Nicholas Taylor
Nicholas William "Nick" Taylor (born November 17, 1927) is a geologist, businessman and politician from Alberta, Canada.
Nick Taylor | |
|---|---|
| Senator from Alberta (Bon Accord, Sturgeon) | |
| In office March 7, 1996 – November 17, 2002 | |
| Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta | |
| In office 1986–1996 | |
| Constituency | Westlock-Sturgeon (1986–93) Redwater (1993–96) |
| Leader of the Alberta Liberal Party | |
| In office 1974–1988 | |
| Preceded by | Robert Russell |
| Succeeded by | Laurence Decore |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Nicholas William Taylor November 17, 1927 Bow Island, Alberta, Canada |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Spouse(s) | Margaret Davies (m. 1949) |
| Children | nine[1] |
| Alma mater | University of Alberta[2] |
| Profession | Businessman, geologist, engineer |
Political career
Taylor started his political career by running in the 1968 and 1972 federal elections in Calgary Centre as a member of the Liberal Party of Canada. He was defeated both times. Taylor served as leader of the Alberta Liberal Party from 1974 to 1988. At the beginning of his leadership, the party was at its lowest point in history. The last Liberal to serve in the Alberta Legislative Assembly, Bill Dickie of Calgary Glenmore, had crossed the floor to the Progressive Conservatives in 1969.
Taylor slowly rebuilt the party in the face of the federal Liberal government's unpopularity in Alberta and its implementation of such programs as the National Energy Program. In the 1986 Alberta general election, the Liberals made a breakthrough by winning four seats. Taylor himself was elected by over 500 votes in the newly created northern Alberta riding of Westlock-Sturgeon; he was re-elected there in 1989. In 1993, Taylor was elected by 1700 votes in the newly created riding of Redwater against incumbent PC MLA Steve Zarusky.[3]
Taylor was appointed to the Senate of Canada by Jean Chrétien in 1996 and served there until 2002. While in the Senate, Taylor was criticized by Democracy Watch for a conflict of interest while chairing a committee.
Electoral record
Federal elections
| 1968 Canadian federal election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||||
| Progressive Conservative | Douglas Harkness | 16,977 | 47.07 | |||||
| Liberal | Nicholas Taylor | 16,676 | 46.24 | |||||
| New Democratic | Margaret Jackson | 2,413 | 6.69 | |||||
| Total | 36,066 | 100.00 | ||||||
| 1972 Canadian federal election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Harvie Andre | 22,669 | 53.30 | +6.23 | ||||
| Liberal | Nick Taylor | 13,110 | 30.82 | -15.42 | ||||
| New Democratic | David Jones | 5,538 | 13.02 | +6.33 | ||||
| Social Credit | Clifford Willmott | 1,081 | 2.54 | * | ||||
| No affiliation | Frank Cottingham | 80 | 0.19 | * | ||||
| No affiliation | Colin Constant | 53 | 0.12 | * | ||||
| Total | 42,531 | 100.00 | ||||||
Provincial elections
| Alberta provincial by-election, November 21, 1979: Barrhead Following the resignation of Dr. Hugh Horner on October 1, 1979 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Ken Kowalski | 2,457 | 38.74 | -23.55 | ||||
| Liberal | Nicholas Taylor | 2,102 | 33.14 | +31.31 | ||||
| Social Credit | David Bouyea | 1,067 | 16.82 | -5.49 | ||||
| New Democratic | Arlington Corbett | 716 | 11.29 | -2.27 | ||||
| Total valid votes | 6,342 | – | – | |||||
| Rejected, spoiled, and declined | – | – | – | |||||
| Eligible voters / Turnout | 11409 | 55.59 | -13.39 | |||||
| Progressive Conservative hold | Swing | -27.43 | ||||||
Source(s)
Elections Alberta. "By-elections". Retrieved January 22, 2018. | ||||||||
| 1982 Alberta general election: Barrhead | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Ken Kowalski | 5,001 | 51.44% | -10.85% | ||||
| Liberal | Nicholas Taylor | 3,331 | 34.26% | 32.43% | ||||
| Western Canada Concept | John Thomas Mitchell | 633 | 6.51% | – | ||||
| New Democratic | Harold Wharton | 478 | 4.92% | -8.65% | ||||
| Social Credit | Shirley Bassani | 240 | 2.47% | -19.84% | ||||
| Reform | Ernie Charman | 39 | 0.40% | – | ||||
| Total | 9,722 | – | – | |||||
| Rejected, Spoiled and Declined | 13 | – | – | |||||
| Eligible electors / Turnout | 12,226 | 79.63% | – | |||||
| Progressive Conservative hold | Swing | -11.40% | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: "Barrhead Official Results 1982 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. | ||||||||
| 1986 Alberta general election: Westlock-Sturgeon | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Nicholas Taylor | 4,523 | 38.95% | – | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Lawrence Kluthe | 4,049 | 34.87% | – | ||||
| New Democratic | Bruce Lennon | 1,996 | 17.19% | – | ||||
| Representative | Tom Carleton | 911 | 7.84% | – | ||||
| Confederation of Regions | Adam Hauch | 78 | 0.67% | – | ||||
| Communist | Laurent St. Denis | 29 | 0.25% | – | ||||
| Heritage | Stan Pearson | 25 | 0.22% | – | ||||
| Total valid votes | 11,611 | – | – | |||||
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | 12 | – | – | |||||
| Registered electors / Turnout | 18,572 | 62.58% | – | |||||
| Liberal pickup new district. | ||||||||
Source(s)
Source: "Westlock-Sturgeon Official Results 1986 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. | ||||||||
| 1989 Alberta general election: Westlock-Sturgeon | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Nicholas Taylor | 5,401 | 44.80% | +5.85% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Leo Seguin | 4,958 | 41.13% | +6.26% | ||||
| New Democratic | Tom Turner | 1,696 | 14.07% | -3.12% | ||||
| Total valid votes | 12,055 | – | – | |||||
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | 15 | – | – | |||||
| Registered electors / Turnout | 19,662 | 61.38% | -1.20% | |||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | -0.21% | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: "Westlock-Sturgeon Official Results 1989 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. | ||||||||
| 1993 Alberta general election: Redwater | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | %[4] | |||||
| Liberal | Nicholas Taylor | 6,429 | 51.38% | |||||
| Progressive Conservative | Steve Zarusky | 4,582 | 36.62% | |||||
| New Democratic | Robert Tomkins | 1,306 | 10.44% | |||||
| Natural Law | Geoff Toane | 196 | 1.57% | |||||
| Total valid votes | 12,513 | |||||||
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | 22 | |||||||
| Registered electors / Turnout | 19,775 | 63.39% | ||||||
| Liberal pickup new district. | ||||||||
References
- "Redwater 1993 election results". Alberta Heritage Foundation. Archived from the original on June 12, 2011. Retrieved May 10, 2008.
- "Results for Westlock-Sturgeon". Heritage Community Foundation. Archived from the original on December 8, 2010. Retrieved January 20, 2017.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
External links
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Robert Russell |
Leader of the Alberta Liberal Party 1974–1988 |
Succeeded by Laurence Decore |
| Legislative Assembly of Alberta | ||
| Preceded by New District |
MLA Westlock-Sturgeon 1986–1993 |
Succeeded by District Abolished |
| Preceded by Michael Senych |
MLA Redwater 1993–1996 |
Succeeded by Mary Anne Balsillie |