Pearl Calahasen
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Pearl Calahasen | |
 |
|
|
MLA for Lesser Slave Lake
|
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office March 20, 1989 |
|
| Preceded by | Larry Shaben |
|---|---|
|
Alberta Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development
|
|
| In office March 15, 2001 – December 15, 2006 |
|
| Preceded by | New portfolio |
| Succeeded by | Guy Boutilier |
|
Alberta Associate Minister of Aboriginal Affairs
|
|
| In office May 26, 1999 – March 15, 2001 |
|
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
|
Alberta Minister without Portfolio in charge of Children's Services
|
|
| In office May 31, 1996 – May 26, 1999 |
|
| Succeeded by | Iris Evans |
|
|
|
| Political party | Progressive Conservative |
| Alma mater | University of Alberta University of Oregon |
Pearl Calahasen is a Canadian politician, who currently represents the electoral district of Lesser Slave Lake in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. A member of the Progressive Conservative party and former cabinet minister (holding the positions of Minister without Portfolio in charge of Children's Services, Associate Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, and Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development). Calahasen was the first Métis woman elected to public office in the Alberta.
Contents |
[edit] Early life
Calahasen was born and raised in Grouard, Alberta.[1] She attended the University of Alberta, from which she received a Bachelor of Education, and the University of Oregon, from which she received a Master's degree.[1]
[edit] Political career
[edit] Electoral record
Calahasen first sought election in the 1989 Alberta election, when she ran as the Progressive Conservative candidates in the riding of Lesser Slave Lake.[2] She won a plurality of votes, capturing 47.6% and defeating her nearest rival, Liberal Denise Wahlstrom, by nearly one thousand votes.[2] This was the closest election of her political career to date; in subsequent elections, she won shares of the votes ranging from 55.5% (in the 1993 election) to 74.2% (in the 2001 election).[2]
At the time of her election in 1989, Calahasen was the first Métis elected to public office in Alberta.[3]
[edit] Cabinet roles
Calahasen served as a backbencher in Ralph Klein's government until 1996, when Klein appointed her Minister without Portfolio responsible for Children's Services.[4] She served in this capacity until 1999, when she was shuffled to the position of Associate Minister of Aboriginal Affairs.[5] In 2001 she was promoted to full minister, of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development.[6] Calahasen initially supported Lyle Oberg in the 2006 P.C. leadership contest,[7] but switched her endorsement to Ed Stelmach after Oberg dropped off the ballot;[8] despite this support, she was not included in Stelmach's cabinet once he became premier in 2006.[9]
[edit] Legislative initiatives
Calahasen has sponsored a number of bills over her career in the legislature.
[edit] As a backbencher
Despite not being a member of cabinet, in 1990 Calahasen sponsored the Metis Settlements Act, a government bill which incorporated Métis settlements as a new class of municipality.[10] It passed with the support of the opposition, although New Democrat Bob Hawkesworth expressed concern that the settlements were not given sufficient autonomy from government.[11] The same year, she sponsored the Nechi Community College Act, a private bill that would have established the Nechi Community College, but which didn't reach second reading.[12][13]
In 1995, Calahasen sponsored the Colin Chor Wee Chew Legal Articles Act, another private bill which didn't progress to second reading.[14] She also sponsored the Public Health Amendment Act, which was designed to allow nurse practitioners to fulfill some of the functions of doctors in communities in which doctors were in short supply.[15] The bill passed with the support of the opposition Liberals, although some members - including Terry Kirkland, Colleen Soetaert, Percy Wickman, Gary Dickson, Lance White, and Howard Sapers - argued that the bill left out to many details, by leaving these details in the realm of legislation, inappropriately empowered bureaucrats at the expense of the legislature.[15][16]
[edit] As a minister
