Tony Abbott (Canadian politician)
Encyclopedia
Clarke Anthony Abbott (born November 24, 1966) is a Canadian
politician and former member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
. He represented Drayton Valley-Calmar
and sat as a Progressive Conservative
from 2001 until 2008.
, Ontario
. In 1988 he graduated from Christianview Bible College with a Bachelor of Theology
. He came west to serve as Senior Pastor of the Faith Evangelical Covenant Church
in Breton
, Alberta
, a position that he held from 1989 until 2000. In 1998 he was elected trustee for the Wild Rose school division. He served one term in this capacity, and did not seek re-election in 2001.
in the 2001 election
, when he ran as a Progressive Conservative
in Drayton Valley-Calmar
. He won, taking more than 68% of the vote. He was re-elected in the 2004 election
with a reduced 59% majority. In the 2006 leadership election, he was the first MLA to back Ted Morton
's leadership bid.
In October 2007, Abbott was defeated by Drayton Valley mayor Diana McQueen
in his bid to again secure the P.C. nomination for the 2008 election. He later publicly speculated about running for one of the province's other conservative parties, such as the Alberta Alliance, the Social Credit Party
, or the Wildrose Party
. He ultimately did not run, citing a fear of splitting the conservative vote with McQueen and expressing his support for Progressive Conservative leader Ed Stelmach
, who he called a "great man".
that would have allowed any Albertan 18 years or older to sponsor a draft law by obtaining signatures from a number of eligible voters equal to 10% of the votes cast in the most recent provincial election, such signatories being required to include voters representing at least 10% of the votes cast in the election in at least two thirds of the province's ridings
. If these signatures were collected in a six month period, the proposed law would be put to province-wide referendum. If the referendum was passed by a vote of at least 60%, including 60% in at least two thirds of the province's ridings, it would be introduced in the legislature to be passed, amended, or defeated like any other bill. The bill never reached second reading in the Legislature.
In 2002, Abbott introduced the government bill Occupational Health and Safety Amendment Act, designed to stiffen penalties for employers violating occupational health and safety laws. It was unanimously adopted by the legislature. Also in 2002, he introduced the Fair Trading (Cost of Credit) Amendment Act, which would have required lenders under provincial jurisdiction to stipulate the annual percentage rate
of the loan and which would have encouraged the government to establish consumer education programs about the cost of credit. It never reached second reading.
In 2003, Abbott sponsored three bills. The government-sponsored Insurance Amendment Act would reduce payouts insurance payouts to some victims of automobile accidents. Abbott suggested that this would reduce Albertans' car insurance premiums, but opposition MLAs, including Liberals
Kevin Taft
and Laurie Blakeman
and New Democrat
Brian Mason
suggested that it would only increase insurance companies' profits. The legislature adjourned while debate on second reading of the bill was still ongoing, and it was never brought to a vote. Abbott's second 2003 bill, the Livestock Industry Diversification Amendment Act (which was also government-sponsored), dealt with domestic cervids that escape into the wild, and passed the legislature. He also sponsored a private member's bill, the Insurance (Accident Insurance Benefits) Amendment Act, which would increase the cap on payouts for injuries resulting from automobile accidents. It was postponed for six months, effectively killing it.
Abbott introduced two bills in 2004: the School Amendment Act, a government bill, expanded the responsibilities of teachers to include participation in curriculum development, assistance in developing provincial exams, and supervision of student teachers; the effect of this was to prevent teachers from withdrawing these services in work-to-rule
situations. The bill also amended the process by which it was decided whether suspended teachers would be dismissed or permitted to return to the job. The bill passed the legislature. Abbott's second bill of 2004, the Insurance (Demerit Offences) Amendment Act, was a private member's bill that never reached second reading. It would have made it illegal for insurance companies to charge higher insurance premiums based on demerits assigned to drivers more than two years prior to an application for insurance.
protection to reporters of animal abuse. It was supported by the Liberals and New Democrats, although Alberta Alliance leader Paul Hinman
expressed concern that by providing a more exhaustive list of things which must be provided to animals, courts might be increasingly inclined to regard anything not explicitly listed as not being obligated. It passed the legislative assembly and was signed into law by Lieutenant Governor of Alberta
Norman Kwong
.
