Legislative Assembly of Alberta | |
|---|---|
| 31st Alberta Legislature | |
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| History | |
| Founded | September 9, 1905 (1905-09-09) |
| Preceded by | North-West Legislative Assembly |
| Leadership | |
Government House Leader | |
Opposition House Leader | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 87 |
 | |
Political groups | Government
Other parties
|
| Elections | |
Last election | May 29, 2023 |
Next election | On or before October 18, 2027 |
| Meeting place | |
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| Alberta Legislature Building Edmonton,Alberta, Canada | |
| Website | |
assembly | |
TheLegislative Assembly of Alberta is thedeliberative assembly of the province ofAlberta, Canada. It sits in theAlberta Legislature Building inEdmonton. Since 2012 the Legislative Assembly has had 87 members, elected throughfirst past the post from single-memberelectoral districts.[1] Bills passed by the Legislative Assembly are givenroyal assent by thelieutenant governor of Alberta, as the viceregal representative of theKing of Canada.[2] The Legislative Assembly and the Lieutenant Governor together make up theunicameralAlberta Legislature.
The maximum period between general elections of the assembly, as set bySection 4 of theCanadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is five years, which is further reinforced in Alberta'sLegislative Assembly Act.[3] Convention dictates thepremier controls the date of election and usually selects a date in the fourth or fifth year after the preceding election. Amendments to Alberta'sElection 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 aminority government and an election as a result of avote of no confidence has never occurred.
To be a candidate for election to the assembly, a person must be aCanadian citizen older than 18 who has lived in Alberta for at least six months before the election and has registered withElections Alberta under theElection Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act.Senators,senators-in-waiting, members of theHouse of Commons, and criminal inmates are ineligible.[5]
The30th Alberta Legislature was dissolved on May 1, 2023. The members-elect of the31st Alberta Legislature wereelected on May 29.
The first session of the first Legislature of Alberta opened on March 15, 1906, in theThistle Rink, Edmonton, north ofJasper Avenue. After the speech from the throne, the assembly held its sessions in theMcKay 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 theNorth Saskatchewan River.Allan Merrick Jeffers,[7] a graduate of theRhode Island School of Design was thearchitect 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.[8][9]
In September 1912Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn,Governor General of Canada, declared the new Legislature building officially open.[10][11][12]
Louise McKinney andRoberta MacAdams were the first women elected to the assembly, in the1917 election, the first women in any legislature of the British Empire.
From 1926 to 1955, Edmonton and Calgary MLAs were elected through a form ofproportional representation.
Early majorities in the Legislature were held by theAlberta Liberal Party, followed by theUnited Farmers of Alberta andAlberta Social Credit Party. TheProgressive Conservatives held the legislature from 1971 until 2015, when theAlberta New Democratic Party held a majority for a single term. Since 2019, theUnited Conservative Party has held successive majorities.
Most members of the31st Alberta Legislature were elected in the31st Alberta general election held on May 29, 2023, but some were elected in subsequent by-elections.Bold indicatescabinet members, andparty leaders areitalicized.
The31st Alberta Legislative Assembly was constituted after thegeneral election on May 29, 2023. TheUnited Conservative Party, led by incumbentPremierDanielle Smith, formed the government with a reduced majority. TheNew Democrats, led by former PremierRachel Notley, won the second most seats and formed the official opposition.[14]
| Affiliation | Members | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 general election | Current | ||
| United Conservative | 49 | 47 | |
| New Democratic | 38 | 38 | |
| Alberta Party | 0 | 2 | |
| Vacant | 0 | 0 | |
| Total seats | 87 | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
