View source for Brian Mason

{{Short description|Canadian politician}}
{{Other people}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix = [[The Honourable]]
| name             = Brian Mason
| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=CAN|ECA|size=100%}}
| image            = Brian-Mason-May-24-2015.jpg
| caption          = Mason in 2015
| office1          = [[List of Alberta provincial ministers#Minister of Transportation|Minister of Transportation]]{{efn|Office known as "Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation" from May 24, 2015 to October 17, 2017.}}
| premier1         = [[Rachel Notley]]
| term_start1      = May 24, 2015
| term_end1        = April 29, 2019
| predecessor1     = [[Wayne Drysdale]]
| successor1       = [[Ric McIver]]
| office2          = [[Alberta New Democratic Party#Party Leaders|Leader of the Alberta New Democratic Party]]
| term_start2      = July 13, 2004
| term_end2        = October 18, 2014<br />Interim: July 13, 2004 – September 18, 2004
| predecessor2     = [[Raj Pannu]]
| successor2       = [[Rachel Notley]]
| office3          = [[Member of the Legislative Assembly#Canada|Member]] of the<br />[[Legislative Assembly of Alberta]]<br />for [[Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood]]<br />{{small|([[Edmonton-Highlands]]; 2000–2004)}}
| term_start3      = June 12, 2000
| term_end3        = April 15, 2019
| predecessor3     = [[Pam Barrett]]
| successor3       = [[Janis Irwin]]
| birth_name       = Brian David Mason
| birth_date       = {{birth date and age|1953|10|12}}
| birth_place      = [[Calgary]], [[Alberta]], Canada
| death_date       =
| death_place      =
| party            = [[Alberta New Democratic Party]]
| spouse           = 
| children         = 
| alma_mater       = [[University of Alberta]]
| portfolio        = Minister of Infrastructure, Minister of Transportation
| profession       =
| occupation       = Politician, bus driver
}}

'''Brian David Mason''' {{post-nominals|country=CAN|ECA}} (born October 12, 1953) is a [[Canadians|Canadian]] [[politician]] who was leader of the [[Alberta New Democratic Party]] from 2004 to 2014 and served as the Minister of Transportation in [[Rachel Notley]]'s [[Executive Council of Alberta|NDP government]].<ref>"[http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/rachel-notley-sworn-in-as-alberta-premier-reveals-cabinet-1.3085645 Rachel Notley sworn in as Alberta premier, reveals cabinet]," ''CBC News'' May 24, 2015.</ref> He also served as the [[House Leader|Government House Leader]]. Mason was first elected as a Member of the [[Legislative Assembly of Alberta]] for the now-defunct riding of Edmonton Highlands in a 2000 byelection. He was subsequently re-elected, and was elected in [[Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood]] after the riding was created in 2004. He chose not to seek re-election in 2019, and was succeeded by [[Janis Irwin]]. Mason was the longest serving NDP MLA in Alberta history, with a political career spanning more than 20 years.<ref name=cbcres>{{cite news|title=Brian Mason resigns as leader of Alberta NDP|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/brian-mason-resigns-as-leader-of-alberta-ndp-1.2625717|accessdate=May 8, 2014|newspaper=CBC News|date=April 28, 2014}}</ref>

==Early political involvement==
Mason was born in Calgary in 1953,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://calgaryherald.com/Brian+Mason+step+down+Alberta+leader/9787553/story.html|title=Brian Mason to step down as Alberta NDP leader|work=Calgary Herald|date=April 29, 2014|access-date=June 10, 2024|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140601191654/http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Brian+Mason+step+down+Alberta+leader/9787553/story.html|archivedate=June 1, 2014}}</ref> the son of Robert George Mason, an electrical engineer, and a [[Red Tory]] who was a founding member of the [[Reform Party of Canada]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mason's political style marked by wit and passion during his years with the NDP |url=https://edmontonjournal.com/news/politics/masons-political-style-marked-by-wit-and-passion-during-his-years-with-the-ndp |website=Edmonton Journal|date=October 11, 2014|access-date=June 10, 2024}}</ref> Robert Mason, was also the stepson of Conservative Senator [[John Alexander Buchanan]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-03-30 |title=Margaret Dell Buchanan |url=https://womenbuildingalberta.wordpress.com/margaret-dell-buchanan-simpson/ |access-date=2024-02-14 |website=Women Building Alberta |language=en}}</ref> Mason's mother, Patricia Kavanagh was a [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]].<ref name="cbcres" />

Mason first became politically active in the mid-1970s while studying [[political science]] at the [[University of Alberta]]. He served as executive director of the Federation of Alberta Students from 1977 to 1979. While there he boarded at the traditionally Tory fraternity [[Phi Gamma Delta]] and was roommates with future [[Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta|Progressive Conservative]] Premier [[Dave Hancock]], who teased him by calling him a [[communist]].<ref name=masonpower>{{cite news|title=Brian Mason, former bus driver who led the Alberta NDP for a decade, poised to wield real power for the first time|url=https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/brian-mason-former-bus-driver-who-led-the-alberta-ndp-for-a-decade-poised-to-wield-real-power-for-the-first-time|accessdate=June 10, 2024|newspaper=National Post|date=May 23, 2015|author=Jen Gerson}}</ref> Upon leaving university Mason began working as bus driver with the [[Edmonton Transit Service]].<ref name=cbcres/>

==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.<ref name=masonpower/> He tried again for a seat on the council in 1989 with a dynamic campaign running in Ward 3. Mason's campaign came with a legal challenge he mounted against a provincial law forbidding municipal employees from running as candidates in a civic election unless they resigned their position with the city.<ref name=masonpower/>

