Betty Unger appointed to Senate

Betty Unger, the former nurse who was chosen one of Alberta's senators-in-waiting in 2004, was appointed to the Senate Friday.

Unger, one of seven new senatorsannounced by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, replaces Tommy Banks who reached his mandatory retirement age at the end of 2011.

Unger got the news in a phone call from the Prime Mininster.

"I was humbled and very grateful by the trust that he placed in me by appointing me to fill this vacancy," she said.

Unger, Bert Brown, Link Byfield and Cliff Breitkreuz were chosen by voters in the 2004 provincial election.

The senators-in-waiting were elected to six year terms that were to expire in Dec. 2010.

Harper appointed Brown to the Senate in 2007.

Byfield resigned attheend of his term assenator-elect in November 2010 as a protest against Stelmach's decision to extend their terms bythree years.

Unger says she will continue to push for an elected senate.

"I believe absolutely that all of Canada's politicians should be elected," she said. "It's a democratic process, Canada is a democratic country."