View source for George Read (Alberta politician)

{{Short description|Canadian politician}}
{{For|the 19th century politician|George Read (Ontario politician)}}
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[[Image:George Read.jpg|thumb|George Read speaking at a Canadians For Kyoto rally in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, on March 11, 2007.]]
'''George Read''', is a Canadian politician, who was the former leader of the [[Alberta Greens]] and formerly a key organizer for the federal [[Green Party of Canada]] (GPC) in [[Alberta]].

== Green Party organizing ==

Read led the provincial and federal Green Parties in Alberta during a period (what period) of growth in support for the parties. Prior to his involvement, the Green Party remained well below 1% of the vote in Alberta. (Source needed)

===Alberta Greens===

Read was elected leader of the [[Alberta Greens]] at the provincial convention held in [[Red Deer, Alberta|Red Deer]] on November 1, 2003.  Read won the position against incumbent David Parker.<ref>Alberta Greens Newsletter 2003 http://www.davidcrowe.ca/Green/Newsletter/GreeNews2003-3.pdf</ref>

===Green Party of Canada===
Read brought together organizers for the [[Green Party of Canada]] who recruited the first [[full slate]] of Green candidates in Alberta for the [[2004 Canadian federal election|2004 federal election]].

In that election, the Green Party of Canada received a higher percentage of votes in Alberta than in other provinces: the party won 6.3% of the popular vote in the province, and approximately 10% in the ridings of [[Calgary Centre-North]] (third highest Green vote percentage in Canada) and [[Calgary South Centre]] (fourth highest in Canada). Some commentators{{Citation needed|date=May 2007}} ascribed this to the relatively weak position of the [[Liberal Party of Canada]] and [[New Democratic Party of Canada|New Democratic Party]] in Alberta.

Read was the National campaign manager of the Green Party of Canada for the 2006 Federal election.<ref>Green Party of Canada resignation press release https://greenparty.ca/releases/02.22.2007 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120914182942/http://www.greenparty.ca/releases/02.22.2007 |date=2012-09-14 }}</ref>

Read participated in a committee to decide staff changes in the GPC as of November 2006. One of the positions it would decide would be the National Campaign Manager.

== Election campaigns ==

In June 2004, he ran for election as the Green Party of Canada candidate in the federal riding of [[Calgary Southeast]], finishing just behind the NDP candidate.

He ran for the provincial Greens in the [[Calgary-Egmont]] riding in the [[2004 Alberta general election|2004 Alberta provincial election]]. Finishing just behind the [[Alberta Alliance Party|Alberta Alliance]] and ahead of the NDP.

He was the Alberta Greens candidate in the June 12, 2007, by-election for the riding of [[Calgary Elbow]].<ref>Report on the 2007 Alberta By-elections http://www.elections.ab.ca/Public%20Website/files/Documents/2007_By-Election_Report.pdf</ref>

Read was the leader of the Alberta Greens in the Mar 3rd 2008 provincial election. He ran in the riding of Calgary Northwest and received 4.95% of the vote. The Alberta Greens moved from 2.8% of the vote in 2004 to 4.6% of the vote in 2008 under Reads Leadership.

The Alberta Greens ran 79 candidates in 2008 up from 49 candidates in 2004.<ref>Information from www.elections.ab.ca under election results. {{cite web |url=http://results.elections.ab.ca/wtResults.htm |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2009-07-31 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090503103502/http://results.elections.ab.ca/wtResults.htm |archivedate=2009-05-03 }}</ref>

===Partial electoral history===
{{2007 Alberta provincial by-elections/Calgary-Elbow}}

== Personal history ==

Read was born and raised Feb 29, 1972<ref>{{cite web |url=http://leapyearday.com/Everything%202009/METRO_CALGARY_March1st_2009.htm |title=30 Days Hath |accessdate=2009-07-31 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713193354/http://leapyearday.com/Everything%202009/METRO_CALGARY_March1st_2009.htm |archivedate=2011-07-13 }}</ref> in [[Calgary]], [[Alberta]], Canada.

As a youth, he was a member of [[Scouts Canada]], which he credits with giving him a love of the outdoors.{{Citation needed|date=May 2007}}

He graduated with a [[Bachelor of Arts]] in [[Political Science]]/[[Management]] from the [[University of Calgary]].<ref>Calgary Herald July 31, 2009 http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/features/albertavotes/news/story.html?id=6e1c5590-6081-4012-8af2-acbef0aeeedf {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080609052220/http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/features/albertavotes/news/story.html?id=6e1c5590-6081-4012-8af2-acbef0aeeedf |date=2008-06-09 }}</ref>

He has also been active for many years with the [[Sierra Club of Canada]], in Calgary.<ref>Sierra Club Chinook Group {{cite web |url=http://www.sierraclub.ca/prairie/new/content/about_us.htm |title=Sierra Club of/Du Canada Prairie Chapter |accessdate=2009-07-31 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20080107232828/http://www.sierraclub.ca/prairie/new/content/about_us.htm |archivedate=2008-01-07 }}</ref>

== See also ==
*[[List of Green party leaders in Canada]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons|George Read (Canadian politician)}}

* [http://www.albertagreens.ca/ Alberta Greens website]

{{S-start}}
{{s-ppo}}
{{Succession box
|before=[[David J. Parker|David Parker]]
|title=Leader of the [[Alberta Greens]]
|years=2003 - 2008
|after=[[Joe Anglin]]|
}}
{{S-end}}

{{GPC}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Read, George}}
[[Category:Alberta Greens candidates in Alberta provincial elections]]
[[Category:Politicians from Calgary]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Leaders of the Alberta Greens]]