Rick Strankman

Rick Strankman
MLA
MLA for Drumheller-Stettler
Assumed office
2012
Preceded by Jack Hayden
Personal details
Born (1953-06-20) June 20, 1953
Oyen, Alberta
Political party Wildrose Party
Spouse(s) Dianne Strankman
Residence Altario, Alberta
Website rickstrankman.ca

Richard Strankman (born June 20, 1953) is a Canadian politician who is an elected member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta representing the electoral district of Drumheller-Stettler.[1]

In addition to serving on both the Standing Committee on Private Bills and the legislative policy committee on Alberta’s Economic Future, Strankman is the Tourism, Parks and Recreation critic for the Wildrose Party Official Opposition Caucus.[2]

Career

Strankman has owned and operated a farming business since 1973. From 1999 to 2011 he also volunteered as secretary/treasurer of the Western Barley Growers Association. Although initially interested in agriculture, Strankman became increasingly involved in politics and social activism in response to federal regulation of the agriculture industry, including legislation relating to the Canadian Wheat Board. His commitment to public service began early on and as a youth Strankman was honoured with the Queen’s scout award by Boy Scouts of Canada. Strankman also has a keen interest in aviation and has held a pilot’s licence and done aerial application since 1974.[2]

Strankman was jailed in 2002 after being charged under the Customs Act for taking 756 bushels of wheat across the U.S. border in protest of the Canadian Wheat Board's monopoly. Strankman and other farmers arrested received a pardon from Prime Minister Stephen Harper on August 1, 2012, when the federal government's Marketing Freedom for Grain Farmers Act came into effect,[3] which allowed producers to opt out of the Canadian Wheat Board and sell wheat on the open market.[4]

At a reunion with 12 of 13 farmers who had been jailed for taking wheat across the border, Strankman stood by his decision to participate in the act of civil disobedience. He served one week of a 180-day sentence.[5]

Electoral history

2012 general election

Alberta general election, 2012: Drumheller-Stettler
Party Candidate Votes%
WildroseRick Strankman 7,371 49.35
Progressive ConservativeJack Hayden 6,518 43.64
New DemocraticAditya "Adi" Rao 409 2.74
LiberalCam Roset 360 2.41
Alberta PartyAndrew Berdahl 279 1.87

2015 general election

Alberta general election, 2015
Party Candidate Votes%
WildroseRick Strankman 7,563 47.6
Progressive ConservativeJack Hayden 5,399 34.0
New DemocraticEmily Shannon 2,928 18.4

References


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 6/14/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.