Pam Barrett

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Pam Barrett was a Canadian politician who dropped out of politics in February, 2000, after having a life-changing near-death experience.

1 Early political career
2 Leader of the New Democrats
3 Near death experience
4 External links

[edit] Early political career

Pam started working for the Alberta New Democratic Party in the Legislature office for Grant Notley as a researcher, and she worked for the Alberta Federation of Labor before she got her party's nomination to run in the 1986 provincial election.

Pam attempted election in the 1986 Alberta general election and was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for the riding of Edmonton Highlands. She defeated 3 term incumbent Minister of Technology, Research, and Telecommunications David Thomas King, in what was regarded as a substantial upset.

She served in the New Democrats official opposition caucus as Deputy House Leader from 1986 to 1993. She initially retired from provincial politics in 1993 claiming poor health resulting from job stress.

[edit] Leader of the New Democrats

Pam came back to politics after she contested and won the party leadership in 1996 after defeating incumbent leader Ross Harvey. In the 1997 Alberta general election she ran for the re-created district of Edmonton Highlands and won. She served the second time from 1997 to 2000.

Barrett led the New Democrats in winning two seats in the Alberta Legislature in the 1997 election (from zero in 1993). Her aggressive leadership style in and out of the legislature led many Alberta political watchers to nickname her "Mighty Mouse." She resigned her seat and leadership position in 2000.

[edit] Near death experience

In 2000, Barrett resigned her position as party leader in 2000 after claiming a near-death experience in a dentist's chair. She was succeed by Raj Pannu. After her sudden retirement from politics she went on a "spiritual search". Her near death-experience was made light of in the Canadian media. She was even parodied on the popular national televised CBC show Royal Canadian Air Farce.