's web site
