Henry Ruste

Henry Arild Ruste (August 29, 1917 – October 31, 1993) was a provincial politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1955 to 1975 sitting with the Social Credit caucus in government and opposition. Ruste briefly served as a cabinet minister in the governments of Premier Ernest Manning and Harry Strom from 1965 to 1971.

Political career

Ruste ran for a seat to the Alberta Legislature in the 1955 Alberta general election. He stood as the Social Credit candidate in the electoral district of Wainwright. In the race he defeated three other candidates by a comfortable margin to hold the seat for his party.^[2] He won a second term in office in the 1959 Alberta general election. In that election he defeated three other candidates with a landslide margin of victory.^[3]

Ruste ran for a third term in office in the 1963 general election. He improved his margin of victory from the last election winning another landslide.^[4]

Premier Ernest Manning would appoint Ruste to the Executive Council of Alberta for the first time on February 16, 1965 as the new Minister of Lands and Forests. Ruste would run for a fourth term in the 1967 general election this time with ministerial advantage. He would win a straight fight over NDP candidate Glenn Valleau taking a super majority of almost 85% of the popular vote.^[5]

On July 16, 1968 Premier Harry Strom would move Ruste to the Agriculture portfolio. He would briefly become Minister of Lands and Mines for the second time on December 12, 1968 and hold both portfolios until May 20, 1969.

Ruste would for a fifth term in office in the 1971 Alberta general election. He would win another landslide in his district despite the Social Credit being defeated from government.^[6]

Ruste would serve his final term in the official opposition before retiring from the legislature at dissolution in 1975.

References

External links

• Legislative Assembly of Alberta Members Listing