don august february canadian politician served 11th premier alberta member served energy minister affairs minister government leaving politics private sector returned politics years later contest leadership contest resulting retirement defeated candidates premier november premier faced economic falling energy prices hit alberta petroleum dominated economy hard faced mounting government increasing unemployment cut social spending intervened government money prevent businesses failing high profile fashion failing intended objective costing scarce public funds analysts argue fiscal program laid later balancing provincial budget departure office government debt reached billion setting stage successor characterize years era excessive spending efforts strengthening alberta presence canada initially appeared successful won agreement canada ministers including elements senate reform efforts came rejected second canadian public including majority facing political problems alberta including defeat home riding election leading successful election vacated leadership ministers light resigned entering politics quarterback passed thousand yards year career team wall fame early life born august quebec son father dropped medical school great depression worked variety jobs time support wife sons daughters childhood spent toronto ottawa london sharing room apartment seven member family returning london time high school accomplished athlete drinking gain weight play football elected students council president sports passion especially great fan montreal running royal football graduating enrolled study business administration football star member awarded brown memorial trophy outstanding athlete played basketball championship teams sport week graduation married high school sweetheart offered professional contract drove west old blue playing football hired worked beginning lands contracts manager promotion assistant general manager following founded company entering world finance partner investments cabinet minister approached fellow veteran leader run provincial election agreed run defeated incumbent thousand votes entered alberta newly elected years later election elected votes new riding appointed minister federal affairs new majority government government elected increasing margins election appointed minister energy capacity partially continued responsibility relations federal government energy policy major sticking point governments point federal energy minister called venom seek election election hiatus politics leadership fight politics head investment firm sat boards number corporations including stepped leadership entered contest replace immediately favourite october convention won second ballot victory minister municipal affairs legislator premier appointed premier november returned legislature month later winning election old riding premier nearly seven years presided alberta toughest economic times time office characterized attempts reduce government budget deficit calculated stabilize economy recession 1980s premier left predecessor cabinet completely intact budget deficit won party leadership told expect budget deficit billion year office figure turned billion things got worse year drop energy prices led oil rich province running deficit billion energy revenues fell billion reacted raising taxes billion cutting program spending including decreases grants schools universities municipalities hospitals measures predicted government surplus fiscal year program spending growing rate annually lowest rates canada fact adjusted population growth inflation government spending fell term office non health care program spending lower health spending remained approximately constant period entered public debt left public debt billion economic intervention government faced combination general economic falling oil prices energy sector contributed decrease capital spending reduced demand labour construction industry workers left province suppressed real estate prices hurt financial institutions banks failed september credit unions facing similar troubles government days injected million industry response issues budget targeted spending province struggling agricultural sector including billion loan program meant address high interest rates government tried stimulate energy sector making loan guarantees million million new expanded capital projects government provided million guarantee addition million loan meat packing plant loan government seized eventually closed plant incident contributed perception administration willing spend public money support large businesses indifferent struggles labour loan initially government labour settlement favourable plant management price oil barrel responded providing oil industry million incentives royalty cuts end alberta granted month cut royalties damaging government reputation failure based trust company investment ordered shut june court orders obtained provincial parent company went bankrupt august amid accusations fraud court ordered investigation led found company trouble early subsequent economic hurt profitable event found consumer corporate affairs minister disregarded warnings department company likely fired shortly report release immediate offer million settlement investors hurt government reputation areas business similar incident stemmed cellular subsidiary number financing deals local companies late 1980s deals collapsing government prepared sell moment government removed share offering eventually cost government million constitutional affairs minister federal affairs strong views constitutional matters senate reform particular cause alberta constitutional policy going discussions accord final version included provision prime minister continue recommend appointments recommendations lists provided provincial governments apparent fail government introduced selection act provided election process vacant senate seat alberta favoured candidate defeated opposed favoured aggressive senate reform prime minister opposed legislation eventually recommended waters appointment senate successful pursuing senate reform negotiations won addition triple senate package opposition failed national referendum majority canadians including rejected formally severed ties increasingly unpopular broke number issues senate reform including new federal goods services tax fought unsuccessfully implementing government implemented legislation express wishes english official language alberta despite steps remained supporter federal conservatives provincial government progress land claims northern province addition creating canada land base took lead ultimately unsuccessful effort negotiate settlement federal government political style contrast predecessor actively involved elements government preferred set government broad direction leave lower level details ministers serving environment minister commented minister run portfolio expressed appreciation freedom premier gave cabinet served different described approach memoirs decisions run department mistakes gone credits knowing intervene felt approach led ministers working isolation private reserved person combined tendency delegate ministers gave impression affair left primarily hands consumer corporate affairs minister photographer captured shot playing golf press secretary said working office typical strained relationship media attributed premier media governed fairly large tenure near large ones enjoyed election premier saw return provincial liberals legislature shut years election saw alberta pick seats legislature contrast terms faced opposition total decline retirement called election years mandate advantage economic optimism prevalent province partly result canada free trade agreement spending promises including paving province secondary highways liberals new leader stressed dealing deficit overall end result respectable government won sixth term government net loss seats defeated riding liberal resigned seat rural central alberta riding allow run election won built home riding later accused arranging lake risen better suited fishing claimed arrangements place minister recreation parks wildlife relationship party stormy shortly lost riding group including party budget director old leadership rival began making plans force party renewal felt party perceived tired arrogant deaf urban concerns political trouble crucial calgary party convention recently retired cabinet minister organized leadership campaign advocated leadership review speech convention voted refer recommendation committee months study cabinet ministers including education minister began consider leadership bids event retired pushed national referendum release report incident decided leave politics months deliberately taking measures knew popular cabinet order leave successor party leadership election chose succeed resigned party leader december premier days later political legacy premier positioned contrast asserting government spending problem stating premier time spending given aggressive spending cuts shaped political climate alberta 1990s legacy respect public finances criticized writing years entering politics challenged view asserting running government canada management deficit government remembered creation family day dropped quickly public view public memory suggests unlike predecessor successor lacked central message professional football career played seasons quarterback career backed filled moved running coach pop ivy surprised observers started quarterback game western final game series time 44th grey cup parker running bore results parker tied record touchdowns scored game handed ball touchdowns scored quarterback keeps yard line won consecutive championship score continued appearances season successful canadian born history sits time passing list canadian nearly thousand yards declared outstanding canadian player runner jackson award league outstanding canadian player year placed wall honor career statistics including season tackle loss passing play registered rushing attempt retirement death kept low profile leaving politics assumed corporate spent time grandchildren unlike rarely commented political matters appointed officer july announced billion funding industry develop carbon capture technology company sought funding bury carbon dioxide salt near hills february died heart failure age following years declining health honours appointed officer october appointed member received elizabeth_ii silver jubilee medal anniversary queen jubilee medal queen elizabeth_ii diamond inducted london sports hall fame london ontario recognition achievements november received honorary degree doctor laws electoral record party leader party nominate candidates previous election party leadership contest
Don Getty