Connie Osterman
{{short description|Canadian politician}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image =
| imagesize = |
| honorific_prefix = The Honourable
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=CAN|ECA|size=100%}}
| caption =
| birth_date ={{birth date and age|1936|6|23}}
| death_date =
| residence =
| office = Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
| constituency = Three Hills
| term_start = March 14, 1979
| term_end = May 5, 1992
| predecessor = Allan Warrack
| successor = Don MacDonald
| party = Progressive Conservative
| office1 = Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs
| term_start1 = November 1982
| term_end1 = November 1, 1985
| predecessor1 = Julian Koziak
| successor1 =Al Adair
| office2 = Minister of Social Services and Community Health
| term_start2 = November 1, 1985
| term_end2 = May 1986
| predecessor2 = Neil Webber
| office3 = Minister of Social Services
| term_start3 = May 1986
| term_end3 = March 1989
| successor3 = John Oldring
| religion =
| occupation = politician
| spouse =
}}
Constance Elaine "Connie" Osterman {{post-nominals|country=CAN|ECA}} (born June 23, 1936) is a former politician from Alberta, Canada. She served in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1979 to 1992 as a member of the Progressive Conservative caucus in government. She served as a cabinet minister in the governments of Premier Peter Lougheed and Don Getty from 1982 to 1989.
Political career
Osterman first ran for a seat to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in the 1979 general election, as the Progressive Conservative candidate in the electoral district of Three Hills; she defeated three other candidates by a large margin.{{cite web|url=http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/maps_choice.php?Year=1979&Constit=Three_Hills| title=Three Hills results 1979| publisher=Alberta Heritage Community Foundation | accessdate=April 26, 2010}}
In the 1982 Alberta general election Osterman won nearly quadruple the votes of her two opponents to hold her seat.{{cite web|url=http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/maps_choice.php?Year=1982&Constit=Three_Hills| title=Three Hills results 1982| publisher=Alberta Heritage Community Foundation | accessdate=April 26, 2010}} She was then appointed Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs by Premier Peter Lougheed.{{cite web | url = http://www.leg.bc.ca/Hansard/33rd2nd/33p_02s_840510p.htm | title = Guest Introductions Hansard May 10, 1984 | publisher = Legislative Assembly of British Columbia | accessdate = June 8, 2010}} Osterman was only the fifth woman in Alberta political history to be appointed to the provincial cabinet.{{cite web | url = https://www.assembly.ab.ca/visitor/F5factsheet.pdf | title = Famous 5 fact sheet | publisher = Legislative Assembly of Alberta | accessdate = June 8, 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100307080454/http://www.assembly.ab.ca/visitor/F5factsheet.pdf | archive-date = March 7, 2010 | url-status = dead }}
When Don Getty became Premier in 1985, he appointed Osterman Minister of Social Services and Community Health. In the 1986 general election Osterman won a straight fight against NDP candidate Vernal Poole with a huge majority.{{cite web|url=http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/maps_choice.php?Year=1986&Constit=Three_Hills| title=Three Hills results 1986| publisher=Alberta Heritage Community Foundation | accessdate=April 26, 2010}}
After the election Getty changed Osterman's portfolio to the Ministry of Social Services. In the 1989 general election she defeated three other candidates to keep her seat.{{cite web|url=http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/maps_choice.php?Year=1989&Constit=Three_Hills| title=Three Hills results 1989| publisher=Alberta Heritage Community Foundation | accessdate=April 26, 2010}}
Osterman was removed from cabinet by Premier Getty one week after a judicial inquiry into the Principal Group scandal was completed in July 1989.{{cite journal | journal = Insight Into Government| title = Can a lady in politics be too tough | publisher = Rich Vivone & Associates | author = Rich Vivone | date= 2003-12-12}} As Minister Osterman rejected recommendations from an Assistant Deputy Minister Darwish regarding the insolvent state of Principal Group subsidiaries. Darwish later testified that he interpreted a phone call from Osterman as a threat to his career when he insisted on a meeting to discuss the issue, and Darwish retired six months later. Eventually on June 30, 1987, Treasurer Dick Johnston cancelled the operating licenses of the subsidiaries which resulted in Principal Group declaring bankruptcy six weeks later. The inquiry headed by William Code found Osterman "neglectful and misguided" when she failed to act on the warnings of Darwish.{{cite book |last1=Brennan |first1=Brian |title=Boondoggles, bonanzas, and other Alberta stories |date=2003 |publisher=Fitzhenry & Whiteside |location=Calgary |isbn=978-1-894004-94-7 |url=https://archive.org/details/boondogglesbonan0000bren |chapter=The Principal Group Collapse: The Man Who Knew - August 1987 |url-access=registration |pages=171–178}}* {{cite book |last1=Tupper|first1=Allan |last2=Pratt |first2=Larry |last3=Urquhart |first3=Ian |editor1-last=Tupper |editor1-first=Allan |editor2-last=Gibbins |editor2-first=Roger |title=Government and Politics in Alberta |date=1992 |publisher=University of Alberta Press |location=Edmonton |isbn=0-88864-243-1 |url=https://archive.org/details/governmentpoliti0000unse_l5v7 |chapter=The Role of Government |url-access=registration |pages=31–32}}
Osterman resigned her seat in the legislature on May 5, 1992.{{cite web|url=http://www.elections.ab.ca/Public%20Website/742.htm#oct1992|title=Three Hills by-election|date=October 26, 1992|publisher=Elections Alberta|accessdate=June 6, 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090607094042/http://www.elections.ab.ca/Public%20Website/742.htm#oct1992|archivedate=June 7, 2009}}
Late life
Osterman has served on the board of directors for the Head Injured Relearning Society in Calgary.{{cite web | url = http://www.brainrehab.ca/BIRC_Ann_Report2001.pdf | publisher = Head Injured Relearning Society | title = Head Injured Relearning Society 2001 annual report | accessdate = 2006-10-18 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061017015246/http://www.brainrehab.ca/BIRC_Ann_Report2001.pdf | archive-date = 2006-10-17 | url-status = dead }}
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070930024650/http://www.assembly.ab.ca/legislaturecentennial/pdf/membersBooklet.pdf Legislative Assembly of Alberta Members Listing]
{{Getty Ministry}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Osterman, Connie}}
Category:Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta MLAs
Category:Women MLAs in Alberta
Category:Members of the Executive Council of Alberta
Category:Women government ministers of Canada
Category:20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta