Joseph Schow
Canadian politician
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Joseph Schow ECA MLA is a Canadian politician who was elected in the 2019 Alberta general election to represent the electoral district of Cardston-Siksika in the 30th Alberta Legislature. He is a member of the United Conservative Party,[1][2] and he has been serving as Government House Leader since October 24, 2022.[3] On June 9, 2023, Schow was appointed Minister of Tourism and Sport, and on May 16, 2025 he was shuffled to Minister of Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration.[4]
The Honourable Joseph Schow | |
|---|---|
| Minister of Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration | |
| Assumed office May 16, 2025 | |
| Premier | Danielle Smith |
| Preceded by | Matt Jones |
| Minister of Tourism and Sport | |
| In office June 9, 2023 – May 16, 2025 | |
| Premier | Danielle Smith |
| Preceded by | Todd Loewen |
| Succeeded by | Andrew Boitchenko |
| Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for Cardston-Siksika | |
| Assumed office April 16, 2019 | |
| Personal details | |
| Party | United Conservative Party |
| Alma mater | Dalhousie University George Washington University |
Biography
Schow received his bachelor of arts degree in Russian from Dalhousie University and his master's degree from George Washington University. He was appointed House Leader (Minister Without Portfolio) on October 24, 2022. He previously served as Deputy Whip.[5]
As of March 2023[update], Schow was on the Government Legislative Review Committee.[6]
As the Chair of the Democratic Accountability Committee, Schow played a role in drafting and supporting the Recall Act, which allows Albertans to recall municipal representatives and trustees.[7] He spoke to the importance of legislation increasing accountability but not encouraging frivolous recall petitions and elections.[8]
Though Schow supported Travis Toews in the 2022 UCP leadership election,[9] he voiced his support for Premier Danielle Smith’s priorities of the affordability crisis and asserting challenges to the federal government’s jurisdictional authority.[10]
Schow was the sponsor of Government Bill 7: The Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act, 2022 (No.2), which received royal assent on December 15, 2022.[11]
Since June 9, 2023, Schow has been the Minister of Tourism and Sport.[12]
Electoral history
2023 general election
| 2023 Alberta general election: Cardston-Siksika | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| United Conservative | Joseph Schow | 10,550 | 74.12 | +0.57 | ||||
| New Democratic | Colleen Quintal | 2,527 | 17.75 | +1.75 | ||||
| Independent | Angela Tabak | 871 | 6.12 | – | ||||
| Alberta Independence | Terry Wolsey | 251 | 1.76 | – | ||||
| Solidarity Movement | Pär Wantenaar | 35 | 0.25 | – | ||||
| Total | 14,234 | 99.55 | – | |||||
| Rejected and declined | 64 | 0.45 | ||||||
| Turnout | 14,298 | 55.10 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 25,951 | |||||||
| United Conservative hold | Swing | -0.59 | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: Elections Alberta[13] | ||||||||
2019 general election
| 2019 Alberta general election: Cardston-Siksika | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| United Conservative | Joseph Schow | 11,980 | 73.55 | 1.01 | ||||
| New Democratic | Kirby Smith | 2,606 | 16.00 | -7.49 | ||||
| Independent | Ian A. Donovan | 727 | 4.46 | – | ||||
| Alberta Party | Casey Douglass | 589 | 3.62 | – | ||||
| Freedom Conservative | Jerry Gautreau | 214 | 1.31 | – | ||||
| Liberal | Cathleen McFarland | 173 | 1.06 | – | ||||
| Total | 16,289 | – | – | |||||
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | 23 | 62 | 8 | |||||
| Eligible electors / turnout | 25,050 | 65.15% | – | |||||
| United Conservative pickup new district. | ||||||||
Source(s)
Source: "54 - Cardston-Siksika, 2019 Alberta general election". officialresults.elections.ab.ca. Elections Alberta. Retrieved May 21, 2020. Alberta. Chief Electoral Officer (2019). 2019 General Election. A Report of the Chief Electoral Officer. Volume II (PDF) (Report). Vol. 2. Edmonton, Alta.: Elections Alberta. pp. 232–236. ISBN 978-1-988620-12-1. Retrieved April 7, 2021. | ||||||||