In 2006 Abbott introduced the Parental Consent to Medical Treatment for Minors Act, which would require parental consent for minors under the age of 16 to access non-emergency medical treatment. Abbott and other proponents of the bill, including Progressive Conservatives Richard Marz
, Victor Doerksen
, David Rodney, and Cindy Ady
, cited the example of plastic surgery
(including breast augmentation
, liposuction
, and rhinoplasty
) as examples of the treatments the bill was targeted at. Opponents, such as Liberals Bruce Miller
, Weslyn Mather
, and Harry Chase
, New Democrat David Eggen
, and Progressive Conservative Thomas Lukaszuk
suggested that minors were unlikely to be able to afford such procedures without parental involvement anyway, and that the bill's true target was abortion
. Alberta Alliance leader Hinman, meanwhile, cited cited abortion as a reason that he was in support of the bill. The bill was ultimately postponed for six months (with Abbott's support - in response to the comments of Progressive Conservative Lyle Oberg
, a medical doctor, Abbott agreed that the breadth of medical treatments covered under the bill required further study), effectively killing it, since the legislature was not in session six months later.
During the 2007 session, Abbott's last in the legislature (except for the 2008 session, which consisted only of a throne speech), he sponsored two successful government bills. The Farm Implement Amendment Act allowed financial institutions to lease farm equipment to farmers, a privilege previously reserved for implement dealers. The Mental Health Amendment Act, which he had planned to introduce as a private member's bill before it gained support from previous health minister Iris Evans
, to reduce the requirement for involuntary institutionalization of the mentally ill from "in a condition presenting or likely to present a danger to self or others," which courts had interpreted as requiring the presence of imminent danger, to "likely to cause harm to the person or others". The bill also allowed authorities to force patients to adhere to physician-mandated treatment plans even once they were no longer hospitalized. The bill passed after extensive debate, with Liberal Rick Miller
announcing moments before the vote that he still didn't know which way he was going to vote.
crossing the floor
from the Conservatives
to the Liberals
, he made comments to the media characterizing Stronach's actions as "whoring herself out for power". He was criticized for these comments by his Liberal
colleague Rick Miller
, who later alleged that Abbott confronted him physically in the corridor behind the legislative chamber following his speech. Abbott later apologized for his comments.
Rob Merrifield
until the latter was ready to retire, calling the prospect of challenging him in a nomination fight "unethical".
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
politician and former member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
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...
. He represented Drayton Valley-Calmar
Drayton Valley-Calmar
Drayton Valley-Calmar is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, Canada.-Boundary history:- Members of the Legislative Assembly :-2001 general election:-2004 general election:...
and sat 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...
from 2001 until 2008.
Early life
Abbott was born November 24, 1966 in York CountyYork County, Ontario
York County is a historic county in Upper Canada, Canada West, and the Canadian province of Ontario.York County was created in 1792 and was part of the jurisdiction of Home District of Upper Canada...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. In 1988 he graduated from Christianview Bible College with a Bachelor of Theology
Bachelor of Theology
The Bachelor of Theology is a three to five year undergraduate degree in theological disciplines. Candidates for this degree typically must complete course work in Greek or Hebrew, as well as systematic theology, biblical theology, ethics, homiletics and Christian ministry...
. He came west to serve as Senior Pastor of the Faith Evangelical Covenant Church
Evangelical Covenant Church
The Evangelical Covenant Church is an evangelical Christian denomination of more than 800 congregations and an average worship attendance of 179,000 people in the United States and Canada with ministries on five continents. Founded in 1885 by Swedish immigrants, the church is now one of the most...
in Breton
Breton, Alberta
Breton is a village in central Alberta, Canada. It is located southwest of Edmonton. Originally called Keystone, it was established in 1909 by a group of African-American immigrants as a block settlement. The town is named after former Alberta MLA Douglas Breton.It has one High School and one...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, a position that he held from 1989 until 2000. In 1998 he was elected trustee for the Wild Rose school division. He served one term in this capacity, and did not seek re-election in 2001.
