Pearl Calahasen

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Pearl Calahasen
File:20130902-Pearl Calahasen.jpg
MLA for Lesser Slave Lake
In office
March 20, 1989 – May 5, 2015
Preceded by Larry Shaben
Succeeded by Danielle Larivee
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
Personal details
Born (1952-12-05) December 5, 1952 (age 71)
Grouard, Alberta
Political party Progressive Conservative
Alma mater University of Alberta
University of Oregon

Pearl Calahasen (born December 5, 1952) is a Canadian politician, who represented the electoral district of Lesser Slave Lake in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1989 to 2015. 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 Alberta, and after the 2012 Alberta election, she was Alberta's longest currently-serving MLA.

Early life

Calahasen was born in 1952[1] and raised in Grouard, Alberta.[2] 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.[2]

Political career

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.[3] She won a plurality of votes, capturing 47.6% and defeating her nearest rival, Liberal Denise Wahlstrom, by nearly one thousand votes.[3] 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).[3]

At the time of her election in 1989, Calahasen was the first Métis woman elected to public office in Alberta.[4]

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.[5] She served in this capacity until 1999, when she was shuffled to the position of Associate Minister of Aboriginal Affairs.[6] In 2001 she was promoted to full minister, of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development.[7] Calahasen initially supported Lyle Oberg in the 2006 P.C. leadership election,[8] but switched her endorsement to Ed Stelmach after Oberg dropped off the ballot;[9] despite this support, she was not included in Stelmach's cabinet once he became premier in 2006.[10]

Legislative initiatives

Calahasen has sponsored a number of bills over her career in the legislature.

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.[11] 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.[12] The same year, she sponsored the Nechi Community College Act, a private bill that would have established the Nechi Community College but did not reach second reading.[13][14]

In 1995, Calahasen sponsored the Colin Chor Wee Chew Legal Articles Act, another private bill which didn't progress to second reading.[15] She also sponsored the Public Health Amendment Act, designed to allow nurse practitioners to fulfill some of the functions of doctors in communities in which doctors were in short supply.[16] The bill passed with the support of the opposition Liberals, but some members, including Terry Kirkland, Colleen Soetaert, Percy Wickman, Gary Dickson, Lance White, and Howard Sapers, argued that the bill left out too many details and left the details in the realm of legislation, inappropriately empowering bureaucrats at the expense of the legislature.[16][17]

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.[18] It passed with full opposition support.[19]

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%

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Pearl Calahasen's Legislative Assembly of Alberta biography at the Wayback Machine (archived October 5, 2006)
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[dead link]
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

Alberta Provincial 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
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