About Ralph Klein:
Hugely popular in his home province of Alberta, Premier Ralph Klein often set the agenda for Conservative politics across the country, and led many provincial wrangles with the Canadian federal government, notably on health care reform, the Kyoto protocol, education spending and same-sex marriages.
Plain spoken and rumpled, Ralph Klein may have seemed to be an unlikely leader, but oil and gas revenues and the Klein government's cost-cutting policies put Alberta in a secure financial position, and Ralph Klein's common touch and longevity as a Canadian premier gave him influence far beyond the borders of Alberta.
Premier of Alberta:
1992 to 2006
Birth:
November 1, 1942 in Calgary, Alberta
Professional Career:
- Public Relations - Alberta Red Cross and Calgary United Way
- Civic Affairs Reporter - CFCN TV and Radio
Political Affiliation:
Riding (Electoral District):
Calgary Elbow
Political Career of Ralph Klein:
- Ralph Klein was Mayor of Calgary, Alberta from 1980 to 1989.
- He was first elected to the Alberta Legislative Assembly in 1989.
- He was also appointed Minister of the Environment in 1989.
- Ralph Klein was elected Leader of the Alberta Conservative Party in 1992.
- Ralph Klein was sworn in as Premier of Alberta in 1992.
- In 1993, he also took on the portfolio of Minister of Federal and Intergovernmental Affairs and in 1994 added Minister of Economic Development and Tourism to his workload.
- In 2005, Ralph Klein announced his retirement and he was replaced as Premier of Alberta by Ed Stelmach in 2006.
