Appointed by Brian Mulroney Education University of Alberta Name Ron Ghitter | Preceded by New District Preceded by Stanley Waters Succeeded by Tommy Banks | |
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Born August 22, 1935 (age 88)
Calgary, Alberta ( 1935-08-22 ) Political party Progressive Conservative Party of Canada | ||
Ronald D. Ghitter (born August 22, 1935) is a Canadian lawyer and former Senator.
Life and career
Born in Calgary, Alberta, he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1956 and his Bachelor of Law degree in 1959 from the University of Alberta. He practised real estate law in Calgary. From 1986 to 1988, he was Executive Vice President of Development at Trizec Corporation.
He was first elected in the 1971 Alberta general election defeating popular Calgary Stampeders star Don Luzzi from the Alberta Social Credit Party in a very tight race. He served two terms as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for the electoral district of Calgary-Buffalo until 1979.
Following revelations that James Keegstra, an Eckville school teacher, had taught his students anti-semitic propaganda, Ghitter headed a committee investigating issues of tolerance and understanding within the educational system. This committee released a report to the government in 1984.
Ghitter re-entered politics in 1985 to run for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party but came in third losing to Don Getty.
He was appointed to the Senate in 1993 representing the senatorial division of Alberta. From 1996 to 1999, he was the Chair of the Senate Standing Committee of Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources. Sitting as a Progressive Conservative, he resigned in 2000.
In 1990, he was awarded the Alberta Human Rights Award.