As expected, Allan Blakeney's book launch contained plenty of food for thought - including a strong focus on the value of internal party democracy from a public figure who isn't lacking for major policy successes to his name. But perhaps the most interesting element of it from my standpoint was what might otherwise have been seen as a relatively minor autobiographical detail - namely, how Blakeney arrived in Saskatchewan initially.
Rather than finding his way to the province based on family or educational ties, Blakeney arrived precisely because of the the CCF's time in office. As he described it, Blakeney and other key figures were attracted to the province by the prospect of working within a truly innovative civil service which was able to push the boundaries of public policy.
Which leads me to wonder: is there anywhere in Canada which currently enjoys the same status as a magnet for the best and brightest public-sector minds? Or has the idea of civil service been painted as being mundane enough through several decades of attacks on the idea of bureaucracy that a substantial number of today's potential successors to Blakeney have been pushed elsewhere?
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