- Neil Brown (Canadian politician)
-
Neil Brown 
MLA for Calgary-Nose Hill Incumbent Assumed office
November 22, 2004Preceded by New district Personal details Born 1947/1948 (age 63–64)[1]
Calgary, AlbertaPolitical party Progressive Conservative Residence Calgary, Alberta Alma mater University of Calgary
University of Alaska
McGill UniversityDr. Neil Brown is a lawyer, biologist, Canadian politician and current Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, representing the constituency of Calgary-Nose Hill as a Progressive Conservative.
Contents
Early life
Brown was born in Calgary, and earned a Bachelor of Science in biology from the University of Calgary in 1971. He subsequently earned a Master of Science in zoology from the University of Alaska in 1974 and a Ph.D. in biology from McGill University in 1977. He worked as an assistant professor of biology at Trent University before returning to the University of Calgary to earn his Bachelor of Laws, which he received in 1982. He worked for McLaws and Company (now Parlee McLaws LLP) in civil litigation before opening his own practice in 1987.[2]
Political career
Brown first sought election in the 2004 provincial election, when he ran as the Progressive Conservative candidate in the newly-formed Calgary-Nose Hill. He defeated his closest challenger, Liberal Len Borowski, by more than 1,500 votes.[3] During his first term, in addition to his responsibilities as an MLA, Brown served as chair of both the Private Bills Committee and the Conflicts of Interest Act Review Committee. He was also a member of the Cabinet Policy Committee on Resources and the Environment, the Standing Committee on Government Services, the MLA Committee on AISH Review, the MLA Committee on Métis Harvesting, the Agenda and Priorities Committee, the Public Accounts Committee, and the Legislative Review Committee. He also served as chair of the Alberta Forestry Research Institute.[2]
Brown faced Borowski again in the 2008 election, and defeated him by a similar margin.[4]
Currently, in addition to his duties as MLA for Calgary-Nose Hill, Brown serves as chair of the Private Bills Committee and is a member of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and Services. He also holds the position of chair of the Cabinet Policy Committee on Public Safety and Servies with Responsibilities to the departments of Executive Council, Treasury Board, Justice, Aboriginal Relations, Solicitor General and Public Security, and Service Alberta.[2]
Legislative initiatives
Although he has never been a cabinet minister, Brown has sponsored a large number of government bills, all of which have passed through the legislature.[5][6][7] The Business Corporations Amendment Act was a 2005 bill that made a variety of changes to the management of corporations domiciled in Alberta, including prohibiting accountants who owned shares in a corporation from acting as its auditor.[8] Liberals Mo Elsalhy, Harry B. Chase, and Dan Backs spoke in support of the bill, although New Democrat Raj Pannu expressed concern that a provision that created unlimited liability corporations would flood Alberta with de facto American corporations that were registered in Alberta but did their business elsewhere.[9][10] This bill was followed by the Business Corporations Amendment Act (No. 2), which provided protection for minority shareholders in the event that a corporation was converted to unlimited liability over opposition, and which clarified the period during which former shareholders in unlimited liability corporations remained liable.[11] It passed with Liberal support, although Pannu expressed concern that the new protections were not sufficient.[11][12] Also in 2005, Brown sponsored the Employment Pension Plans Amendment Act, which implemented uncontroversial changes to the regulation of private pensions and which received support from all parties.[13]
Brown sponsored two government bills in 2006.[6] The Persons with Developmental Disabilities Community Governance Amendment Act dissolved the Persons with Developmental Disabilities Provincial Board and transferred its authority to the Minister of Seniors and Community Supports, while expanding the authority of the six regional boards.[14] MLAs from all parties, including Liberals Bharat Agnihotri, Hugh MacDonald, and Bridget Pastoor, Alberta Alliance leader Paul Hinman, and New Democrats Ray Martin, Brian Mason, and Raj Pannu, supported the bill.[14][15] The Health Information Amendment Act made a number of changes to the conditions under which health information would be disclosed, including preventing the automatic reporting of private information to American authorities under the PATRIOT Act.[16] New Democrats Pannu and David Eggen and Liberals Elsalhy, Pastoor, and Bruce Miller spoke in favour of the bill, although Liberal Laurie Blakeman expressed reservations that the content of the bill didn't reflect the recommendations of the legislature's special committee whose work led to the bill.[16][17][18]
In 2007, Brown sponsored one of the new Ed Stelmach government's flagship pieces of legislation, the Conflicts of Interest Amendment Act, which lengthened the cooling off period during which cabinet ministers and other high-ranking members of government to engage in certain activities after leaving the government's employment.[19][20] It also placed a requirement on MLAs that they report any personal litigation in which they were engaged, and was supported by all parties.[21][22][23] The same year he sponsored the Limitation Statutes Amendment Act, which was also supported by the opposition and which amended Alberta's statute of limitations for some civil matters.[24] [25] Finally, Brown sponsored the Appeal Procedures Statutes Amendment Act. This bill made some amendments to the procedures of the Alberta Court of Appeal.[26] It was supported by Liberals Elsalhy and Maurice Tougas, but Pannu expressed some concern with a provision that would have made the keeping of transcripts of procedures discretionary.[26][27]
