EDMONTON - Pam Barrett, a former leader of Alberta's New Democrats and stalwart champion of social justice, has died from cancer of the esophagus.
NDP communications spokesman George Parthenis confirmed that Barrett, 54, died Monday night at an Edmonton clinic after battling the disease for at least two years.
Barrett was famous for her witty, sharp retorts and stinging criticism of government policy while she served first as the NDP's deputy leader and then as leader.
Ray Martin, who also headed the party at one time and is currently a member of the legislature, said there are many things to remember Barrett for.
"There are so many legacies of Pam,'' Martin said Tuesday. "She was feisty. She was funny. She was articulate.
"She was just a great person in the legislature -- and (she was) passionate, always for the underdog. She was always standing up for the less fortunate in society.''
He also said Barrett was involved in politics at a time when there weren't a lot of powerful women at the Alberta Iegislature.
"I think the other big legacy ... is that she was probably the most high-profile woman that had come along in politics in a long time in Alberta.''
Barrett began working on social justice issues in the early 1980s while employed by the Alberta Federation of Labour.
She carried that over to a job as a researcher for then-NDP leader Grant Notley, who would later die in a plane crash.
She ran for Notley's party in 1986 and won, serving as deputy house leader for two terms.
She retired from politics in 1993 after she was disagnosed with Hodgkin's disease. But she returned in 1996 as leader and became a constant thorn in the side of then-premier Ralph Klein. While the two traded barbs constantly in the legislature, they were close personal friends and revelled in the surprise that relationship often generated among the public.
She would eventually hand over the NDP's reins to Raj Pannu, but stayed on as a member of the legislature for the Edmonton Highlands constituency.
She left politics for good in February 2000 after an allergic reaction to anesthetic during a dental visit in which she said she had an out-of-body experience.
Barrett said at an emotional news conference at the time that her decision was "extremely spiritual.''
Parthenis said plans for a memorial service have not been finalized.
