George Read (Canadian politician)
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George Read is the leader of the Green Party of Alberta and formerly a key organizer for the federal Green Party of Canada (GPC) in Alberta. He was elected leader at the provincial convention held in Red Deer, Alberta, on November 1, 2003.
[edit] Alberta Green
Read led the provincial and federal Green Parties in Alberta during the time they emerged as substantial political movements. Previously, the Green Party remained well below 1% of the vote in Alberta.
Read brought together Alberta Green organizers who recruited the first full slate of Green candidates in Alberta for the 2004 federal election.
In the June 2004 federal election, the Green Party of canada received more votes in Alberta than in other provinces: the party won 6.3% of the popular vote in the province, and approximately 10% in the ridings of Calgary Centre-North (third highest Green vote percentage in Canada) and Calgary South Centre (fourth highest in Canada). Commentators mostly ascribe this to the relatively weak position of the Liberal Party of Canada and New Democratic Party in Alberta - in 2004 neither party won a single Alberta seat in the House of Commons. Unlike the rest of Canada, in Alberta the GPC does not encounter the argument as often that it is electing Conservatives in the first past the post system by taking votes from Liberals or NDP, and tactical voting is less common.
He has also been active for many years with the Sierra Club of Canada, in Calgary.
[edit] Election history
In June 2004, he ran for election as the Green Party of Canada candidate in the federal riding of Calgary Southeast, finishing just behind the NDP candidate.
He ran for the provincial Greens in the Calgary Egmont riding in the 2004 Alberta provincial election. Finishing just behind the Alberta Alliance and ahead of the NDP.
Read participated in a committee to decide staff changes in the GPC as of November 2006. One of the positions it would decide would be the National Campaign Manager.
[edit] Personal history
Read was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
As a youth, he was a member of Scouts Canada, which he credits with giving him a love of the outdoors.
He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science/Management from the University of Calgary.
