Legislative Assembly of Alberta
Legislature of Alberta
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Legislative Assembly of 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 through 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 | |
| |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| History | |
| Founded | September 9, 1905 |
| Preceded by | North-West Legislative Assembly |
| Leadership | |
Government House Leader | |
Opposition House Leader | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 87 |
.svg) | |
Political groups | Government
Other parties
|
| Elections | |
Last election | May 29, 2023 |
Next election | On or before October 18, 2027 |
| Meeting place | |
.jpg) | |
| Alberta Legislature Building Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | |
| Website | |
assembly | |
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 Election Act introduced in 2024 fixed the date of election to the third Monday in October 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. As of December 2025[update], under recall election legislation introduced by the UCP, 28 MLAs have recall petition campaigns in progress; this includes Premier Danielle Smith. 26 of the petitions are against UCP members,[6] the remaining 2 are NDP. As of March 14, 21 have concluded 20 against UCP with none being successful and 1 unsuccessful NDP.
History
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,[7] Edmonton, and the future site for the Alberta Legislature Building: the bank of the North Saskatchewan River. Allan Merrick Jeffers,[8] a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design was the architect who was chosen to build the assembly building. From 1908 to 1911 the Legislative Assembly met in a hall annexed to the old Terrace Building.[9][10]
In September 1912 Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, Governor General of Canada, declared the new Legislature building officially open.[11][12][13]
Louise McKinney and Roberta MacAdams were the first women elected to the assembly, in the 1917 election, the first women in any legislature of the British Empire.
From 1926 to 1955, Edmonton and Calgary MLAs were elected through a form of proportional representation, while in that period, the other MLAs were elected using instant-runoff voting.
In 1965, the Alberta Election Act was amended to give the vote to Treaty Indians.[14]
Early majorities in the Legislature were held by the Alberta Liberal Party, followed by the United Farmers of Alberta and Alberta Social Credit Party. The Progressive Conservatives held the legislature from 1971 until 2015, when the Alberta New Democratic Party held a majority for a single term. Since 2019, the United Conservative Party has held successive majorities.
Current members
Most members of the 31st Alberta Legislature were elected in the 31st Alberta general election held on May 29, 2023, but some were elected in subsequent by-elections. Peter Guthrie and Scott Sinclair were elected as UCP candidates but have since become Progressive Tory and Independent, respectively. Bold indicates cabinet members, and party leaders are italicized.
Standings during 31st Assembly
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.[16] As of December 2025[update], under recall election legislation introduced by the UCP, 21 MLAs have recall petition campaigns in progress; this includes Premier Danielle Smith. 20 of the petitions are against UCP members.[6]
| Affiliation | Members | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 general election | Current | ||
| United Conservative | 49 | 47 | |
| New Democratic | 38 | 38 | |
| Alberta Party | 0 | 1 | |
| Independent | 0 | 1 | |
| Vacant | 0 | 0 | |
| Total seats | 87 | ||
Seating plan
- Party leaders are italicized. Bold indicates cabinet minister.
Past Composition
1905–1909
| 23 | 2 |
| Lib | Con |
1909–1913
| 36 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Lib | Con | Soc | Ind | Ind Lib |
1913–1917
| 39 | 17 |
| Lib | Con |
1917–1921
| 34 | 19 | 2 | 1 |
| Lib | Con | NPL | Lab Rep |
1921–1926
| 15 | 1 | 38 | 4 | 3 |
| Lib | Con | UFA | DLP | Ind |
1926–1930
| 7 | 4 | 43 | 5 | 1 |
| Lib | Con | UFA | DLP | Ind Lab |
1930–1935
| 11 | 6 | 39 | 4 | 3 |
| Lib | Con | UFA | DLP | Ind |
1935–1940
| 5 | 2 | 56 |
| Lib | Con | Soc Cred |
1940–1944
| 1 | 1 | 36 | 19 |
| Lib | Lab | Soc Cred | Ind Mov |
1944–1948
| 51 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Soc Cred | CAF | Co-op | VAF | Ind Mov |
1948–1952
| 2 | 51 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Lib | Soc Cred | Co-op | ICA | Ind Soc Cred |
1952–1955
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 53 | 2 | 1 |
| Lib | Con | PC | Soc Cred | Co-op | Ind Soc Cred |
1955–1959
| 15 | 2 | 37 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Lib | Con | Soc Cred | Co-op | Lib-Con | Coal | Ind Soc Cred |
1959–1963
| 1 | 1 | 61 | 1 | 1 |
| Lib | PC | Soc Cred | Coal | Ind Soc Cred |
1963–1967
| 2 | 60 | 1 |
| Lib | Soc Cred | Coal |
1967–1971
| 3 | 6 | 55 | 1 |
| Lib | PC | Soc Cred | Ind |
1971–1975
| 49 | 25 | 1 |
| PC | Soc Cred | NDP |
1975–1979
| 69 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| PC | Soc Cred | NDP | Ind Soc Cred |
1979–1982
| 74 | 4 | 1 |
| PC | Soc Cred | NDP |
1982–1986
| 75 | 2 | 2 |
| PC | NDP | Ind |
1986–1989
| 4 | 61 | 16 | 2 |
| Lib | PC | NDP | Rep |
1989–1993
| 8 | 59 | 16 |
| Lib | PC | NDP |
1993–1997
| 32 | 51 |
| Lib | PC |
1997–2001
| 18 | 63 | 2 |
| Lib | PC | NDP |
2001–2004
| 7 | 74 | 2 |
| Lib | PC | NDP |
2004–2008
| 16 | 62 | 4 | 1 |
| Lib | PC | NDP | AA |
2008–2012
| 9 | 72 | 2 |
| Lib | PC | NDP |
2012–2015
| 5 | 61 | 4 | 17 |
| Lib | PC | NDP | WR |
2015–2019
| 1 | 9 | 54 | 21 | 1 |
| Lib | PC | NDP | WR | AP |
2019–2023
| 63 | 24 |
| UC | NDP |
2023–Present
| 49 | 38 |
| UC | NDP |
Notes
- Absent from Legislature during the 2019–2023 term
- Absent from Legislature during 2015–2022 before returning in 2022 by-election
- Absent from Legislature during 2008–2012 term
- Absent from Legislature during 2018–2022 before returning in 2022 by-election
- Left the UCP caucus; indicated membership of the Alberta Party, but has not formally joined the Alberta Party caucus with Peter Guthrie