Calgary Southeast

This suburban riding borders the Calgary city limits in the south and east, follows 114th Avenue Southwest, Barlow Trail Southeast, Deerfoot Trail Southeast and Glenmore Trail Southeast in the north and runs along the CP Rail line in the west. It includes older areas and the newer southeast neighbourhoods of McKenzie Lake and Douglas Glen.

Sixteen per cent of the riding's residents are immigrants. Eighty-five per cent of residents list English as their mother tongue. The francophone population is just 1.5 per cent.

Small businesses generate most of the economic activity here, along with the service industry, construction and manufacturing. The 2006 census shows an average family income of $121,063 and an unemployment rate of 3.4 per cent, the second-lowest in the province.

This riding was created in 1986 from parts of Calgary South and Calgary East. In 1996, 40 per cent of the riding was carved away, while 13 per cent of Calgary Southwest was added. In 2004, 11 per cent of the riding was redistributed elsewhere.

Population: 125,738 (2006 census; an increase of 17.0% since 2001)

Political History

In the past four elections, Jason Kenney of the Reform, Canadian Alliance and now Conservative parties has had an easy win. In 2004, he beat Liberal Jim Tanner by a margin of 28,365 votes. In the 2006 election, he gained the majority of votes again when he defeated Liberal James Ludwar by 38,794 votes.

The former Calgary South was the riding of Conservative R.B. Bennett, who was prime minister from 1930 to 1935. Since 1945, the seat has only twice gone to Liberals - most recently to Pat Mahoney, who in 1968 became the last Liberal elected in Calgary. A succession of Tories held the seat from 1972 to 1993, when it was taken by Reform's Jan Brown.

Calgary Southeast:

• 1988 - PC
• 1993, 1997 - REF
• 2000 - CA
• 2004, 2006 - CON