Peter Elzinga
Honorific prefixThe Honourable
Birth dateApril 6, 1944
Birth placeEdmonton, Alberta, Canada
Death dateNovember 8, 2023 (aged 79)
Death placeEdmonton, Alberta, Canada
Constituency mpPembina
ParliamentCanadian
Term start1974
Term end1986
PredecessorDaniel Hollands
SuccessorWalter van de Walle
Office 2Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for Sherwood Park
Term start 2May 8, 1986
Term end 2June 14, 1993
Predecessor 2Riding established
Successor 2Bruce Collingwood
Office 3Alberta Minister of Agriculture
Term start 3May 26, 1986
Term end 3April 13, 1989
Predecessor 3LeRoy Fjordbotten
Successor 3Ernie Isley
Premier 3Don Getty
Office 4Alberta Minister of Economic Development and Trade
Term start 4April 14, 1989
Term end 4December 14, 1992
Predecessor 4Larry Shaben
Successor 4Donald H. Sparrow
Premier 4Don Getty
Office 5Deputy Premier of Alberta
Term start 5December 15, 1992
Term end 5June 29, 1993
Predecessor 5Jim Horsman
Successor 5Ken Kowalski
Premier 5Ralph Klein
Office 6Alberta Minister of Federal and Intergovernmental Affairs
Term start 6December 15, 1992
Term end 6June 29, 1993
Predecessor 6Jim Horsman
Successor 6Ralph Klein
Premier 6Ralph Klein
PartyProgressive Conservative Association of Alberta
Other partyProgressive Conservative Party of Canada

Peter Elzinga (April 6, 1944 – November 8, 2023) was a Canadian politician. He was the executive director of the Alberta's Progressive Conservative Party, a member of Parliament, and cabinet minister in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.[1]

Elzinga was born in Edmonton, the son of Susan Laanstra and Peter Elzinga.[2] A farmer and rancher by training, Elzinga was first elected to the House of Commons as the Progressive Conservative in the 1974 federal election representing Pembina.[3] He served as president of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1986 and was chair of the 1983 PC leadership convention.[1]

Elzinga resigned his seat in the House of Commons to run in the 1986 Alberta provincial election. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta as the member for Sherwood Park and joined the cabinet of Don Getty as minister of agriculture. In April 1989, he became minister of economic development and trade, a post he held until December 1992.[4]

Elzinga co-chaired Ralph Klein's successful bid to win the leadership of the Alberta PC Party in 1992, and subsequently became deputy premier and minister of federal and intergovernmental affairs.[4] Elzinga did not run for re-election in 1993 provincial election. He chaired the PC Party's election campaign that year, and the subsequent campaigns in the 1997, 2001 and 2004 provincial elections. Elzinga returned from the private sector to serve as Klein's chief of staff from 1998 to 2004.[1]

In 2018, Elzinga joined Atlas Growers as Chairman of the Board of Directors.[5]

Elzinga died on November 8, 2023, at the age of 79.[1]

References

  1. ^ "Peter Elzinga". www.arbormemorial.ca. Archived November 15, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  2. ^ "Guide Parlementaire Canadien". 1989.
  3. ^ Sayers, Anthony (2017). "Peter Elzinga". canadianelectionsdatabase.ca. Archived October 7, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  4. ^ "Member Information". Legislative Assembly of Alberta. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  5. ^ "Peter Elzinga appointed Board Chair of Atlas Growers" (Press release). Todayville Edmonton. May 15, 2018. Archived November 16, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 17, 2023.