John Solomon (Canadian politician)

John Lewis Solomon (born May 23, 1950)^[1] is a public servant and former Canadian politician. From 2001 until 2008, he was chair of Saskatchewan's Workers' Compensation Board.^[2] He was previously a provincial and federal politician.

Biography

Born in Dauphin, Manitoba,^[1] Solomon is a former small business operator, and holds degrees in political studies and economics from the University of Manitoba. He also worked for the Canadian National Railway in Winnipeg for three years. He came to Saskatchewan in 1973 and married Janice Lee Bench the following year.<ref name="quiring:>Quiring, Brett (2004). Saskatchewan Politicians: Lives Past and Present. Canadian Plains Research Center Press. pp. 213–4. ISBN 0889771650. Retrieved 2012-09-05. </ref>

He was a Saskatchewan New Democratic Party (NDP) Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan for three terms for the riding of Regina North West, and was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 1993 federal election. Solomon served as whip for the NDP in the House of Commons from 1996 to 2000.^[1] In an election in which the NDP's caucus fell from 43 seats to 9, Solomon was the only rookie MP elected for the federal NDP. He served as MP for Regina—Lumsden and then Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre until he was defeated by a narrow margin in the 2000 federal election.^[3]

Solomon was fired from his position as chair of the Saskatchewan Saskatchewan Workers' Compensation Board after the Saskatchewan Party took power in the province.^[2]

References