Legislative Assembly of Alberta

The Legislative Assembly of Alberta (French: Assemblée législative de l'Alberta) is the deliberative assembly of the province of Alberta, Canada. It sits in the Alberta Legislature Building in Edmonton. Since 2012 the Legislative Assembly has had 87 members, elected first past the post from single-member electoral districts.[1] Bills passed by the Legislative Assembly are given royal assent by the lieutenant governor of Alberta, as the viceregal representative of the King of Canada.[2] The Legislative Assembly and the Lieutenant Governor together make up the unicameral Alberta Legislature.

Legislative Assembly of Alberta
31st Alberta Legislature
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
History
FoundedSeptember 9, 1905 (1905-09-09)
Preceded byNorth-West Legislative Assembly
Leadership
Nathan Cooper, UCP
since May 30, 2019
Danielle Smith, UCP
since October 11, 2022
Government House Leader
Joseph Schow, UCP
since October 24, 2022
Rachel Notley, NDP
since April 30, 2019
Opposition House Leader
Christina Gray, NDP
since February 8, 2021
Structure
Seats87
Political groups
  • Government
  •   United Conservative (48)
  • Official Opposition
  •   New Democratic (38)
  • Independent
  •   Independent (1)
Elections
Last election
May 29, 2023
Next election
On or before May 31, 2027
Meeting place
Alberta Legislature Building, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Website
assembly.ab.ca Edit this at Wikidata

The maximum period between general elections of the assembly, as set by Section 4 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is five years, which is further reinforced in Alberta's Legislative Assembly Act.[3] Convention dictates the premier controls the date of election and usually selects a date in the fourth or fifth year after the preceding election. Amendments to Alberta's Elections Act introduced in 2021 fixed the date of election to between the last Monday in May in the fourth calendar year following the preceding election.[4] Alberta has never had a minority government and an election as a result of a vote of no confidence has never occurred.

To be a candidate for election to the assembly, a person must be a Canadian citizen older than 18 who has lived in Alberta for at least six months before the election and has registered with Elections Alberta under the Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act. Senators, senators-in-waiting, members of the House of Commons, and criminal inmates are ineligible.[5]

The 30th Alberta Legislature was dissolved on May 1, 2023. The members-elect of the 31st Alberta Legislature were elected on May 29.

History edit

 
The Alberta Legislature Building has housed the chamber of the Legislative Assembly since its completion in 1913.

The first session of the first Legislature of Alberta opened on March 15, 1906, in the Thistle Rink, Edmonton, north of Jasper Avenue. After the speech from the throne, the assembly held its sessions in the McKay Avenue School. In this school Alberta MLAs chose the provincial capital,[6] Edmonton, and the future site for the Alberta Legislature Building: the bank of the North Saskatchewan River. Allan Merrick Jeffers,[7] a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design was the architect who was chosen to build the assembly building. In September 1912 Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, Governor General of Canada, declared the building officially open.[8][9][10]

Louise McKinney and Roberta MacAdams were the first women elected to the assembly, in the 1917 election. They were also the first women in any legislature of the British Empire.

Current members edit

The members-elect of the 31st Alberta Legislature were elected in the 31st Alberta general election held on May 29, 2023. Bold indicates cabinet members, and party leaders are italicized.

