Sandbox:Ordennya
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Tommy Aarsand (20 October 1904 - 24 February 1986) was an Ordennyan politician who served as Chief Minister of Nørdenavvic from 1944 to 1960, Prime Minister of Ordennya from 1962 to 1970, and Leader of the Labour Party from 1960 to 1970. A Baptist minister, he was elected to the Chamber of Deputies of Ordennya in the 1935 election, the first election held after the restoration of Ordennyan democracy, which saw a landslide for the Labour Party. He left national politics to become Leader of the Nørdenavvic Co-operative Party, and then the second Chief Minister of Nørdenavvic, unseating the Liberal Union which had governed since powers were first devolved to the region. Among other reforms, Aarsand's government implemented Ordennya's first single-payer, universal health care program, which would go on to be adopted by Ordennya nationally.
After serving as Chief Minister for 16 years, Aarsand stepped down to lead the national Labour Party, which had been out of power for 18 years. The ascension of a popular provincial Chief Minister to the Labour Party leadership breathed new life into what was seen as a tired party with no direction. Aarsand successfully led the Labour Party to government two years after becoming leader, winning the 1962 election with a substantial majority, winning re-election in 1966, before stepping down as Labour Party leader in 1970.
Aarsand's eight years as Prime Minister of Ordennya saw numerous reforms passed, including substantial reform of the Ordennyan health system which saw the various regional agencies centralised into what is now the Ordennyan National Health Service, the introduction of government-backed car insurance, the passage of a War Measures Act, and the decriminialisation of homosexuality and abortion.
He was awarded many honorary degrees, and a foundation was named for him and his political mentor S. J. Eriksen in 1975. In 2004, Aarsand was named "The Greatest Ordennyan" as part of an OBC television program, based on an Ordennya-wide survey.