Nicholas Taylor

Nicholas William Nick Taylor (born November 17, 1927) is a geologist, businessman and politician from Alberta, Canada.Taylor started his political career by running in the 1968 and 1972 federal elections in Calgary Centre as a member of the Liberal Party of Canada. He was defeated both times.Taylor served as leader of the Alberta Liberal Party from 1974 to 1988. At the beginning of his leadership, the party was at its lowest point in history. The last Liberal to serve in the Alberta Legislative Assembly, Bill Dickie of Calgary Glenmore, had crossed the floor to the Progressive Conservatives in 1969.Taylor slowly rebuilt the party in the face of the federal Liberal governments unpopularity in Alberta and its implementation of such programs as the National Energy Program. In the 1986 Alberta general election, the Liberals made a breakthrough by winning four seats. Taylor himself was elected by over 500 votes in the newly created northern Alberta riding of Westlock-Sturgeon; he was re-elected there in 1989. In 1993, Taylor was elected by 1700 votes in the newly created riding of Redwater against incumbent PC MLA Steve Zarusky.Taylor was appointed to the Canadian Senate by Jean Chrétien in 1996 and served there until 2002. While in the Senate, Taylor was criticized by Democracy Watch for a conflict of interest while chairing a committee.

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