Raymond Reierson
Encyclopedia
Raymond Reierson is a former provincial politician from Alberta
, Canada
. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
from 1952 to 1971 sitting with the Social Credit caucus in government. During his time in office Reierson served as a cabinet minister serving numerous portfolios in the governments of Premier Ernest Manning
and Harry Strom
from 1955 to 1971.
. The two way race was hotly contested. Reierson barely won the straight fight over Liberal candidate Laval Fortier to hold the seat for his party.
Reierson ran for a second term in the 1955 Alberta general election
. This time the election was a three way race. Liberal candidate J.R. Sweeney gave Reierson a strong challenge, however he still managed to win over half the popular vote to keep his seat.
After the election Premier Ernest Manning
appointed Reierson to the Executive Council of Alberta
. He gave him the Industries and Labour portfolio on August 2, 1955. He ran for re-election as a cabinet minister in the 1959 Alberta general election
and won a very solid majority to retain his seat.
After the election Manning changed Reierson's portfolio to only focus on Labour on September 1, 1959. He ran for re-election to his fourth term in the 1963 Alberta general election
. His popular vote dropped sharply from the previous election, however he still managed to win over half the popular vote in his district.
Reierson ran for his fifth term in the 1967 general election
. He managed to hang onto his seat winning a plurality over the three opposition candidates.
Premier Manning gave Reierson a second portfolio after the election. He was appointed Minister of Education in addition to his other portfolio. A year later Rierson decided to run for leader of the Social Credit party in the 1968 leadership election. He finished third on the first ballot but decided not to contest the second ballot and dropped out of the race. The leadership election was won by Harry Strom
.
After Harry Strom was appointed Premier he shuffled the cabinet on December 12, 1968. Reierson kept his Labour portfolio, while his Education portfolio was exchanged for the Telephones portfolio.
As Minister of Telephones Reierson tried to lobby the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission in 1970 to give Alberta Government Telephones
exclusive control of distributing television content from the United States
. He believed his plan would lower subscriber costs from $6 dollars a month at the time to $1 dollar a month and allow the best content from the three US networks in operation at the time. This was in response to new CRTC rules that only allowed cable providers to carry one US Commercial station.
Reierson ran for re-election to a sixth term in the 1971 Alberta general election
. He was defeated by Progressive Conservative candidate Mick Fluker in a hotly contested race.
and Arthur Dixon
as the most senior members at the 100th Anniversary celebration of the Alberta Legislature.
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...
from 1952 to 1971 sitting with the Social Credit caucus in government. During his time in office Reierson served as a cabinet minister serving numerous portfolios in the governments of Premier Ernest Manning
Ernest Manning
Ernest Charles Manning, , a Canadian politician, was the eighth Premier of Alberta between 1943 and 1968 for the Social Credit Party of Alberta. He served longer than any premier in the province's history, and was the second longest serving provincial premier in Canadian history...
and Harry Strom
Harry Strom
Harry Edwin Strom was the ninth Premier of Alberta, Canada, from 1968 to 1971. His two and a half years as Premier were the last of the thirty-six year Social Credit dynasty, as his defeat by Peter Lougheed saw its replacement by a new era Progressive Conservative government...
from 1955 to 1971.
Political career
Reierson ran for a seat to the Alberta Legislature as the Social Credit candidate in the electoral district of 1952 Alberta general electionAlberta general election, 1952
The Alberta general election of 1952 was the twelfth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on August 5, 1952 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.Ernest C...
. The two way race was hotly contested. Reierson barely won the straight fight over Liberal candidate Laval Fortier to hold the seat for his party.
Reierson ran for a second term in the 1955 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1955
The Alberta general election of 1955 was the thirteenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on June 29, 1955 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
. This time the election was a three way race. Liberal candidate J.R. Sweeney gave Reierson a strong challenge, however he still managed to win over half the popular vote to keep his seat.
After the election Premier Ernest Manning
Ernest Manning
Ernest Charles Manning, , a Canadian politician, was the eighth Premier of Alberta between 1943 and 1968 for the Social Credit Party of Alberta. He served longer than any premier in the province's history, and was the second longest serving provincial premier in Canadian history...
appointed Reierson to the Executive Council of Alberta
Executive Council of Alberta
The Executive Council of Alberta is the cabinet of that Canadian province.Almost always made up of members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, the Cabinet is similar in structure and role to the Cabinet of Canada while being smaller in size...
. He gave him the Industries and Labour portfolio on August 2, 1955. He ran for re-election as a cabinet minister in the 1959 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1959
The Alberta general election of 1959 was the fourteenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on June 18, 1959 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.Ernest C...
and won a very solid majority to retain his seat.
After the election Manning changed Reierson's portfolio to only focus on Labour on September 1, 1959. He ran for re-election to his fourth term in the 1963 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1963
The Alberta general election of 1963 was the fifteenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on June 17, 1963 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.The Social Credit Party, led by Ernest C...
. His popular vote dropped sharply from the previous election, however he still managed to win over half the popular vote in his district.
Reierson ran for his fifth term in the 1967 general election
Alberta general election, 1967
The Alberta general election of 1967 was the sixteenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on May 23, 1967 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
. He managed to hang onto his seat winning a plurality over the three opposition candidates.
Premier Manning gave Reierson a second portfolio after the election. He was appointed Minister of Education in addition to his other portfolio. A year later Rierson decided to run for leader of the Social Credit party in the 1968 leadership election. He finished third on the first ballot but decided not to contest the second ballot and dropped out of the race. The leadership election was won by Harry Strom
Harry Strom
Harry Edwin Strom was the ninth Premier of Alberta, Canada, from 1968 to 1971. His two and a half years as Premier were the last of the thirty-six year Social Credit dynasty, as his defeat by Peter Lougheed saw its replacement by a new era Progressive Conservative government...
.
After Harry Strom was appointed Premier he shuffled the cabinet on December 12, 1968. Reierson kept his Labour portfolio, while his Education portfolio was exchanged for the Telephones portfolio.
As Minister of Telephones Reierson tried to lobby the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission in 1970 to give Alberta Government Telephones
Alberta Government Telephones
Alberta Government Telephones was formed by the Liberal government of Alexander Cameron Rutherford in 1906 following the acquisitions by the government of several independent telephone companies...
exclusive control of distributing television content from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He believed his plan would lower subscriber costs from $6 dollars a month at the time to $1 dollar a month and allow the best content from the three US networks in operation at the time. This was in response to new CRTC rules that only allowed cable providers to carry one US Commercial station.
Reierson ran for re-election to a sixth term in the 1971 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1971
The Alberta general election of 1971 was the seventeenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on August 30, 1971 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
. He was defeated by Progressive Conservative candidate Mick Fluker in a hotly contested race.
Late life
Reierson returned to the Alberta Legislature in 2006 with Nick DushenskiNick Dushenski
Nick William Dushenski was a provincial politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1952 to 1959 sitting with the Co-operative Commonwealth caucus in opposition....
and Arthur Dixon
Arthur J. Dixon
Arthur Johnson Dixon, CM was a real estate and insurance agent, and a former member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1952 to 1975 sitting with the Social Credit caucus in government and opposition...
as the most senior members at the 100th Anniversary celebration of the Alberta Legislature.