Member[11] Party Electoral district First elected
  Nagwan Al-Guneid New Democratic Calgary-Glenmore 2023
  Mickey Amery United Conservative Calgary-Cross 2019
  Brooks Arcand-Paul New Democratic Edmonton-West Henday 2023
  Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk United Conservative Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville 2019
  Diana Batten New Democratic Calgary-Acadia 2023
  Andrew Boitchenko United Conservative Drayton Valley-Devon 2023
  Parmeet Singh Boparai New Democratic Calgary-Falconridge 2023
  Eric Bouchard United Conservative Calgary-Lougheed 2023
  Gurinder Brar New Democratic Calgary-North East 2023
  Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse New Democratic Edmonton-Rutherford 2023
  Joe Ceci New Democratic Calgary-Buffalo 2015
  Amanda Chapman New Democratic Calgary-Beddington 2023
  Nathan Cooper United Conservative Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills 2015
  Scott Cyr United Conservative Bonnyville-Cold Lake-St. Paul 2015[a]
  Chantelle de Jonge United Conservative Chestermere-Strathmore 2023
  Lorne Dach New Democratic Edmonton-McClung 2015
  Jasvir Deol New Democratic Edmonton-Meadows 2019
  Devin Dreeshen United Conservative Innisfail-Sylvan Lake 2018 (by-election)
  Nolan Dyck United Conservative Grande Prairie 2023
  David Eggen New Democratic Edmonton-North West 2004[b]
  Court Ellingson New Democratic Calgary-Foothills 2023
  Mike Ellis United Conservative Calgary-West 2014 (by-election)
  Sarah Elmeligi New Democratic Banff-Kananaskis 2023
  Janet Eremenko New Democratic Calgary-Currie 2023
  Tanya Fir United Conservative Calgary-Peigan 2019
  Kathleen Ganley New Democratic Calgary-Mountain View 2015
  Shane Getson United Conservative Lac Ste. Anne-Parkland 2019
  Nate Glubish United Conservative Strathcona-Sherwood Park 2019
  Nicole Goehring New Democratic Edmonton-Castle Downs 2015
  Brian Jean United Conservative Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche 2015[c]
  Christina Gray New Democratic Edmonton-Mill Woods 2015
  Peter Guthrie United Conservative Airdrie-Cochrane 2019
  Sharif Haji New Democratic Edmonton-Decore 2023
  Julia Hayter New Democratic Calgary-Edgemont 2023
  Sarah Hoffman New Democratic Edmonton-Glenora 2015
  Nate Horner United Conservative Drumheller-Stettler 2019
  Rhiannon Hoyle New Democratic Edmonton-South 2023
  Grant Hunter United Conservative Taber-Warner 2015
  Nathan Ip New Democratic Edmonton-South West 2023
  Janis Irwin New Democratic Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood 2019
  Jennifer Johnson Independent Lacombe-Ponoka 2023
  Matt Jones United Conservative Calgary-South East 2019
  Kyle Kasawski New Democratic Sherwood Park 2023
  Samir Kayande New Democratic Calgary-Elbow 2023
  Adriana LaGrange United Conservative Red Deer-North 2019
  Martin Long United Conservative West Yellowhead 2019
  Todd Loewen United Conservative Central Peace-Notley 2019
  Jackie Lovely United Conservative Camrose 2019
  Rod Loyola New Democratic Edmonton-Ellerslie 2015
  Brandon Lunty United Conservative Leduc-Beaumont 2023
  Myles McDougall United Conservative Calgary-Fish Creek 2023
  Ric McIver United Conservative Calgary-Hays 2012
  Luanne Metz New Democratic Calgary-Varsity 2023
  Dale Nally United Conservative Morinville-St. Albert 2019
  Nathan Neudorf United Conservative Lethbridge-East 2019
  Demetrios Nicolaides United Conservative Calgary-Bow 2019
  Jason Nixon United Conservative Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre 2015
  Rachel Notley New Democratic Edmonton-Strathcona 2008
  Rakhi Pancholi New Democratic Edmonton-Whitemud 2019
  Shannon Phillips New Democratic Lethbridge-West 2015
  Chelsae Petrovic United Conservative Livingstone-Macleod 2023
  Angela Pitt United Conservative Airdrie-East 2015
  Marie Renaud New Democratic St. Albert 2015
  Garth Rowswell United Conservative Vermilion-Lloydminster-Wainwright 2019
  Irfan Sabir New Democratic Calgary-Bhullar-McCall 2015
  Rajan Sawhney United Conservative Calgary-North West 2019
  Marlin Schmidt New Democratic Edmonton-Gold Bar 2015
  Joseph Schow United Conservative Cardston-Siksika 2019
  Rebecca Schulz United Conservative Calgary-Shaw 2019
  David Shepherd New Democratic Edmonton-City Centre 2015
  Lori Sigurdson New Democratic Edmonton-Riverview 2015
  RJ Sigurdson United Conservative Highwood 2019
  Scott Sinclair United Conservative Lesser Slave Lake 2023
  Peter Singh United Conservative Calgary-East 2019
  Danielle Smith United Conservative Brooks-Medicine Hat 2012[d]
  Jason Stephan United Conservative Red Deer-South 2019
  Heather Sweet New Democratic Edmonton-Manning 2015
  Lizette Tejada New Democratic Calgary-Klein 2023
  Searle Turton United Conservative Spruce Grove-Stony Plain 2019
  Glenn van Dijken United Conservative Athabasca-Barrhead-Westlock 2015
  Ron Wiebe United Conservative Grande Prairie-Wapiti 2023
  Rick Wilson United Conservative Maskwacis-Wetaskiwin 2019
  Dan Williams United Conservative Peace River 2019
  Justin Wright United Conservative Cypress-Medicine Hat 2023
  Peggy Wright New Democratic Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview 2023
  Tany Yao United Conservative Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo 2015
  Muhammad Yaseen United Conservative Calgary-North 2019