Political career
Abbott first sought election to the Legislative Assembly of AlbertaLegislative 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...
in the 2001 election
Alberta general election, 2001
The Alberta general election of 2001 was the twenty-fifth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on March 12, 2001 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
, when he ran 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...
in Drayton Valley-Calmar
Drayton Valley-Calmar
Drayton Valley-Calmar is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, Canada.-Boundary history:- Members of the Legislative Assembly :-2001 general election:-2004 general election:...
. He won, taking more than 68% of the vote. He was re-elected in the 2004 election
Alberta general election, 2004
The Alberta general election of 2004 was the twenty-sixth general election for the province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on November 22, 2004 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
with a reduced 59% majority. In the 2006 leadership election, he was the first MLA to back Ted Morton
Ted Morton
Frederick Lee Morton , known commonly as Ted Morton, is a Canadian politician and Minister of Energy for the Province of Alberta. As a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta he represents the constituency of Foothills-Rocky View as a Progressive Conservative...
's leadership bid.
In October 2007, Abbott was defeated by Drayton Valley mayor Diana McQueen
Diana McQueen
Diana McQueen is a Canadian politician, who was elected in the 2008 provincial election to represent the electoral district of Drayton Valley-Calmar in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. She is a member of the Progressive Conservatives....
in his bid to again secure the P.C. nomination for the 2008 election. He later publicly speculated about running for one of the province's other conservative parties, such as the Alberta Alliance, the Social Credit Party
Social Credit Party of Alberta
The Alberta Social Credit Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada, that was founded on the social credit monetary policy and conservative Christian social values....
, or the Wildrose Party
Wildrose Party of Alberta
The Wildrose Party of Alberta was a right wing provincial political party founded in Alberta, Canada in 2007. The party took its name from Alberta's provincial flower....
. He ultimately did not run, citing a fear of splitting the conservative vote with McQueen and expressing his support for Progressive Conservative leader Ed Stelmach
Ed Stelmach
Edward Michael "Ed" Stelmach, MLA is a Canadian politician and served as the 13th Premier of Alberta, Canada, from 2006 to 2011. The grandson of Ukrainian immigrants, Stelmach was born and raised on a farm near Lamont and speaks fluent Ukrainian. He spent his entire pre-political adult life as a...
, who he called a "great man".
First term
In 2001, Abbott introduced the Citizens' Initiative Act, a private member's billPrivate Member's Bill
A member of parliament’s legislative motion, called a private member's bill or a member's bill in some parliaments, is a proposed law introduced by a member of a legislature. In most countries with a parliamentary system, most bills are proposed by the government, not by individual members of the...
that would have allowed any Albertan 18 years or older to sponsor a draft law by obtaining signatures from a number of eligible voters equal to 10% of the votes cast in the most recent provincial election, such signatories being required to include voters representing at least 10% of the votes cast in the election in at least two thirds of the province's ridings
Electoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
. If these signatures were collected in a six month period, the proposed law would be put to province-wide referendum. If the referendum was passed by a vote of at least 60%, including 60% in at least two thirds of the province's ridings, it would be introduced in the legislature to be passed, amended, or defeated like any other bill. The bill never reached second reading in the Legislature.
In 2002, Abbott introduced the government bill Occupational Health and Safety Amendment Act, designed to stiffen penalties for employers violating occupational health and safety laws. It was unanimously adopted by the legislature. Also in 2002, he introduced the Fair Trading (Cost of Credit) Amendment Act, which would have required lenders under provincial jurisdiction to stipulate the annual percentage rate
Annual percentage rate
The term annual percentage rate , also called nominal APR, and the term effective APR, also called EAR, describe the interest rate for a whole year , rather than just a monthly fee/rate, as applied on a loan, mortgage loan, credit card, etc. It is a finance charge expressed as an annual rate...
of the loan and which would have encouraged the government to establish consumer education programs about the cost of credit. It never reached second reading.
