9th Alberta Legislature

The 9th Alberta Legislature was in session from February 20, 1941, to July 7, 1944, with the membership of the Legislative Assembly determined by the results of the 1940 Alberta general election held on March 21, 1940. The Legislature officially resumed on February 20, 1941, and continued until the fourth session was prorogued on March 24, 1944, and dissolved on July 7, prior to the 1944 Alberta general election.[1]

9th Alberta Legislature
Majority parliament
20 February 1941 – 7 July 1944
Parliament leaders
PremierWilliam Aberhart
September 3, 1935 – May 23, 1943
Ernest Charles Manning
May 31, 1943 – December 12, 1968
CabinetsAberhart cabinet
Manning cabinet
Leader of the
Opposition
James H. Walker
February 22 – April 8, 1941
Alfred Speakman
January 29 – March 19, 1942
James Mahaffy
February 18 – March 30, 1943
James H. Walker
February 10 – March 24, 1944
Party caucuses
GovernmentSocial Credit Party
OppositionIndependent Citizen's Association
CrossbenchLiberal Party
Labour Party
Legislative Assembly
Speaker of the
Assembly
Peter Dawson
February 25, 1937 – March 24, 1963
Members57 MLA seats
Sovereign
MonarchGeorge VI
December 11, 1936 – February 6, 1952
Lieutenant
Governor
Hon. John Campbell Bowen
March 23, 1937 – February 1, 1950
Sessions
1st session
February 20 – April 8, 1941
2nd session
January 29 – March 19, 1942
3rd session
February 18 – March 30, 1943
4th session
February 10 – March 24, 1944
← 8th → 10th

Alberta's government was controlled by the majority Social Credit Party for the second time, led by Premier William Aberhart until his death on May 23, 1943; he was succeeded by Ernest Manning, who went on to be the longest-serving premier in Alberta history. Manning abandoned the monetary policies of Aberhart during his term for more traditional conservatism. The Official Opposition was led by James H. Walker, a member of the Independent Citizen's Association, from February 22 to April 8, 1941, and again from February 10 to March 24, 1944. In between, the Opposition Leader was Alfred Speakman from January 29 to March 19, 1942, and James Mahaffy from February 18 to March 30, 1943. The Speaker was Peter Dawson, who served until his death during the 15th legislature on March 24, 1963.

The Independent Citizen's Association, started by the Conservatives and including most Liberals and some former United Farmer supporters, won 19 seats. The remaining Liberal Party that did not endorse the independent movement won one seat, and a labour candidate won one seat. Two independents later re-joined the Liberal Party, and the Co-operative Commonwealth entered the Legislature in its first by-election.

Bills

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During the second session the government introduced An Act to prohibit the Sale of Lands to any Enemy Aliens and Hutterites for the Duration of the War (Bill 60), which prohibited the purchase or registration of lands by an enemy alien or Hutterite. It was the intention to prevent these people from buying land or from becoming registered as the owners of land at least until after the Second World War ended. The government later introduced An Act to amend The Land Sales Prohibition Act (Bill 48) in the third session, which amended The Land Sales Prohibition Act for the purpose of extending this prohibition to leases and agreements for leases.[2] The federal government under Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King's Cabinet disallowed the legislation on the recommendation of the Federal Minister of Justice Louis St. Laurent. This was the last use of the federal disallowance authority (not to be confused with reservation authority, which was last used in Saskatchewan in 1961).[3] The King government's rationale for the disallowance was that the federal government had regulated all matters related to enemy aliens and the statute conflicted with federal policy.[4]

Party standings after 9th General Elections

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Affiliation Members
  Social Credit 36
  Independent 19
Liberal 1
  Labor 1
 Total
57
  District Member Party
  Acadia-Coronation Clarence Gerhart Social Credit
  Alexandra Selmer Berg Social Credit
  Athabasca Gordon Lee Social Credit
  Banff-Cochrane Frank Laut Independent
  Beaver River Lucien Maynard Social Credit
  Bow Valley-Empress Wilson Cain Social Credit
  Bruce James L. McPherson Social Credit
  Calgary James Mahaffy Independent
  Fred Anderson Social Credit
  Andrew Davison Independent
  William Aberhart Social Credit
  John J. Bowlen Independent
  Camrose David B. Mullen Social Credit
  Cardston Nathan Eldon Tanner Social Credit
  Clover Bar Floyd Baker Social Credit
  Cypress Fay Jackson Independent
  Didsbury Ernest M. Brown Independent
  Drumheller Gordon Taylor Social Credit
  Edmonton Ernest Manning Social Credit
  John P. Page Independent
  Norman James Social Credit
  David Milwyn Duggan Independent
  Hugh John Macdonald Independent
  Edson Angus James Morrison Labour
  Gleichen Donald McKinnon Independent
  Grande Prairie Lewis O'Brien Independent
  Grouard Joseph Tremblay Liberal
  Hand Hills Wallace Cross Social Credit
  Lac Ste. Anne Albert Bourcier Social Credit
  Lacombe Duncan MacMillan Social Credit
  Leduc Ronald Ansley Social Credit
  Lethbridge Peter M. Campbell Independent
  Little Bow Peter Dawson Social Credit
  Macleod James Hartley Social Credit
  Medicine Hat John Lyle Robinson Social Credit
  Okotoks-High River John Broomfield Independent
  Olds Norman E. Cook Social Credit
  Peace River Eld J. Martin Independent
  Pembina George MacLachlan Independent
  Pincher Creek-Crowsnest Ernest Duke Social Credit
  Ponoka Percy McKelvey Independent
  Red Deer Alfred Speakman Independent
  Redwater James Popil Social Credit
  Rocky Mountain House Alfred Hooke Social Credit
  Sedgewick Albert Fee Social Credit
  Spirit River Henry DeBolt Social Credit
  St. Albert Lionel Tellier Independent
  St. Paul Joseph Beaudry Social Credit
  Stettler Chester Reynolds Social Credit
  Stony Plain Cornelia Wood Social Credit
  Taber Roy S. Lee Social Credit
  Vegreville George Woytkiw Social Credit
  Vermilion William Fallow Social Credit
  Wainwright William Masson Social Credit
  Warner James H. Walker Independent
  Wetaskiwin John Wingblade Social Credit
  Willingdon William Tomyn Social Credit

References

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  1. ^ Perry, Sandra E.; Footz, Valerie L. (2006). Massolin, Philip A. (ed.). A Higher Duty: Speakers of the Legislative Assemblies. Edmonton, AB: Legislative Assembly of Alberta. p. 496. ISBN 0-9689217-3-6. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  2. ^ "Bill 60: An Act to prohibit the Sale of Lands to any Enemy Aliens and Hutterites for the Duration of the War" (PDF). assembly.ab.ca. Legislative Assembly of Alberta. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  3. ^ Wherry, Aaron (September 12, 2013). "What can the federal government do to challenge Quebec's charter of values?". Maclean's. Ottawa. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  4. ^ Bishop, Charles (April 14, 1943). "Disallow Alberta Alien Land Act". Calgary Herald. p. 1. Retrieved August 14, 2020.

Further reading

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