Fonds MS-722 - Brian Mason fonds

Brian Mason moved to Edmonton in 1975 to study political science at the University of Alberta. During the late 1970s, Mason became heavily involved in student government by first being elected as Executive Vice-President of the U of A's Students Union from 1975 to 1977, and then taking the position of Executive Director of the Alberta Federation of Students from 1977 to 1979. After leaving student politics, Mason took a job with the Edmonton Transit System as a bus driver in 1981. Mason re-entered politics in 1989. Interested in pursuing a position on Edmonton city council, Mason launched a legal challenge to a provincial law that required municipal employees to resign their positions to run as council candidates. His challenge was unsuccessful, but Mason nonetheless pursued his political ambitions and was elected in October of that year as a city councillor for Ward 3 in Edmonton. The law he challenged was repealed shortly after the election.
Mason remained on city council for 11 years, winning an additional three civic election, and as a councellor, Mason gained a reputation as a tough vocal representative for his consituents. In 2000, Mason ran provincially in the Edmonton-Highlands by-election and easily held the legislature seat left vacant by Pam Barrett for the New Democrats. He was re-elected in the general election held on March 12, 2001. During his tenure as an MLA, Mason's supporters have credited him for bringing issues such as energy deregulation, high automobile insurance rates, education funding and treatment of senior citizens to the forefront of Alberta politics. When his sole ND colleague in the legislature, Raj Pannu resigned as party leader in July 2004, Mason was appointed to the role of interim leader. Mason was formally elected leader of the New Democrats at a leadership convention in Edmonton on September 18, 2004.