- Pat Nelson
Patricia "Pat" Nelson née Black is a former provincial level politician from
Alberta ,Canada . She previously served as Minister of Finance and Member of the Legislative Assembly from 1989 to 2004.Political career
Black was elected to the
Legislative Assembly of Alberta for the first time in the 1989 Alberta general election. She won theCalgary Foothills electoral district in a hotly contested three way election holding it for the Progressive Conservatives. She won her second term in office in the 1993 Alberta general election winning her second term in a landslide. Nelson won her third term in office defeating former Calgary East MLAAlbert Ludwig and two other candidates by a large majority.cite web|url=http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/database/maps_choice.asp?Year=19&Constit=Calgary-Foothills| title=Calgary Foothills Official Results 1971-1997 Alberta general election | publisher=Alberta Heritage | accessdate=2008-03-08]Black married former
Calgary McCall MLAStan Nelson in February 1998 and changed her last name to Nelson.cite web|url=http://www.teachers.ab.ca/Albertas+Education+System/Eye+on+Education+in+Alberta/Education+Scan/1998/Apr/Members+of+the+Legislative+Assembly.htm|title=Members of the Legislative Assembly Education Scan|publisher=Alberta Teachers Association|accessdate=2008-03-13]Nelson ran for her fourth term in office winning a massive landslide defeating future Liberal MLA Harry Chase and another candidate.cite web|url=http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/database/maps_choice.asp?Year=2001&Constit=Calgary-Foothills| title=Calgary Foothills Official Results 2001 Alberta general election | publisher=Alberta Heritage | accessdate=2008-03-08]
During her years as finance minister for Premier
Ralph Klein Nelson oversaw the retirement of the Alberta provincial debt that had been created during the administrations ofPeter Lougheed andDon Getty . The retirement of the debt and positive economy allowed for her successors to set records in spending.cite web|url=http://www.eca.ca/articles/Nelson%20notes%20for%20CA%20net.htm|title=Alberta's Future Looks Strong, says Finance Minister | publisher=Entrepreneurial Chartered Accountants of Calgary|date=June 18 ,2003 |accessdate=2008-03-14]References
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