Albertan given senate seat
Posted Jan 6, 2012 3:57 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has appointed seven new senators to the upper chamber, including Alberta’s Betty Unger, who will become the first female elected senator.
Unger joins Bert Brown as the only two elected senators after the 2004 provincial election where Albertans could vote for senators.
Duane Bratt, political scientist at Mount Royal University says the appointment of the registered nurse comes as no surprise.
“The decision making around Alberta was very straight forward compared to these other ones. It was based on who had won the stand by elections.”
He adds the Prime Minister is putting actions to his words, wanting an elected senate.
Unger is from Sexsmith, in northern Alberta and moved to Edmonton to study nursing and has lived there since. She has two grown children and two grandsons.
Her appointment is effective immediately.
Other notable senate appointments are Ottawa Police Chief Vern White, and former Tory MP Norman Doyle who will represent Newfound and Labrador.
