Lindsay Blackett
Encyclopedia
Lindsay Blackett is a Canadian politician and current Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
, representing the constituency of Calgary-North West
as a Progressive Conservative
.
, England. He studied criminology
and corrections
at Ottawa's Carleton University
from 1979 to 1983 but did not graduate. Prior to his election as the MLA for Calgary-North West
, Blackett worked as a Technical Sales Representative, providing Original Equipment Manufacturer
(OEM) electronic component hardware and design.
and Calgary-North West
, President and Vice-President of the Ottawa-Centre
Federal Progressive Conservative Association, President of the Ottawa-Centre
Federal Progressive Conservative Youth Association, Youth Convention Coordinator for the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada's
1986 Annual General Meeting, and Special Assistant in the Prime Minister of Canada's Office.
Blackett first sought public office in the 2008 provincial election in the constituency of Calgary-North West
. In that election, Blackett received 46% of the vote.
On March 12, 2008, Blackett was appointed by the Premier as the Minister of Culture and Community Spirit.
On June 14, 2010, Blackett spoke to a panel of people from the television industry at the Banff World Television Festival. He said, "I sit here as a government representative for film and television in the province of Alberta, and I look at what we produce, and if we're honest with ourselves … I look at it and say, 'Why do I produce so much shit? Why do I fund so much crap?'" His criticism was widely publicized. There were complaints about his choice of words, and also, since Blackett's portfolio includes responsibility for culture, opposition MPs and others called for his resignation. Blackett apologized for his language but not the sentiment.
Legislative Assembly of Alberta
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is one of two components of the Legislature of Alberta, the other being the Queen, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta. The Alberta legislature meets in the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital, Edmonton...
, representing the constituency of Calgary-North West
Calgary North West
Calgary North West is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, Canada.-Boundary history:- Members of the Legislative Assembly :-1979 general election:-1982 general election:-1986 general election:...
as a Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta
The Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta is a provincial centre-right party in the Canadian province of Alberta...
.
Early life
Blackett was born February 8, 1961 in OxfordOxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, England. He studied criminology
Criminology
Criminology is the scientific study of the nature, extent, causes, and control of criminal behavior in both the individual and in society...
and corrections
Corrections
In criminal justice, particularly in North America, correction, corrections, and correctional, are umbrella terms describing a variety of functions typically carried out by government agencies and involving the punishment, treatment, and supervision of persons who have been convicted of crimes....
at Ottawa's Carleton University
Carleton University
Carleton University is a comprehensive university located in the capital of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. The enabling legislation is The Carleton University Act, 1952, S.O. 1952. Founded as a small college in 1942, Carleton now offers over 65 programs in a diverse range of disciplines. Carleton has...
from 1979 to 1983 but did not graduate. Prior to his election as the MLA for Calgary-North West
Calgary North West
Calgary North West is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, Canada.-Boundary history:- Members of the Legislative Assembly :-1979 general election:-1982 general election:-1986 general election:...
, Blackett worked as a Technical Sales Representative, providing Original Equipment Manufacturer
Original Equipment Manufacturer
An original equipment manufacturer, or OEM, manufactures products or components that are purchased by a company and retailed under that purchasing company's brand name. OEM refers to the company that originally manufactured the product. When referring to automotive parts, OEM designates a...
(OEM) electronic component hardware and design.
Political career
Blackett has been involved in politics in varying capacities for many years. He has held the positions of Provincial Progressive Conservative Constituency Association Director for Calgary-WestCalgary West
Calgary West is a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1917 to 1953, and since 1979. It is located in the western part of the City of Calgary....
and Calgary-North West
Calgary North West
Calgary North West is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, Canada.-Boundary history:- Members of the Legislative Assembly :-1979 general election:-1982 general election:-1986 general election:...
, President and Vice-President of the Ottawa-Centre
Ottawa Centre
Ottawa Centre is an urban federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968...
Federal Progressive Conservative Association, President of the Ottawa-Centre
Ottawa Centre
Ottawa Centre is an urban federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968...
Federal Progressive Conservative Youth Association, Youth Convention Coordinator for the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada's
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
1986 Annual General Meeting, and Special Assistant in the Prime Minister of Canada's Office.
Blackett first sought public office in the 2008 provincial election in the constituency of Calgary-North West
Calgary North West
Calgary North West is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, Canada.-Boundary history:- Members of the Legislative Assembly :-1979 general election:-1982 general election:-1986 general election:...
. In that election, Blackett received 46% of the vote.
On March 12, 2008, Blackett was appointed by the Premier as the Minister of Culture and Community Spirit.
On June 14, 2010, Blackett spoke to a panel of people from the television industry at the Banff World Television Festival. He said, "I sit here as a government representative for film and television in the province of Alberta, and I look at what we produce, and if we're honest with ourselves … I look at it and say, 'Why do I produce so much shit? Why do I fund so much crap?'" His criticism was widely publicized. There were complaints about his choice of words, and also, since Blackett's portfolio includes responsibility for culture, opposition MPs and others called for his resignation. Blackett apologized for his language but not the sentiment.
Personal life
Blackett is married to Jennifer and the couple has two young children. He is an active community volunteer. In addition to his political volunteerism, Blackett has served as Director of the Tuscany Community Association, President of the Canadian Progress Club (which raises $500,000 annually for Big Brothers and Big Sisters and other charities that serve Calgary's less fortunate), Volunteer Coordinator for Henry Burris All-Star Weekend, Big Brother volunteer, and coach for both soccer and hockey.Election results
| 2008 Alberta general election results ( Calgary-North West Calgary North West Calgary North West is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, Canada.-Boundary history:- Members of the Legislative Assembly :-1979 general election:-1982 general election:-1986 general election:... ) |
font style="font-size: 90%;">Turnout 45.4% | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Affiliation | Candidate | Votes | % |
Progressive Conservative | Lindsay Blackett | 8415 | 46% |
Wildrose Alliance Wildrose Alliance Party of Alberta The Wildrose Party, formerly Wildrose Alliance Party, is a conservative provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. It includes free market conservative, libertarian and socially conservative factions and was formed in 2008 following a merger of the Wildrose Party of Alberta and the Alberta... |
Chris Jukes | 2712 | 15% |
Liberal Alberta Liberal Party The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time... |
Dale D'Silva | 5552 | 30% |
Green Green Party of Alberta The Green Party of Alberta, also known as the Alberta Greens, was a provincial political party in the province of Alberta, Canada.The Alberta Greens were formed in 1986 and received official party status on April 6, 1990... |
George Read | 902 | 5% |
NDP Alberta New Democratic Party The Alberta New Democratic Party or Alberta NDP is a social-democratic political party in Alberta, Canada, which was originally founded as the Alberta section of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation... |
Collin Anderson | 637 | 3% | |
| Total | 18218 | 100% | ||||||||||||||||||||||