In 2003, Abbott sponsored three bills. The government-sponsored Insurance Amendment Act would reduce payouts insurance payouts to some victims of automobile accidents. Abbott suggested that this would reduce Albertans' car insurance premiums, but opposition MLAs, including Liberals
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...
Kevin Taft
Kevin Taft
Kevin Taft is a Liberal politician in Alberta, Canada. He was the leader of the Alberta Liberal Party and Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, from 2004 to 2008...
and Laurie Blakeman
Laurie Blakeman
Laurie Blakeman is a Canadian politician, who currently represents the electoral district of Edmonton Centre in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta...
and New Democrat
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...
Brian Mason
Brian Mason
Brian Mason is a Canadian politician and leader of the Alberta New Democrats . Mason was first elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood in a 2001 byelection, and his career in politics spans more than 20 years.Mason first became politically active...
suggested that it would only increase insurance companies' profits. The legislature adjourned while debate on second reading of the bill was still ongoing, and it was never brought to a vote. Abbott's second 2003 bill, the Livestock Industry Diversification Amendment Act (which was also government-sponsored), dealt with domestic cervids that escape into the wild, and passed the legislature. He also sponsored a private member's bill, the Insurance (Accident Insurance Benefits) Amendment Act, which would increase the cap on payouts for injuries resulting from automobile accidents. It was postponed for six months, effectively killing it.
Abbott introduced two bills in 2004: the School Amendment Act, a government bill, expanded the responsibilities of teachers to include participation in curriculum development, assistance in developing provincial exams, and supervision of student teachers; the effect of this was to prevent teachers from withdrawing these services in work-to-rule
Work-to-rule
Work-to-rule is an industrial action in which employees do no more than the minimum required by the rules of their contract, and follow safety or other regulations to the letter in order to cause a slowdown rather than to serve their purpose. This is considered less disruptive than a strike or...
situations. The bill also amended the process by which it was decided whether suspended teachers would be dismissed or permitted to return to the job. The bill passed the legislature. Abbott's second bill of 2004, the Insurance (Demerit Offences) Amendment Act, was a private member's bill that never reached second reading. It would have made it illegal for insurance companies to charge higher insurance premiums based on demerits assigned to drivers more than two years prior to an application for insurance.
Second term
Abbott's sole 2005 bill was the Animal Protection Amendment Act, a government bill which assigned an active duty to persons responsible for the care of an animal to provide it with sufficient "ventilation, space, food, water or veterinary care or reasonable protection from injurious heat or cold" (the existing act required only the provision of sufficient food, water, care, and shelter). It also provided whistleblowerWhistleblower
A whistleblower is a person who tells the public or someone in authority about alleged dishonest or illegal activities occurring in a government department, a public or private organization, or a company...
protection to reporters of animal abuse. It was supported by the Liberals and New Democrats, although Alberta Alliance leader Paul Hinman
Paul Hinman
Paul Hinman is a provincial politician and small business entrepreneur from Alberta, Canada. He was formerly the leader of the Wildrose Alliance. He served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 2004 to 2008 representing the electoral district of Cardston-Taber-Warner...
expressed concern that by providing a more exhaustive list of things which must be provided to animals, courts might be increasingly inclined to regard anything not explicitly listed as not being obligated. It passed the legislative assembly and was signed into law by Lieutenant Governor of Alberta
Lieutenant Governor of Alberta
The Lieutenant Governor of Alberta is the viceregal representative in Alberta of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the nine other jurisdictions of Canada and resides predominantly in her oldest realm, the United...
Norman Kwong
Norman Kwong
Norman Lim "Normie" Kwong, CM, AOE is a former professional athlete, sports executive, and was the 16th Lieutenant Governor of Alberta...
.
