[1] He graduated from Hillside High School in Valleyview,[2][3] and worked as a roughneck and repairing equipment before earning his certification as a journeyman mechanic.
[1][2][3] He worked for drilling and petroleum companies until 1970, when he founded his own firm, Knight Measurement and Control, which eventually employed 55 people.
[2][3] He bought a service station in 1974 that later operated as an antique shop (later shut down when the MD purchased the land for road access).
[15] New Democrats gave it a mixed reception, with Ray Martin agreeing that it did make some improvements,[15] but with his colleague David Eggen trying to kill it on third reading, saying that what was needed was a supra-provincial securities regulator.
[21] These increases were criticized as too low by the opposition Liberals and New Democrats and as too high by some industry groups and Paul Hinman, the Wildrose Alliance Party's leader and sole MLA.
[24][26] After Work's investigation found that the EUB had violated provincial law and infringed on the landowner's privacy, the opposition parties called for Knight's resignation.
[28] The major legislative initiative of Knight's time as Energy Minister has been the Alberta Utilities Commission Act, which became better known by its order paper designation, Bill 46.
[32] Knight has also presided over the appointment of an expert panel charged with evaluating the possibility of introducing nuclear energy into Alberta.
[33] He was exposed to criticism when, in response to a question from Liberal leader Kevin Taft about why the panel did not include representation from environmental groups, he asserted that the Sierra Club supported the use of nuclear energy in Europe; in fact, the Sierra Club opposes the use of nuclear energy and does not operate in Europe.