Mike Cardinal

Melvin Percy Joseph "Mike" Cardinal[1] is a politician from Alberta, Canada and a former member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, having served in that capacity from 1989 until 2008. He sat as a Progressive Conservative and represented the districts of Athabasca-Lac La Biche, Athabasca-Wabasca, and Athabasca-Redwater. He also held five cabinet posts in the government of Ralph Klein.

Mike Cardinal
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for Athabasca-Redwater
Athabasca-Wabasca (1993-2004)
Athabasca-Lac La Biche (1989-1993)
In office
March 20, 1989 – March 3, 2008
Preceded byLeo Piquette
Succeeded byJeff Johnson
Personal details
Born
Melvin Percy Joseph Cardinal

(1941-07-17) July 17, 1941
Northern Alberta
Political partyProgressive Conservative

Early life

Mike Cardinal was born into a family of 13 in 1941 in northern Alberta, the son of a trapper and a homemaker. He dropped out of school in grade 8 to work, but eventually returned to school and graduated from grade 12. He spent ten years in the forestry and sawmill industries before entering the public sector. He worked as a mortgage officer with the Alberta Housing Corporation before transferring to the Alberta Human Resources Development Authority. There he developed a native housing/relocation program before moving to the department of Advanced Education and Manpower, where he served as regional supervisor of Employment/Counselling Services for ten years. He served a further three years as a regional manager of Employment and Relocation Counselling Services, and three more as a senior consultant to the Assistant Deputy Minister of Advanced Education and Manpower.

Municipal politics

Cardinal served as a town councillor in Slave Lake and on the school board of the Northland School Division No. 61, where he chaired the board for three of his six years of service.

Provincial politics

Electoral record

Cardinal first sought provincial office in the 1989 election, when ran as a Progressive Conservative against incumbent New Democrat Leo Piquette in the riding of Athabasca-Lac La Biche. He defeated Piquette by more than 900 votes. When electoral boundaries were re-drawn in advance of the 1993 election, Cardinal ran in the new riding of Athabasca-Wabasca. He was elected here not only in 1993, but also in 1997 and 2001, taking well over fifty percent of the vote each time. In 2004 this riding too was abolished, and Cardinal served his last term as the member for Athabasca-Redwater, which he won handily in the 2004 election. He did not seek re-election at the conclusion of this term.

Backbencher

Cardinal served as a backbencher from the time of his election until Ralph Klein became premier in December 1992. During this time, he sponsored the Metis Settlements Land Protection Act of 1990, a government bill designed to give Metis settlements ownership over the land. It passed without significant controversy, though Liberal Nicholas Taylor questioned a portion of the bill that stipulated that the land, as it was communally owned, could not be mortgaged.[2]

Minister of Family and Social Services

Upon Ralph Klein's ascendancy to the Premiership in December 1992, Cardinal was brought into cabinet as the Minister of Family and Social Services. He was the first treaty Indian to be named to Alberta's cabinet,[3] and, in addition to his portfolio, was given cabinet responsibility for aboriginal issues.[4]

Election results
1989 Alberta general election: Athabasca-Lac La Biche
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Progressive ConservativeMike Cardinal4,23745.22%9.18%
New DemocraticLeo Piquette3,34235.67%-3.56%
LiberalTom Maccagno1,79119.11%-3.48%
Total 9,370––
Rejected, Spoiled and Declined 30––
Eligible electors / Turnout 13,93367.47%–
Progressive Conservative gain from New Democratic Swing 3.18%
Source(s)
Source: "Athabasca-Lac La Biche Official Results 1989 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
1993 Alberta general election: Athabasca-Wabasca
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Progressive ConservativeMike Cardinal4,14459.99%–
LiberalSimon Waquan1,92127.81%–
New DemocraticEmil Zachkewich84312.20%–
Total 6,908––
Rejected, Spoiled and Declined 31––
Eligible electors / Turnout 11,16562.15%–
Progressive Conservative pickup new district.
Source(s)
Source: "Athabasca-Wabasca Official Results 1993 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
1997 Alberta general election: Athabasca-Wabasca
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Progressive ConservativeMike Cardinal3,38059.00%-0.99%
LiberalTony Mercredi1,48125.85%-1.96%
Social CreditCurtis Gunderson4688.17%–
New DemocraticDean Patriquin3005.24%-6.97%
GreensHarlan Light1001.75%–
Total 5,729––
Rejected, Spoiled and Declined 34––
Eligible electors / Turnout 12,00947.99%–
Progressive Conservative hold Swing 0.48%
Source(s)
Source: "Athabasca-Wabasca Official Results 1997 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
2001 Alberta general election: Athabasca-Wabasca
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Progressive ConservativeMike Cardinal4,23866.69%7.69%
LiberalAl Wurfel1,26419.89%-5.96%
New DemocraticColin Piquette6069.54%4.30%
Social CreditDavid Klassen1532.41%-5.76%
GreensIan Hopfe941.48%-0.27%
Total 6,355––
Rejected, Spoiled and Declined 6––
Eligible electors / Turnout 12,62250.40%–
Progressive Conservative hold Swing 6.83%
Source(s)
Source: "Athabasca-Wabasca Official Results 2001 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
2004 Alberta general election: Athabasca-Redwater
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Progressive ConservativeMike Cardinal5,70747.68%–
LiberalNicole Belland3,25327.18%–
New DemocraticPeter Opryshko1,39711.67%–
Alberta AllianceSean Whelan1,1849.89%–
GreensLuke De Smet2522.11%–
Social CreditLeonard Fish1771.48%–
Total 11,970––
Rejected, Spoiled and Declined 53––
Eligible electors / Turnout 24,07449.94%–
Progressive Conservative pickup new district.
Source(s)
Source: "Elections Alberta 2004 General Election". Elections Alberta. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
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References
  1. Mossman, Jennifer (May 1998). Biography and Genealogy Master Index: A Consolidated Index to More Than 3,200,000 Biographical Sketches in over 350 Current and Retrospective Biographical Dictionaries. ISBN 9780787612726.
  2. https://www.assembly.ab.ca/ISYS/LADDAR_files/docs/hansards/han/legislature_22/session_2/19900605_2000_01_han.pdf |chapter-url= missing title (help) (PDF). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Legislative Assembly of Alberta. June 5, 1990.
  3. Quaid, Maeve (2002). Workfare: Why Good Social Policy Ideas Go Bad. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. p. 148. ISBN 978-0-8020-8101-8.
  4. Fraser, Fil (March 27, 1993). "Cardinal ready to settle Lubicon claim". Edmonton Journal.
Alberta Provincial Government of Ralph Klein
Cabinet posts (5)
Predecessor Office Successor
Clint Dunford Minister of Human Resources and Employment
2004–2006		 Iris Evans (as Minister of Employment, Immigration and Industry)
New portfolio Minister of Sustainable Resource Development
2001–2004		 David Coutts
Steve West Minister of Resource Development
2000–2001		 Murray Smith (as Minister of Energy)
New portfolio Associate Minister of Forestry
1999–2000		 Portfolio abolished
John Oldring Minister of Family and Social Services
1992–1996		 Stockwell Day
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