The legal challenge was unsuccessful, however Mason was elected city councillor for Ward 3 in October 1989.<ref name=masonpower/> Shortly after the election the law Mason challenged was repealed, and municipal workers in Edmonton were subsequently allowed to run for civic office without resigning their positions. Mason remained on city council until 2000, when he ran for political office for the New Democratic Party.<ref name=notleypoliticalstar>{{cite web|last1=Cosh|first1=Colby|title=How Rachel Notley became Canada's most surprising political star|url=http://www.macleans.ca/politics/how-rachel-notley-became-canadas-most-surprising-political-star/|publisher=[[Maclean's]]|date=May 21, 2015|accessdate=May 22, 2015}}</ref>

==Provincial politics==
In 2000, following the mid-term resignation of then leader of the [[Alberta New Democratic Party|Alberta New Democrats]] and MLA for [[Edmonton Highlands-Norwood|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 Alberta general election|2001 provincial election]].<ref name=notleypoliticalstar/>

=== Alberta NDP Leader ===
Mason was appointed the role of interim party leader for the NDP following the resignation of then leader [[Raj Pannu]] in July 2004. He became the official leader of Alberta's NDP on September 18, 2004, following a vote at the party convention.

Mason held his seat during the [[2004 Alberta general election|provincial election in 2004]], which saw the caucus welcome the return of former leaders Pannu and [[Ray Martin (politician)|Ray Martin]], along with newcomer [[David Eggen]]. In the [[2008 Alberta general election|provincial election of 2008]] Mason again retained his seat, and was joined in caucus by newly elected NDP MLA  [[Rachel Notley]] from [[Edmonton-Strathcona (provincial electoral district)|Edmonton-Strathcona]], the seat previously held by Pannu.

In the [[2012 Alberta general election|2012 provincial election]] the NDP picked up two seats in Edmonton, regaining their previous four seat total. Both Notley and Mason safely held onto their seats while David Eggen was re-elected as the member for [[Edmonton-Calder]]. Newcomer [[Deron Bilous]] was also elected in [[Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview]], the seat formerly held by Martin. In many other ridings the party also won more votes than it had attained previously.<ref>{{cite web|title=NDP Leader Brian Mason glides to victory|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/ndp-leader-brian-mason-glides-to-victory-1.1137156|publisher=CBC News|access-date=April 24, 2012 |date=April 23, 2012}}</ref>

On April 29, 2014, Brian Mason announced that he would step down as leader as soon as a [[2014 Alberta New Democratic Party leadership election|leadership election]] could be held to choose his successor.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://globalnews.ca/news/1307350/alberta-ndp-to-pick-new-leader-in-edmonton/ |title=Alberta NDP to pick new leader in Edmonton |last=Bennett |first=Dean |work=The Canadian Press |publisher=Global News |date=May 2, 2014 |accessdate=May 4, 2014}}</ref> 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 Alberta general election|2015 provincial election]] under Mason's successor Notley that resulted in the formation of Alberta's first ever NDP government.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://metronews.ca/news/edmonton/1363359/alberta-ndp-insiders-says-path-rachel-notleys-history-victory-started-long-before-election-began/|title=Alberta NDP insiders say path to Rachel Notley's historic victory started long before election began|author=Ryan Tumilty|date=7 May 2015|accessdate=17 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150511004539/http://metronews.ca/news/edmonton/1363359/alberta-ndp-insiders-says-path-rachel-notleys-history-victory-started-long-before-election-began/|archive-date=11 May 2015|url-status = dead}}</ref>

=== Member of Notley cabinet ===
On May 24, 2015, Mason was appointed Minister of Infrastructure and Minister of Transportation, as well as Government House Leader.<ref name=masonpower/>

Mason announced on July 4, 2018 that he would not seek re-election in the [[2019 Alberta general election|2019 provincial election]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://edmontonjournal.com/news/politics/longtime-mla-brian-mason-farewells-party-faithful-at-ndp-convention|title=Longtime MLA Brian Mason farewells party faithful at NDP convention|website=Edmonton Journal|language=en-CA|access-date=2020-03-22}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/edmonton/article/after-nearly-30-years-in-politics-mla-brian-mason-retiring/|title=After nearly 30 years in politics, MLA Brian Mason retiring|date=2018-07-04|website=Edmonton|language=en|access-date=2020-03-22}}</ref> 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===
{{2000 Alberta provincial by-elections/Edmonton-Highlands}}

===2001 general election===
{{2001 Alberta general election/Edmonton-Highlands}}

===2004 general election===
{{2004 Alberta general election/Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood}}

===2008 general election===
{{2008 Alberta general election/Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood}}

===2012 general election===
{{2012 Alberta general election/Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood}}

===2015 general election===
{{2015 Alberta general election/Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood}}

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Brian Mason}}
* [http://www.ndpopposition.ab.ca/ Alberta NDP Opposition homepage (caucus)]
* [http://www.albertandp.ca/ Alberta NDP homepage (party)]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20051119180830/http://www.albertandp.ca/About_Brian_Mason.cfm Party info about Brian Mason]
* {{AlbertaMLAbio|ID=0706}}

{{Alberta NDP leaders}}

{{Notley Ministry}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mason, Brian}}
[[Category:1953 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Leaders of the Alberta CCF/NDP]]
[[Category:Alberta New Democratic Party MLAs]]
[[Category:Canadian people of Scottish descent]]
[[Category:Members of the Executive Council of Alberta]]
[[Category:Politicians from Calgary]]
[[Category:Bus drivers]]
[[Category:21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta]]