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Gary Bikman

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Gary Bikman
MLA for Cardston-Taber-Warner
In office
April 23, 2012 – May 5, 2015
Preceded byBroyce Jacobs
Succeeded byGrant Hunter
Personal details
Born (1943-11-13) November 13, 1943 (age 80)
Lethbridge, Alberta
Political partyWildrose Party (2012-2014)
Alberta Progressive Conservative Party (2014-present)
Residence(s)Stirling, Alberta
Alma materBrigham Young University
Websitebikman.ca

Gary W. Bikman (born November 13, 1943) is a Canadian politician who represented the electoral district of Cardston-Taber-Warner in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 2012 to 2015.[1]

Prior to his election to the legislature, Bikman served on the town council of Stirling, including stints as mayor, deputy mayor and councillor since 1980.

Bikman was born and raised in southern Alberta. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Business Administration degree from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Bikman has extensive business experience, having owned and managed an oilfield service company for 25 years. He co-founded and led ChopStix Restaurants from 2006 to 2010 and ChopStix International Franchising from 2010 to 2012. Bikman has been a sessional instructor at the University of Lethbridge's faculty of management and at Lethbridge College. He has also served intermittently as a member of the Chinook Arch Regional Library Board and as a scout leader in the village of Stirling.[2]

Bikman was a critic of the Alberta government's decision to cut funding supports for persons with developmental disabilities in the 2013-2014 budget.[3]

After the 2012 election, he faced some controversy when, in an interview with CTV News shortly after the election, he attributed his party's defeat to urban voters, who largely remained loyal to the governing Progressive Conservatives (PCs), possessing less "common sense" than the rural voters who turned to the Wildrose Party.[4]

Bikman was first elected in the 2012 provincial election, as part of the Wildrose Party caucus. On December 17, 2014, he was one of nine Wildrose MLAs who crossed the floor to join the PC caucus.[5] Bikman failed to earn the PC nomination as a candidate of his riding for the 2015 provincial election.[6]

Electoral history

[edit]
2012 Alberta general election: Cardston-Taber-Warner
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Wildrose Gary Bikman 6,116 54.57% 9.07%
Progressive Conservative Patrick Shimbashi 4,269 38.09% -7.93%
New Democratic Aaron Haugen 482 4.30% 2.30%
Liberal Helen McMenamin 341 3.04% -1.54%
Total 11,208 – –
Rejected, spoiled and declined 54 – –
Eligible electors / turnout 24,845 45.33% -2.49%
Wildrose gain from Progressive Conservative Swing 7.98%
Source(s)
Source: "53 - Cardston-Taber-Warner Official Results 2012 Alberta general election". officialresults.elections.ab.ca. Elections Alberta. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Alberta Election 2012: Riding-by-riding results Archived 2012-05-30 at the Wayback Machine. The Globe and Mail, April 23, 2012.
  2. ^ "Legislative Assembly of Alberta Gary Bikman biography". Retrieved June 11, 2013.
  3. ^ "More budget cuts make SASH future uncertain". Westwind Weekly. May 13, 2013. Archived from the original on December 18, 2014. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
  4. ^ Wood, James (April 27, 2012). "Wildrose MLA Gary Bikman says rural voters have more common sense". Edmonton Journal. Calgary, Alberta. Calgary Herald. Archived from the original on February 14, 2017.
  5. ^ "9 Wildrose MLAs, including Danielle Smith, cross to Alberta Tories". CBC News. Edmonton, AB: CBC News. December 17, 2014. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  6. ^ "NDP topple Tories in both Lethbridge ridings, while much of southern Alberta glows green - Lethbridge | Globalnews.ca".
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