Lyle Stuart Kristiansen was a New Democratic Party

New Democratic Party

The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...

 member of the Canadian House of Commons

Canadian House of Commons

The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...

. He was an executive secretary, financial secretary and woodworker by career.

His first two attempts at a House of Commons seat from British Columbia were unsuccessful. He first campaigned federally in the 1965 federal election

Canadian federal election, 1965

The Canadian federal election of 1965 was held on November 8 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 27th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal Party of Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson was re-elected with a larger number of seats in the House...

 at Vancouver Centre

Vancouver Centre

Vancouver Centre is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1917.-Geography:...

 electoral district. He would not run again until the 1979 federal election

Canadian federal election, 1979

The Canadian federal election of 1979 was held on May 22, 1979 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 31st Parliament of Canada. It resulted in the defeat of Liberal Party of Canada after 11 years in power under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Joe Clark led the Progressive...

 at Kootenay West

Kootenay West

Kootenay West was a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1917 to 1988.This riding was created in 1914 from parts of Kootenay riding....

.

He was successful in his third federal attempt in 1980 election

Canadian federal election, 1980

The Canadian federal election of 1980 was held on February 18, 1980 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 32nd Parliament of Canada...

 at Kootenay West. He lost this seat in the 1984 general election

Canadian federal election, 1984

The Canadian federal election of 1984 was held on September 4 of that year to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 33rd Parliament of Canada...

, but returned to Ottawa after the 1988 federal election

Canadian federal election, 1988

The Canadian federal election of 1988 was held November 21, 1988, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 34th Parliament of Canada. It was an election largely fought on a single issue: the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement ....

 at the Kootenay West--Revelstoke

Kootenay West—Revelstoke

Kootenay West—Revelstoke was a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1988 to 1997. This riding was created in 1987 from Kootenay West riding...

 riding. Kristiansen did not contest another federal election and left federal politics in 1993. He served in the 32nd

32nd Canadian Parliament

The 32nd Canadian Parliament was in session from April 14, 1980 until July 9, 1984. The membership was set by the 1980 federal election on February 18, 1980, and it only changed slightly due to resignations and by-elections prior to being dissolved before the 1984 election.It was controlled by a...

 and 34th Canadian Parliament

34th Canadian Parliament

The 34th Canadian Parliament was in session from December 12, 1988 until September 8, 1993. The membership was set by the 1988 federal election on November 21, 1988, and it changed only somewhat due to resignations and by-elections until it was dissolved prior to the 1993 election.It was...

s.