He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1926 to 1935 sitting with the Dominion Labor Party caucus in opposition.

[3] The 1935 Alberta general election would see Pattinson defeated by Joseph Unwin from the Social Credit party.

Unwin's campaign had been buoyed by the massive popularity of Bill Aberhart and his visionary Social Credit proposals.

[4] Pattison attempted to regain his Edson seat in the legislature by running as a Co-operative Commonwealth candidate in the 1948 Alberta general election.

Pattinson did not manage to defeat incumbent Social Credit MLA Norman Willmore although finishing second in the three-way race.