Howard Sapers
Encyclopedia
Howard Sapers, currently the Correctional Investigator for Canada, is a former public servant and former provincial politician from Alberta
, Canada
. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
, representing Edmonton-Glenora from 1993 until 2001.
. He won a large plurality defeating five other candidates. The race was primarily contested between Sapers and Progressive Conservative
candidate Gwen Harris. Sapers beat Harris by a margin of 2600 votes to win the Edmonton-Glenora
electoral district.
Sapers held many portfolios in the Official Opposition including critic for Health, Advanced Education, Science and Technology and Finance. He served on the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund Committee, the Legislative Offices Committee and the Public Accounts Committee. He was one of three opposition members appointed by the Klein government to serve on the Select Committee studying privacy and access to information. During his second term, Sapers was Official Opposition House Leader. Sapers served as interim Leader of the Opposition after Grant Mitchell resigned in 1999.
On March 19, 1996 Sapers along with Liberal leader Grant Mitchell
were sued by a company called Hotel de Health. After the company CEO, Robert Talbot, believed that the member made defamatory remarks after the company investigated building and operating private hospitals in Alberta. The lawsuit was without merit and mirrored Talbot's pattern of launching vexacious lawsuits.
Sapers was well liked in his constituency and would win his second term in office a year after he cemented his reputation for protecting public healthcare in his dispute with Hotel de Health.1997 Alberta general election
. That race was hotly contested with Sapers defeating Progressive Conservative Kim MacKenzie and three other candidates by almost 1400 votes.
In November 1999, Sapers referred his legal defence arrangements to the Legislature Ethics Commissioner. Robert Clark
This decision was made as a result of the recent conclusion Clark reached regarding the financing of a defense fund established in support of Stockwell Day, who was facing his own legal difficulties. While Sapers was eventually found to have breached the Conflict of Interest Act, Clark recommended that there be no punishment, as Sapers had acted on bad advice from the Clerk's Office and the Treasury Risk Management Fund was not made available to him as it had been made available to Day.
Sapers would be defeated by fewer than 150 votes in his bid for a third term in office by Drew Hutton
in the 2001 Alberta general election
.
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...
, Canada
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...
. He served as a 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...
, representing Edmonton-Glenora from 1993 until 2001.
Political career
Sapers was first elected to the Alberta Legislature in the 1993 Alberta general electionAlberta general election, 1993
The Alberta general election of 1993 was the twenty-third general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on June 15, 1993 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta...
. He won a large plurality defeating five other candidates. The race was primarily contested between Sapers and 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...
candidate Gwen Harris. Sapers beat Harris by a margin of 2600 votes to win the Edmonton-Glenora
Edmonton-Glenora
Edmonton-Glenora is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, Canada. It is located north of the North Saskatchewan river....
electoral district.
Sapers held many portfolios in the Official Opposition including critic for Health, Advanced Education, Science and Technology and Finance. He served on the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund Committee, the Legislative Offices Committee and the Public Accounts Committee. He was one of three opposition members appointed by the Klein government to serve on the Select Committee studying privacy and access to information. During his second term, Sapers was Official Opposition House Leader. Sapers served as interim Leader of the Opposition after Grant Mitchell resigned in 1999.
On March 19, 1996 Sapers along with Liberal leader Grant Mitchell
Grant Mitchell (politician)
-Early life:He received a B.A. degree from the University of Alberta and an M.A. degree from Queen's University. From 1976 to 1979, he worked as a public servant with the Government of Alberta...
were sued by a company called Hotel de Health. After the company CEO, Robert Talbot, believed that the member made defamatory remarks after the company investigated building and operating private hospitals in Alberta. The lawsuit was without merit and mirrored Talbot's pattern of launching vexacious lawsuits.
Sapers was well liked in his constituency and would win his second term in office a year after he cemented his reputation for protecting public healthcare in his dispute with Hotel de Health.1997 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1997
The Alberta general election of 1997 was the twenty-fourth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on March 11, 1997 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
. That race was hotly contested with Sapers defeating Progressive Conservative Kim MacKenzie and three other candidates by almost 1400 votes.
In November 1999, Sapers referred his legal defence arrangements to the Legislature Ethics Commissioner. Robert Clark
Robert Curtis Clark
Robert "Bob" Curtis Clark is a former teacher, civil servant and provincial level politician. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1960 to 1981. During his career he served as Leader of the Alberta Social Credit Party and Leader of the Official Opposition...
This decision was made as a result of the recent conclusion Clark reached regarding the financing of a defense fund established in support of Stockwell Day, who was facing his own legal difficulties. While Sapers was eventually found to have breached the Conflict of Interest Act, Clark recommended that there be no punishment, as Sapers had acted on bad advice from the Clerk's Office and the Treasury Risk Management Fund was not made available to him as it had been made available to Day.
Sapers would be defeated by fewer than 150 votes in his bid for a third term in office by Drew Hutton
Drew Hutton (politician)
Drew Hutton is a former provincial level politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 2001 until 2004.-Political career:...
in the 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....
.