 Sifton 's first foray into politics was in 1878 , when he campaigned for the introduction of prohibition under the auspices of the Canada Temperance Act in the Manitoba electoral districts of Lisgar and Marquette . His first bid for elected office took place in 1882 , when he was elected to Brandon 's first city council . He was re @-@ elected in 1883 , and did not seek re @-@ election at the conclusion of this second term , though he did briefly consider running for mayor before concluding that he had insufficient support to be elected . He also served on the local school board . When his brother Clifford became Wilfrid Laurier 's Minister of the Interior in November 1896 , Sifton advised him on Liberal Party affairs in western Canada . This advice included suggested patronage appointments , one of which was an unimplemented proposal that Arthur himself be appointed chief justice of the Northwest Territories ( a position that did not at the time exist ) . In 1898 , Sifton re @-@ entered politics — Hall speculates to increase his chances at a judgeship — by challenging Robert Brett , the long @-@ time Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories for Banff , in the 1898 territorial election . Election day returns showed Sifton with a plurality of thirty @-@ six votes , but by the time contested ballots were dealt with this had turned into a majority of two votes for Brett . Sifton successfully challenged this result in court , and in the ensuing by @-@ election he defeated Brett by a comfortable margin . One oft @-@ repeated anecdote from the campaign involved a campaign forum for which Brett was late . After giving his own speech , Sifton offered to give the still @-@ absent Brett 's speech as well , since he had heard it so many times . He did so , and when Brett eventually arrived to give a speech nearly identical to the one Sifton had given on his behalf he was puzzled by the audience 's amusement . 