In 2006 Abbott introduced the Parental Consent to Medical Treatment for Minors Act, which would require parental consent for minors under the age of 16 to access non-emergency medical treatment. Abbott and other proponents of the bill, including Progressive Conservatives Richard Marz
Richard Marz
Richard Marz is a Canadian politician and current Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta representing the constituency of Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills as a Progressive Conservative.-Early life:...
, Victor Doerksen
Victor Doerksen
Victor Doerksen is a politician, accountant and former cabinet minister in Alberta, Canada.-Early life:Doerksen was born in Bassano, Alberta on November 25, 1953. He was employed by the Bank of Montreal for 12 years...
, David Rodney, and Cindy Ady
Cindy Ady
Cindy Ady is a Canadian politician and a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. She has served in this capacity since the 2001 provincial election, being re-elected in both the 2004 provincial election and 2008 provincial election, sitting as a Progressive Conservative...
, cited the example of plastic surgery
Plastic surgery
Plastic surgery is a medical specialty concerned with the correction or restoration of form and function. Though cosmetic or aesthetic surgery is the best-known kind of plastic surgery, most plastic surgery is not cosmetic: plastic surgery includes many types of reconstructive surgery, hand...
(including breast augmentation
Breast augmentation
Breast augmentation denotes the breast implant and fat-graft mammoplasty procedures for correcting the defects, and for enhancing the size, form, and feel of a woman’s breasts...
, liposuction
Liposuction
Liposuction, also known as lipoplasty , liposculpture suction lipectomy or simply lipo is a cosmetic surgery operation that removes fat from many different sites on the human body...
, and rhinoplasty
Rhinoplasty
Rhinoplasty , also nose job, is a plastic surgery procedure for correcting and reconstructing the form, restoring the functions, and aesthetically enhancing the nose, by resolving nasal trauma , congenital defect, respiratory impediment, and a failed primary rhinoplasty...
) as examples of the treatments the bill was targeted at. Opponents, such as Liberals Bruce Miller
Bruce Miller (politician)
Bruce Miller is a politician in Alberta, Canada and former member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for the constituency of Edmonton-Glenora. He was first elected on November 22, 2004 as a Liberal, but was defeated in his 2008 re-election bid by Progressive Conservative Heather Klimchuk.He...
, Weslyn Mather
Weslyn Mather
Weslyn Mather is a former provincial politician in the Canadian province of Alberta. She served as a member in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 2004 to 2008 sitting with the Liberal caucus in opposition.-Early life:...
, and Harry Chase
Harry B. Chase
Harry B. Chase is a Canadian politician. He is a provincial MLA as a member of the Alberta Liberal Party.-Early life:...
, New Democrat David Eggen
David Eggen
David Eggen is a Canadian politician. He is a former Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for the riding of Edmonton-Calder.- Educator :...
, and Progressive Conservative Thomas Lukaszuk
Thomas Lukaszuk
Thomas A. Lukaszuk is a Canadian politician and current Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta representing the constituency of Edmonton-Castle Downs as a Progressive Conservative...
suggested that minors were unlikely to be able to afford such procedures without parental involvement anyway, and that the bill's true target was abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
. Alberta Alliance leader Hinman, meanwhile, cited cited abortion as a reason that he was in support of the bill. The bill was ultimately postponed for six months (with Abbott's support - in response to the comments of Progressive Conservative Lyle Oberg
Lyle Oberg
Lyle Oberg is an Albertan politician and former member of the Legislative Assembly.Oberg was born near Forestburg, Alberta in 1960. A physician by profession, Oberg was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta as an Progressive Conservative in 1993. He was first appointed to the...
, a medical doctor, Abbott agreed that the breadth of medical treatments covered under the bill required further study), effectively killing it, since the legislature was not in session six months later.
During the 2007 session, Abbott's last in the legislature (except for the 2008 session, which consisted only of a throne speech), he sponsored two successful government bills. The Farm Implement Amendment Act allowed financial institutions to lease farm equipment to farmers, a privilege previously reserved for implement dealers. The Mental Health Amendment Act, which he had planned to introduce as a private member's bill before it gained support from previous health minister Iris Evans
Iris Evans
Iris Evans is a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta and is Minister of International and Intergovernmental Relations for the Canadian province. From November 25, 2004 to December 15, 2006 she served as Alberta's Minister of Health and Wellness in Premier Ralph Klein's cabinet...