Personal life
Brown has made a number of notable contributions to the public sector; he served on the Board of Governors and Senate of The University of Calgary, was Past-president of the Alumni Association of The University of Calgary, and was member of Student Legal Aid at The University of Calgary. He also held the titles of Vice-president and chair of his Community Association, Associate (voting) member of the Royal Canadian Legion for over 25 years, Director of the Midnapore Church of England Society (historic site), and Lecturer at the Historic Calgary Week of Chinook Country Historical Society. Brown also volunteered with the Booster Club of Thorncliffe-Greenview Community Association and canvassed for the Canadian Cancer Society, the Kidney Foundation, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, and the Alberta Lung Association.[2]
In recognition of his commendable work, he has received a number of prestigious awards and honours including: National Research Council of Canada Scholar, National Sciences and Engineering Research Council grant, Chief Justice McGillivray Shield (University of Calgary, Faculty of Law), President’s Citation (University of Calgary Students’ Union), Award of Merit Honoree (Alumni Association of the University of Calgary), Canada 125 Medal for Service to Community and Canada, and the Alberta Centennial medal for outstanding service to Alberta.[2]
Brown is unmarried and has no children.[28] In his spare time, he enjoys various activities such as curling, canoeing, hunting, and fishing, in addition to creative writing, reading, and traveling.[2] He identifies John A. Macdonald and Winston Churchill as his political heroes.[28]
Election results
2008 Alberta general election results ( Calgary-Nose Hill ) Turnout 35.2% Affiliation Candidate Votes % Progressive Conservative Neil Brown 4,584 49.3% Liberal Len Borowski 2,759 29.7% Wildrose Alliance John Murdoch 954 10.3% Green Nick Burman 613 6.6% NDP Tristan Ridley 388 4.2% 2004 Alberta general election results ( Calgary-Nose Hill ) Turnout 39.6% Affiliation Candidate Votes % Progressive Conservative Neil Brown 4,372 47.0% Liberal Len Borowski 2,607 28.0% Alberta Alliance Bill McGregor 1,009 10.8% Green John Johnson 583 6.3% NDP Dick Huysman 549 5.9% Social Credit Raymond (Chick) Hurst 180 1.9% References
- ^ http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=224cda35-ecac-417e-be51-5b40cfad679a
- ^ a b c d e f "Brown's Legislative Assembly of Alberta biography". http://www.assembly.ab.ca/net/index.aspx?p=mla_bio&rnumber=21.
- ^ "2004 Alberta provincial election results, Calgary-Nose Hill" (PDF). http://elections.ab.ca/Public_Website/files/Statements/21.pdf. Retrieved 2008-03-28.[dead link]
- ^ "Alberta 2008 provincial election results, Calgary-Nose Hill". http://results.elections.ab.ca/21.htm. Retrieved 2008-04-07.[dead link]
- ^ "Bill Status Report for the 26th Legislature - 1st Session (2005)". http://www.assembly.ab.ca/pro/bills/s-bill05.htm. Retrieved 2008-04-14.
- ^ a b "Bill Status Report for the 26th Legislature - 2nd Session (2006)". http://www.assembly.ab.ca/pro/bills/s-bill06.htm. Retrieved 2008-04-14.
- ^ "Bill Status Report for the 26th Legislature - 4th Session (2007)". http://www.assembly.ab.ca/pro/bills/s-bill07.htm. Retrieved 2008-04-14.
- ^ Parliamentary Debates (PDF), Legislative Assembly of Alberta, March 23, 2005.
- ^ Parliamentary Debates (PDF), Legislative Assembly of Alberta, April 11, 2005.
- ^ Parliamentary Debates (PDF), Legislative Assembly of Alberta, May 2, 2005.
- ^ a b Parliamentary Debates (PDF), Legislative Assembly of Alberta, November 28, 2005.
- ^ Parliamentary Debates (PDF), Legislative Assembly of Alberta, November 30, 2005.
- ^ Parliamentary Debates (PDF), Legislative Assembly of Alberta, May 17, 2005.
- ^ a b Parliamentary Debates (PDF), Legislative Assembly of Alberta, April 24, 2006.
- ^ Parliamentary Debates (PDF), Legislative Assembly of Alberta, May 11, 2006.
- ^ a b Parliamentary Debates (PDF), Legislative Assembly of Alberta, April 25, 2006.
- ^ Parliamentary Debates (PDF), Legislative Assembly of Alberta, May 3, 2006.
- ^ Parliamentary Debates (PDF), Legislative Assembly of Alberta, May 16, 2006.
- ^ Fedio, Chloé (October 31, 2007). "It’s bills, bills, bills (oh, and royalties, of course) as Legislature gets set to resume". Vue Weekly. http://www.vueweekly.com/article.php?id=7235. Retrieved 2008-04-14.
- ^ "Alberta to tighten conflict-of-interest rules for top bureaucrats, legislators". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. April 19, 2007. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2007/04/19/conflict-rules.html. Retrieved 2008-04-14.
- ^ Parliamentary Debates (PDF), Legislative Assembly of Alberta, May 2, 2007.
- ^ Parliamentary Debates (PDF), Legislative Assembly of Alberta, May 9, 2007.
- ^ Parliamentary Debates (PDF), Legislative Assembly of Alberta, December 4, 2007.
- ^ Parliamentary Debates (PDF), Legislative Assembly of Alberta, April 11, 2007.
- ^ Parliamentary Debates (PDF), Legislative Assembly of Alberta, June 14, 2007.
- ^ a b Parliamentary Debates (PDF), Legislative Assembly of Alberta, April 17, 2007.
- ^ Parliamentary Debates (PDF), Legislative Assembly of Alberta, April 18, 2007.
- ^ a b "Calgary candidate profiles, Alberta election 2008". Calgary Sun. Archived from the original on 2008-03-04. http://web.archive.org/web/20080304160950/http://www.calgarysun.com/election/candidates.html. Retrieved 2008-04-16.
Categories:- Living people
- Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta MLAs
- University of Calgary alumni
- McGill University alumni
- University of Alaska Fairbanks alumni
- Trent University faculty
- Canadian biologists
- Lawyers in Alberta
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