Brandy Payne (born 1978) is a Canadian politician elected in the
2015 Alberta general election
The 2015 Alberta general election was held on May 5, 2015, following a request of Premier Jim Prentice to the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Donald Ethell to dissolve the Legislative Assembly on April 7, 2015. This election elected members to th ...
to the
Legislative Assembly of Alberta
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is the deliberative assembly of the province of Alberta, Canada. It sits in the Alberta Legislature Building in Edmonton. The Legislative Assembly currently has 87 members, elected first past the post from singl ...
representing the
electoral district
An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other polity ...
of
Calgary-Acadia
Calgary-Acadia is a current provincial electoral district in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Created in 2010, the district is one of 87 districts mandated to return a single member (MLA) to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta using the first past ...
. On February 2, 2016, Payne was appointed Associate Minister of Health, assigned with implementing the recommendations of mental health review and the growing opioid crisis.
Background
Payne earned a journalism degree from
Carleton University
Carleton University is an English-language public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1942 as Carleton College, the institution originally operated as a private, non-denominational evening college to serve returning World ...
, where she graduated with high honours. She also attended
Mount Royal University
Mount Royal University (MRU) is a public university in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
History
Mount Royal University was founded by Alberta provincial charter by the Arthur Sifton government on December 16, 1910 and officially opened on September 8 ...
with a focus on Project Management. Prior to her election, Payne worked in administrative and management capacities for over 15 years, and as owner and operator of her own yoga business since 2010.
In the 2015 election, Payne beat former Tory cabinet minister
Jonathan Denis
Jonathan Brian Denis, (born September 22, 1975) is a Canadian politician and lawyer. On May 9, 2012, he was named Solicitor General, Attorney General, and Minister of Justice for the province of Alberta. He represented the constituency of Calga ...
, despite being outspent $79,171 to $240 during the campaign.
Prior to her cabinet appointment, Payne served as deputy chair of the Select Special Ethics and Accountability Committee. She is also a past member of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts and the Standing Committee on Families and Communities.
Payne joined
Stephanie McLean as the first pregnant women in Alberta to hold cabinet posts. She and her husband, Scott, are raising two young daughters.
On March 29, 2018, Payne announced that she would not be seek re-election in 2019.
References
1978 births
Alberta New Democratic Party MLAs
Businesspeople from Calgary
Living people
Members of the Executive Council of Alberta
Politicians from Calgary
Women government ministers of Canada
Women MLAs in Alberta
21st-century Canadian politicians
21st-century Canadian women politicians
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