, to reduce the requirement for involuntary institutionalization of the mentally ill from "in a condition presenting or likely to present a danger to self or others," which courts had interpreted as requiring the presence of imminent danger, to "likely to cause harm to the person or others". The bill also allowed authorities to force patients to adhere to physician-mandated treatment plans even once they were no longer hospitalized. The bill passed after extensive debate, with Liberal Rick Miller
Rick Miller (politician)
Rick Miller is a politician in the Canadian province of Alberta and former member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
announcing moments before the vote that he still didn't know which way he was going to vote.
Comments on Belinda Stronach
Abbott made national headlines in 2005 when, in response to federal Member of Parliament Belinda StronachBelinda Stronach
Belinda Caroline Stronach, PC is a Canadian businessperson, philanthropist and former politician. She was a Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons from 2004 to 2008. Originally elected as a Conservative, she later crossed the floor to join the Liberals...
crossing the floor
Crossing the floor
In politics, crossing the floor has two meanings referring to a change of allegiance in a Westminster system parliament.The term originates from the British House of Commons, which is configured with the Government and Opposition facing each other on rows of benches...
from the Conservatives
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
to the Liberals
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
, he made comments to the media characterizing Stronach's actions as "whoring herself out for power". He was criticized for these comments by his 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...
colleague Rick Miller
Rick Miller (politician)
Rick Miller is a politician in the Canadian province of Alberta and former member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
, who later alleged that Abbott confronted him physically in the corridor behind the legislative chamber following his speech. Abbott later apologized for his comments.
Post-political life
In an interview on the eve of his departure from the legislature, Abbott said that he saw himself returning to politics, either at the provincial or the federal level. However, he said that he wouldn't run against local member of the Canadian House of CommonsCanadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
Rob Merrifield
Rob Merrifield
Robert "Rob" Merrifield, PC, MP is a Canadian politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Yellowhead, and was the Minister of State for Transport from October 2008 to May 2011....
until the latter was ready to retire, calling the prospect of challenging him in a nomination fight "unethical".
Election results
| 2004 Alberta general election Alberta general election, 2004 The Alberta general election of 2004 was the twenty-sixth general election for the province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on November 22, 2004 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.... results (Drayton Valley-Calmar Drayton Valley-Calmar Drayton Valley-Calmar is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, Canada.-Boundary history:- Members of the Legislative Assembly :-2001 general election:-2004 general election:... ) |
font style="font-size: 90%;">Turnout 61.0% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Affiliation | Candidate | Votes | % |
Progressive Conservative | Tony Abbott | 5,225 | 59.3% |
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... |
Edwin Erickson | 929 | 10.5% |
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... |
Laura Higgerty | 890 | 10.1% |
Alberta Alliance | Viona Cunningham | 766 | 8.7% |
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... |
Lynn Oberle | 642 | 7.3% |
Social Credit Social Credit Party of Alberta The Alberta Social Credit Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada, that was founded on the social credit monetary policy and conservative Christian social values.... |
Thomas Cliff | 243 | 2.8% |
Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
Elmer Knopp | 116 | 1.3% | |
| 2001 Alberta general election Alberta general election, 2001 The Alberta general election of 2001 was the twenty-fifth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on March 12, 2001 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.... results (Drayton Valley-Calmar Drayton Valley-Calmar Drayton Valley-Calmar is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, Canada.-Boundary history:- Members of the Legislative Assembly :-2001 general election:-2004 general election:... ) |
font style="font-size: 90%;">Turnout 46.1% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Affiliation | Candidate | Votes | % |
Progressive Conservative | Tony Abbott | 7,673 | 68.4% |
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... |
Roger Coles | 2,229 | 19.9% |
Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
Roger Stefura | 729 | 6.5% |
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... |
Mark Patty | 588 | 5.2% | |||||||||||||