Career
Born in Castor, Alberta to Clifford and Doreen Downey, Brian Downey was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for the riding of Stettler as a Progressive Conservative member during the 1986 Alberta general election. He served his first term as a backbencher in the Don Getty government. He was re-elected for his second term in the 1989 Alberta general election.
However, during that election, Premier Don Getty was defeated in his own riding of Edmonton-Whitemud.
Downey resigned as the member for Stettler so that Getty could run in a by-election. Under long-standing practice in Westminster systems, if the party leader doesn"t have a seat of his own the Modern Language Association for a safe seat resigns to give the leader a chance to get into the chamber via a by-election.
After Downey retired from politics he was appointed as enhancement co-ordinator of Alberta Hail and Crop Insurance Corporation. He was later appointed Chairman of the Alberta Grain Commission.