Standings during 31st Assembly edit

The 31st Alberta Legislative Assembly was constituted after the general election on May 29, 2023. The United Conservative Party, led by incumbent Premier Danielle Smith, formed the government with a reduced majority. The New Democrats, led by former Premier Rachel Notley, won the second most seats and formed the official opposition.[12]

Standings in the 31st Alberta Legislature
Affiliation Members
2023 general election Current
United Conservative 49 48
New Democratic 38 38
Independent 0 1
Total seats 87

Seating plan edit

  • Party leaders are italicized. Bold indicates cabinet minister.
Loyola Hoffman Eremenko Goehring Pancholi Batten Calahoo Stonehouse Dach Ganley Brar Schmidt
Shepherd Ellingson Boparai Hayter Deol Kayande Eggen Ip Irwin Tejada Renaud Haji Chapman
Al-Guneid Elmeligi Arcand-Paul P. Wright Hoyle Phillips Gray Notley Ceci Sabir L. Sigurdson Kasawski Sweet Metz Johnson
Cooper
Guthrie Glubish Nicolaides Schulz Williams LaGrange Horner Schow Smith Ellis Amery Neudorf Loewen Wilson Jean Dreeshen Nixon
Pitt van Dijken Rowswell Hunter Yaseen RJ Sigurdson Getson Sawhney Jones Fir McIver Nally Turton Yao Long
Cyr Lunty Wiebe Boitchenko McDougall J. Wright Petrovic Lovely Dyck Armstong-Homeniuk de Jonge Sinclair Bouchard Singh Stephan

[13]

Notes edit

  1. ^ Absent from Legislature during the 2019–2023 term
  2. ^ Absent from Legislature during 2008–2012 term
  3. ^ Absent from Legislature during 2018–2022 before returning in 2022 by-election
  4. ^ Absent from Legislature during 2015–2022 before returning in 2022 by-election

References edit

  1. ^ "Legislative Assembly of Alberta". www.assembly.ab.ca.
  2. ^ The Alberta Act, 4-5 Edw. VII [1905], c. 3 (Canada), s. 12 .
  3. ^ Legislative Assembly Act, RSA 2000, c. L-9, s. 3(1)
  4. ^ Election Act, RSA 2000, c. E-1, s. 38.1(2)
  5. ^ Election Act, RSA 2000, c. E-1, s. 56
  6. ^ "History of the building". www.alberta.ca. 29 February 2024.
  7. ^ "McDougall Centre". www.alberta.ca. 29 February 2024.
  8. ^ "Citizens Guide" (PDF). www.assembly.ab.ca. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-10-14.
  9. ^ "Jeffers, Allan Merrick - Alberta On Record". albertaonrecord.ca.
  10. ^ "Alberta Legislature". Alberta Legislature - Explore Edmonton.
  11. ^ "Legislative Assembly of Alberta". www.assembly.ab.ca. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  12. ^ "Danielle Smith's UCP holds onto power in Alberta". Edmonton. 2023-05-29. Retrieved 2023-11-06.
  13. ^ "Chamber Seating Plan". www.assembly.ab.ca. Retrieved 2024-03-11.

External links edit