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Don Mazankowski

Donald Frank Mazankowski (born July 27, 1935, in Viking, Alberta) was a noted Canadian politician who served as a cabinet minister under both Joe Clark and Brian Mulroney.

Mazankowski was born in Viking, Alberta to parents of Polish descent. He went into business becoming the manager of an auto-dealership. Long interested in politics Mazankowski became an important member of the Albertan Progressive Conservatives and in 1968 was elected to the Canadian parliament.

During the briefly lived Clark government Mazankowski served as Minister of Transport. When the Tories returned to power under Mulroney in 1984 Mazankowski again became Minister of Transport. In 1986 he was promoted becoming Deputy Prime Minister and Government House Leader. Mazankowski became one of the most widely known public faces of the Tory government. He played an especially important role as an advocate for the Canadian-American Free Trade Agreement and NAFTA.

The Mulroney government became increasingly unpopular, however, but Mazankowski was less severely affected than others. In 1991 he became Finance Minister replacing the extremely unpopular Michael Wilson.

Mazankowski retired from politics on June 7, 1993 and when Kim Campbell began Prime Minister two weeks later Mazankowski was replaced as Finance Minister by Gilles Loiselle. Mazankowski did not run in the 1993 election that saw his party reduced to two seats in the House of Commons, instead leaving for the private sector and serving on corporate boards. He declined an offer of a Senate seat made by Brian Mulroney in his final days as Prime Minister.

Mazankowski is currently a director or trustee for a number of Canadian companies, including Weyerhaeuser Co., ATCO Ltd., Shaw Communications Inc., and Power Corporation of Canada, among others.

Additionally he has still remained involved in politics. In 2002 he headed an investigation in Alberta's health care system. He also recently played an important role in the merger between the Progressive Conservatives and the Canadian Alliance party and is a strong supporter of the new Conservative Party of Canada.

He is one of the few Canadians to be given the title of Right Honourable without having held an office that would entitle him to it.

Preceded by:
Frank J.W. Fane , PC
Members of Parliament from Vegreville
(1968-1993)
Succeeded by:
Leon Benoit, Reform/CA
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