Ron Stevens
Ron Stevens | |
---|---|
MLA for Calgary-Glenmore | |
In office March 11, 1997 – May 15, 2009 | |
Preceded by | Dianne Mirosh |
Succeeded by | Paul Hinman |
6th Deputy Premier of Alberta | |
In office June 22, 2007 – May 15, 2009 | |
Preceded by | Shirley McClellan |
Succeeded by | Doug Horner |
Minister of International and Intergovernmental Relations in the Alberta government | |
In office March 12, 2008 – May 15, 2009 | |
Preceded by | Guy Boutilier |
Succeeded by | Len Webber |
Minister of Justice and Attorney General in the Alberta government | |
In office November 25, 2004 – March 12, 2008 | |
Preceded by | Dave Hancock |
Succeeded by | Alison Redford |
Minister of Gaming in the Alberta government | |
In office March 16, 2001 – November 25, 2004 | |
Preceded by | Murray Smith |
Succeeded by | Gordon Graydon |
Personal details | |
Born | Ronald Gordon Stevens September 17, 1949 Empress, Alberta |
Died | May 13, 2014 Calgary, Alberta | (aged 64)
Political party | Progressive Conservative |
Spouse | Phyllis |
Alma mater | University of Calgary University of Alberta |
Occupation | lawyer |
Ronald Gordon "Ron" Stevens QC (September 17, 1949 – May 13, 2014) was a Canadian politician. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta representing the constituency of Calgary-Glenmore as a Progressive Conservative until his resignation on May 15, 2009.[1] He was subsequently appointed a Judge of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta on May 20, 2009, by the government of Canada.[2]
Early life
[edit]Stevens was born September 17, 1949, in Empress, Alberta. He graduated from the University of Calgary in 1971 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and went on to obtain a Bachelor of Laws degree in 1975 from the University of Alberta. Before being elected to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, Stevens worked as a civil litigation lawyer and mediator with a major law firm in Calgary. In 1996, he was appointed Queen's Council.
An active community member, Stevens served in the role of president of the Palliser Bayview Pumphill Community Association, director of the Community Mediation Calgary Society, director of the Federation of Calgary Communities, and director and vice chair of the Calgary Housing Authority.
Political career
[edit]Stevens first sought public office in the 1997 provincial election in the constituency of Calgary-Glenmore. In that election, he received 58% of the vote. In the 2001 provincial election that followed, Stevens was re-elected with 68% of the popular vote. That same year, he was appointed by Premier Ralph Klein as Minister of Gaming and was responsible for the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission and the Alberta Lottery Fund. Following the 2004 provincial election, where he received 50% of the vote, Stevens was sworn in as Minister of Justice and Attorney General. On June 27, 2007, he was named Alberta's Deputy Premier by newly elected Premier Ed Stelmach. In the 2008 provincial election, Stevens was elected for a fourth time receiving 51% of the vote. On March 12, 2008, he was sworn in as Minister of International and Intergovernmental Relations.
Stevens served in a variety of capacities on numerous boards and committees. He held the title of Deputy Government House Leader, the position of chair for the Legislative Review Committee, the Oil Sands Ministerial Strategy Committee (Radke Report), the Health Information Legislation Committee, the Standing Policy Committee on Learning, the Private Schools Funding Task Force, the Non-Profit Tax Exemption Review Committee, the position of vice chair of the Agenda and Priorities Committee and the Standing Policy Committee on Justice and Government Services, and the position of deputy chair of the Select Special Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act Review Committee.
Stevens also served as a member of the Treasury Board, the Agenda and Priorities Committee, and the Privileges and Elections, Standing Orders and Printing Committee.[3]
As an MLA, Stevens successfully sponsored two governmental bills: the Holocaust Memorial Day and Genocide Remembrance Act and the Irrigation Districts Act. He also sponsored one private member's bill during his first term in office: the Emblems of Alberta (Alberta Dress Tartan) Amendment Act, 2000.
Hawaiian Stopover Controversy
[edit]In October 2007, CBC News Calgary reported that Ron Stevens had used his government credit card to pay for drinks and meals for his wife and four other people while on a stopover in Hawaii in 2003. At the time, Stevens was serving as Alberta's Gaming Minister. His three-day Hawaiian stopover occurred as he was returning from Australia where he had been studying that country's gaming system. "I don't recall whether it was a three-day stop or not," Stevens told CBC when questioned about the trip. "But I do recall that we did it in that fashion because it was less expensive than flying business class. In other words, it was the most [economical] way of doing it."[4]
Personal life
[edit]Stevens was married to Phyllis. The couple had two children together.[3] He died of natural causes on May 13, 2014, at the age of 64.[5]
Election results
[edit]2008 Alberta general election results ( Calgary-Glenmore ) | Turnout 45.6% | |||
Affiliation | Candidate | Votes | % | |
Progressive Conservative | Ron Stevens | 6,441 | 51% | |
Liberal | Avalon Roberts | 4,175 | 33% | |
Wildrose Alliance | Ryan Sadler | 1,019 | 8% | |
Green | Arden Duncan Bonokoski | 547 | 4% | |
New Democratic | Holly Heffernan | 478 | 4% | |
2004 Alberta general election results ( Calgary-Glenmore ) | Turnout 48.4% | |||
Affiliation | Candidate | Votes | % | |
Progressive Conservative | Ron Stevens | 6,263 | 50.5% | |
Liberal | Avalon Roberts | 4,364 | 35.2% | |
Alberta Alliance | Ernest McCutcheon | 571 | 4.6% | |
Green | Evan Sklarski | 532 | 4.3% | |
New Democratic | Holly Heffernan | 553 | 4.5% | |
Social Credit | Larry Heather | 127 | 1.0% | |
2001 Alberta general election results ( Calgary-Glenmore ) | Turnout 60.6% | |||
Affiliation | Candidate | Votes | % | |
Progressive Conservative | Ron Stevens | 9,678 | 67.7% | |
Liberal | Michael Broadhurst | 3,708 | 25.9% | |
New Democratic | Jennifer Stewart | 441 | 3.1% | |
Green | James A. Kohut | 467 | 3.3% | |
1997 Alberta general election results ( Calgary-Glenmore ) | Turnout 59.6% | |||
Affiliation | Candidate | Votes | % | |
Progressive Conservative | Ron Stevens | 8,247 | 58.1% | |
Liberal | Wayne Stewart | 4,919 | 34.7% | |
New Democratic | Grace Johner | 435 | 3.1% | |
Social Credit | Vernon Cook | 583 | 4.1% |
References
[edit]- ^ Government of Alberta (May 15, 2009). "Cabinet veteran Ron Stevens announces his resignation". News Release. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved June 5, 2009.
- ^ Canada, Department of Justice (May 20, 2009). "Alberta Judicial Appointments Announced". News Release. Archived from the original on June 14, 2011. Retrieved September 24, 2009.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Steven's Legislative Assembly of Alberta biography".
- ^ "Alberta minister defends Hawaiian stopover". CBC News. October 3, 2007. Retrieved October 3, 2007.
- ^ Fergispm, Eva. "Former MLA Ron Stevens is mourned". Edmonton Journal. Postmedia News. Archived from the original on May 17, 2014. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
- 1949 births
- 2014 deaths
- Members of the Executive Council of Alberta
- Politicians from Calgary
- Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta MLAs
- University of Alberta Faculty of Law alumni
- 20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
- 21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta