proponent of austerity measures and generally centrist policies during his time in government. He also became known as Bob Rae's closest ally in cabinet, notwithstanding their previous differences. Along with Rae, he supported the party's withdrawal from an earlier pledge to introduce public automobile insurance in the province in 1991. He also approved the introduction of casinos to the province, and was a leading proponent of the Social Contract in 1993. As the province's first socialist Finance Minister, Laughren was nicknamed "Pink Floyd" by the right-wing Sun Media tabloid newspapers. When Liberal Robert Nixon retired from the legislature in 1992, Laughren became its longest-serving member. The NDP government was defeated in the 1995 provincial election, although Laughren was able to retain Nickel Belt with a somewhat reduced majority. In 1996, he was the only New Democratic MPP from northern Ontario to support Frances Lankin's unsuccessful bid to replace Rae as party leader. Cabinet positions Later life He retired in 1998 and was appointed as chair the Ontario Energy Board. He served a three-year term. In 2001, Laughren was appointed to the Board of Governors for Laurentian University. In 2010, he was made Chair of the Board. In 2000, he received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from that institution. In 2006, he was appointed by Greater Sudbury mayor David Courtemanche to chair an advisory committee to review and recommend improvements to city services in the five-year-old amalgamated city. Laughren offered 34 recommendations for service improvements when he presented his final report on January 10, 2007. In 2012, Laughren was appointed to a three-member panel along with Murray Elston and David McFadden to study Ontario's electricity distribution system. They released a report that recommended the 73 power distribution utilities be reduced to between 8 and 12 with at least 400,000 customers in each of the new utilities. In 2017, he was made a member of the Order of Ontario. References External links 1935 births Anglophone Quebec people Canadian people of Swedish descent Deputy premiers of Ontario Finance ministers of Ontario Living people Members of the Executive Council of Ontario Members of the Order of Ontario Ontario New Democratic Party MPPs Politicians from Greater Sudbury People from Outaouais Cambrian College faculty