As Associate Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, Calahasen sponsored the First Nations Sacred Ceremonial Objects Repatriation Act, a 2000 government bill that allowed for the repatriation of first nations artifacts.[17] It passed with full opposition support.[18]
[edit] Election results
| 2008 Alberta general election results (Lesser Slave Lake) | Turnout 26.7% | |||
| Affiliation | Candidate | Votes | % |
|
| Progressive Conservative | Pearl Calahasen | 3,390 | 65.2% | |
| Liberal | Steve Noskey | 1,114 | 21.4% | |
| NDP | Habby Sharkawi | 423 | 8.1% | |
| Green | Bonnie Raho | 269 | 5.2% | |
| 2004 Alberta general election results (Lesser Slave Lake) | Turnout 31.4% | |||
| Affiliation | Candidate | Votes | % |
|
| Progressive Conservative | Pearl Calahasen | 3,903 | 64.9% | |
| Alberta Alliance | Valerie Rahn | 969 | 16.1% | |
| Liberal | Jonathan Plackaitis | 530 | 8.8% | |
| NDP | Doris Bannister | 354 | 5.9% | |
| Green | Ian Hopfe | 254 | 4.2% | |
| 2001 Alberta general election results (Lesser Slave Lake) | Turnout 45.5% | |||
| Affiliation | Candidate | Votes | % |
|
| Progressive Conservative | Pearl Calahasen | 4,766 | 74.2% | |
| Liberal | Rick Noel | 1,429 | 22.2% | |
| NDP | Doris Bannister | 232 | 3.6% | |
| 1997 Alberta general election results (Lesser Slave Lake) | Turnout 41.8% | |||
| Affiliation | Candidate | Votes | % |
|
| Progressive Conservative | Pearl Calahasen | 3,389 | 60.6% | |
| Liberal | Ralph Chalifoux | 1,139 | 20.4% | |
| Social Credit | Robert Alford | 624 | 11.2% | |
| NDP | Glenn Laboucan | 442 | 7.9% | |
| 1993 Alberta general election results (Lesser Slave Lake) | Turnout 60.5% | |||
| Affiliation | Candidate | Votes | % |
|
| Progressive Conservative | Pearl Calahasen | 4,260 | 55.5% | |
| Liberal | Denise Wahlstrom | 3,093 | 40.3% | |
| NDP | Larry Sakaluk | 326 | 4.2% | |
| 1989 Alberta general election results (Lesser Slave Lake) | Turnout 56.6% | |||
| Affiliation | Candidate | Votes | % |
|
| Progressive Conservative | Pearl Calahasen | 3,249 | 47.6% | |
| Liberal | Denise Wahlstrom | 2,286 | 33.5% | |
| NDP | Philip Lukken | 1,294 | 18.9% | |
[edit] External links
| 12th Ministry - Government of Ralph Klein | ||
| Cabinet Posts (3) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Predecessor | Office | Successor |
| Minister without portfolio responsible for Children's Services (1996–1999) Iris Evans was given the title "Minister of Children's Services" rather than being considered a minister without portfolio. |
Iris Evans | |
| Associate Minister of Aboriginal Affairs (1999–2001) |
Position abolished | |
| New portfolio | Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development (2001–2006) |
Guy Boutilier |
[edit] References
- ^ a b Pearl Calahasen's Legislative Assembly of Alberta biography at archive.org (viewable, downloadable film)
- ^ a b c Alberta's past election results. Retrieved on 2008-03-06.
- ^ National Aboriginal Achievement Awards biography of Pearl Calahasen. Retrieved on 2008-04-15.
- ^ Alberta Teacher's Association account of the 1996 cabinet shuffle. Retrieved on 2008-04-14.
- ^ Alberta Teachers' Association account of the 1999 cabinet shuffle.
- ^ "Legislative Reports (Alberta)" (Summer 2001). Canadian Parliamentary Review 24 (2).
- ^ News and Comment, Turtle Island Native Network. Retrieved on 2008-04-15.
- ^ "Artists for Dinning, MLA Pham for Morton", Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, November 29, 2006. Retrieved on 2008-04-15.
- ^ "Stelmach names smaller cabinet", Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, December 15, 2006. Retrieved on 2008-04-15.
- ^ Parliamentary Debates, Legislative Assembly of Alberta, June 5, 1990
- ^ Parliamentary Debates, Legislative Assembly of Alberta, June 26, 1990
- ^ Parliamentary Debates, Legislative Assembly of Alberta, April 24, 1990
- ^ Bill Status Report for the 22nd Legislature - 2nd Session (1990). Retrieved on 2008-04-15.
- ^ Bill Status Report for the 23rd Legislature - 3rd Session (1995). Retrieved on 2008-04-15.
- ^ a b Parliamentary Debates, Legislative Assembly of Alberta, April 11, 1995
- ^ Parliamentary Debates, Legislative Assembly of Alberta, April 26, 1995
- ^ Parliamentary Debates, Legislative Assembly of Alberta, March 6, 2000
- ^ Parliamentary Debates, Legislative Assembly of Alberta, April 18, 2000
|
||||||||||||||
