Brian Mason

Mason was born in Calgary in 1953, the son of Robert George Mason, an electrical engineer, and a Red Tory who was a founding member of the Reform Party of Canada. Robert Mason, was also the stepson of Conservative Senator John Alexander Buchanan. Mason's mother, Patricia Kavanagh was a Liberal. Upon leaving university Mason began working as bus driver with the Edmonton Transit Service. ==Municipal politics==

Mason first ran for Edmonton city council after he was temporarily laid off from ETS in 1983, before becoming president of the Edmonton Voters Association, a municipal political party. ==Provincial politics==

In 2000, following the mid-term resignation of then leader of the Alberta New Democrats and MLA for Edmonton Highlands Pam Barrett, Mason left city council and ran for the NDP in the ensuing by-election. He held the Legislative Assembly seat with a strong majority, and was re-elected in the 2001 provincial election. On April 29, 2014, Brian Mason announced that he would step down as leader as soon as a leadership election could be held to choose his successor. Mason who had mentored Rachel Notley convinced her to run for the leadership which she won. During the final few months of Mason's tenure the party was already enjoying strong polling in Edmonton, something which would eventually grow into the larger electoral sweep that the Alberta NDP managed in the 2015 provincial election under Mason's successor Notley that resulted in the formation of Alberta's first ever NDP government. Member of Notley cabinet On May 24, 2015, Mason was appointed Minister of Infrastructure and Minister of Transportation, as well as Government House Leader. He remained as a minister until April 30, 2019, when the new United Conservative Party government of Jason Kenney was sworn in. ==Edmonton provincial election riding results, 2000 to 2015==

2000 by-election 2001 general election 2004 general election 2008 general election 2012 general election 2015 general election ==References==