Bud Olson

Horace Andrew (Bud) Olson, PC, AOE (October 6, 1925 – February 14, 2002) was a Canadian Member of Parliament, Senator, rancher and farmer. He also owned a general store and a farm supply business; and served as Canada's minister of agriculture and Alberta's lieutenant-governor.

Early life

Born in Iddesleigh, Alberta on October 6, 1925. On January 27, 1947, he married Marion Lucille McLachlan. They had four children: Sharon Lee, Andrea Lucille, Juanita Carol and Horace Andrew Jr.

Federal politics

Bud Olson was first elected to the House of Commons in the 1957 election as a Social Credit Member of Parliament (MP) from Medicine Hat. He was defeated in the Diefenbaker sweep of 1958, but re-elected in 1962, 1963 and 1965.

With the Social Credit Party's English Canadian wing rapidly disintegrating, Olson crossed the floor in 1967 to join the Liberal Party. Olson supported Pierre Trudeau's successful candidacy for the Liberal leadership in 1968, and became minister of agriculture in the first Trudeau government. Olson served in that position until he lost his seat in the 1972 general election. He was one of only four Liberal MPs elected from Alberta in 1968 - all of whom were defeated in 1972 due to Trudeau's increasing unpopularity in Western Canada, particularly Alberta.

Olson was unsuccessful in his attempt to return to Parliament in 1974, and in 1977, Trudeau appointed him to the Canadian Senate. Olson served as leader of the opposition in the Senate in 1979, and returned to Cabinet when the Trudeau Liberals returned to power in 1980.

He served as Minister of Economic and Regional Development from 1980 to 1984, as well as Leader of the Government in the Senate. As one of Trudeau's most powerful ministers, he chaired the cabinet committee on economic development from 1980 to 1983. He was also the minister responsible for the Northern Pipeline Agency from 1980 to 1984 ,and the government leader in the Senate from 1982 to 1984. It was also Olson's job to promote the government's unpopular National Energy Program in Alberta.

Late life

Olson ran for a seat in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta as a Alberta Liberal Party candidate in the 1986 Alberta general election. He ran in the Bow Valley electoral district but was defeated by Progressive Conservative incumbent Tom Musgrove.cite web|url=http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/database/maps_choice.asp?Year=1986&Constit=Bow_Valley|title=Bow Valley election results 1986|publisher=Alberta Heritage|accessdate=2008-04-28] Olson resigned from the Senate when he was appointed Alberta's 14th Lieutenant-Governor in April 1996. He served in that position until 2000.

Bud Olson died in Medicine Hat in 2002.

References

External links

*