Preceded by Michael Clark Preceded by Alfred Hooke Name Alfred Speakman Died November 4, 1943 Residence Red Deer, Canada | Constituency Red Deer Constituency Red Deer Role Politician Party United Farmers of Alberta Succeeded by Eric Joseph Poole | |
Political party United Farmers of Alberta | ||
Alfred Speakman (August 24, 1880 – November 4, 1943) was a politician from Alberta, Canada.
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Federal political career
Speakman was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in a landslide victory in the 1921 Canadian federal election as a United Farmers of Alberta Member of Parliament for Red Deer.
He would go on to be re-elected to 4 terms in office before his defeat in the 1935 Canadian federal election, in that election he ran under the Cooperative Commonwealth banner instead of the United Farmers banner. He was defeated by Social Credit candidate Eric Joseph Poole and finished that election a distant 3rd place.
Provincial political career
Speakman was instrumental in helping the Unity Movement in Alberta take off to unite Alberta's opposition parties and oppose the Social Credit government. On October 12, 1937 Speakman used his background as a long serving Member of Parliament to bring delegates from the United Farmers, Conservatives, Liberals and some disillusioned Social Crediters to a conference in Red Deer that would help bring the Unity coalition together.
Speakman ran as an Independent in Red Deer in the 1940 Alberta general election and was elected with a comfortable vote margin after ballot transfers. Speakman served as an Independent in the Unity caucus until his death in 1943.
Speakman would briefly serve as Leader of the Official Opposition in Alberta in 1942.