Alfred Hooke

Alfred John "Alf" Hooke (February 25, 1905 – February 17, 1992) was a teacher, provincial politician and author from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1935 to 1971 sitting with the Social Credit Party of Alberta. During his time in office Hooke held numerous cabinet portfolios in the government of Ernest Manning from 1943 to 1968. Of the original 1935 Socred caucus, Hooke was the only MLA to continuously serve in the legislature until the party's defeat in 1971.

Alfred John Hooke was born on February 25, 1905 in Whitecroft, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom. His family moved to the province of Alberta in Canada in 1913. Hooke began attending school after his arrival. At the age of 13 Hooke left school and joined the work force as a hired hand. He returned to school and completed his studies three years later.

Hooke became a teacher in 1926 and kept that profession until he was elected as a provincial politician in 1935.

Hooke joined the Social Credit movement in the very beginning becoming familiar with William Aberhart through his work as a school teacher and became involved with Aberhart as a speaker on the Social Credit theory.

Despite not wanting to at first, he was urged by people in the town of Rocky Mountain House to put his name up for the nomination in the Red Deer electoral district. He faced nine other candidates for the nomination and headed the polls on the first ballot where six were eliminated. The other four names went to the Social Credit advisory committee where he was chosen to run in the 1935 Alberta general election. Hook defeated incumbent MLA William Payne and three other candidates with a large majority to pick up the district for his party.

The 1940 boundary redistribution created a separate electoral district for Rocky Mountain House. Hooke ran for a seat in the new district in the election held that year. He won a clear majority on the first ballot defeating two other candidates.

Premier Ernest Manning appointed Hooke to his first cabinet portfolio as Provincial Secretary in his first cabinet on June 1, 1943. Hooke ran for a third term in the 1944 general election with ministerial advantage and won by a landslide.

Hooke would briefly hold two cabinet portfolios when Manning appointed him to be the Minister of Economic Affairs on April 20, 1945. He ran for his fourth term in the 1948 Alberta general election. He was returned to office with another large victory. After the election Manning gave the Provincial Secretary position to Clarence Gerhart while Hooke kept the Economic Affairs portfolio.

Hooke ran for a fifth term and won easily in the 1952 Alberta general election. After the election Hooke became Minister of Public Works.

Hooke stood for his sixth term in the 1955 Alberta general election. He defeated two other candidates with a solid majority to return to office. Manning appointed Hooke back to being Provincial Secretary as well as Minister of Municipal Affairs.

The 1959 Alberta general election would see Hooke win his seventh term easily. He would only serve a single portfolio after the ensuing cabinet shuffle. Hooke kept the Municipal Affairs portfolio while the Provincial Secretary position was given to Allen Patrick.

Hooke ran for his eighth term in the 1963 Alberta general election. He was returned with another massive majority.

In 1966 NDP MLA Garth Turcott leveled accusations of corruption and misusing public office for personal gain against Edgar Hinman and Hooke, the same accusations were being repeated by Neil Reimer, the leader of the NDP at the time. The unproven accusations began attracting nationwide attention and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police were called in to ensure the safety of Hooke and his family.

Hooke ran for re-election to his ninth term in the 1967 Alberta general election. Pundits at the time predicted Hooke had very little chance at re-election. He faced two other candidates in the race including Independent William Sinclair, who had been picked by federal Social Credit leader Robert Thompson to run against Hooke. Hooke won the election with another massive majority.

Manning returned Hooke to cabinet as Minister of Public Welfare to bring the department under control as it became the highest spending department. He only served that portfolio for a year before becoming the Minister of Lands and Forests on July 16, 1968.

Hooke ran for leadership of the Social Credit party in the 1968 leadership race. He was defeated, finishing last on the first ballot. The race was won by Harry Strom, who dropped Hooke from the cabinet. Hooke retired from provincial politics at dissolution of the legislature in 1971. His political longevity meant he was the only one of the original 1935 caucus to continuously serve as an MLA right up until Social Credit was defeated. The closest to him were Manning himself, who resigned as premier and MLA in 1968, and William Tomyn who, though a member of the 1935 intake who stood down in 1971, was defeated in 1952 and did not return until 1959.

After leaving office in 1971 Hooke became a published author. He wrote the book 30+5 I Know, I was There in 1971 about his early life and his time served in the provincial government. In 1980 Hooke wrote “Looking Backward to Go Forward on economic activity in the 1930s and how the downfall of the economy is repeating itself in modern times.