The 25th Alberta Legislative Assembly was in session from April 9, 2001, to October 25, 2004, with the membership of the assembly determined by the results of the 2001 Alberta general election held on March 12, 2001. The Legislature officially resumed on April 9, 2001, and continued until the fourth session was prorogued and dissolved on October 25, 2004, prior to the 2004 Alberta general election on November 22, 2004.
Alberta's twenty-fifth government was controlled by the majority Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta, led by Premier Ralph Klein. The Official Opposition was led by Ken Nicol of the Liberal Party. The Speaker was Ken Kowalski. With the exception of the three MLAs listed below, all members held their seats until dissolution of the legislature.
History The 25th Legislative Assembly was ushered in with a massive Progressive Conservative majority, with Alberta being dubbed Ralph's World following the 2001 general election. The official opposition Liberals began a turbulent period that would see the party go through four leaders.
The third party Alberta New Democrats also changed leaders in July 2004 with the retirement of Raj Pannu and choice of Brian Mason as new leader.
Towards the end of the legislature for the first time since 1985, a new party caucus was formed. Edmonton-Norwood MLA Gary Masyk would cross the floor to the Alberta Alliance which had been formed in 2002 and registered in 2003 creating the caucus for that party. His reason for leaving was the Premier's interference in the 2004 federal election that coincided with a sharp decline in poll numbers that kept the federal Conservatives from winning the election. His electoral district was also abolished in the 2004 Alberta electoral boundary re-distribution.
Support the Progressive Conservatives softened through the reign of the Assembly but still remained high during the 2004 general election.
Bills Adult Interdependent Relationships Act
The Adult Interdependent Relationships Act (S.A. 2002, c. A-4.5) was passed by the Alberta Legislature on December 4, 2002, and proclaimed in force on June 1, 2003. The act did not amend Alberta's Marriage Act, but did amend 69 other Alberta laws following the 1999 landmark Supreme Court of Canada ruling in the case of M. v. H., which essentially required all provinces to extend the benefits of common-law marriage to same-sex couples, under the equality provisions of Section Fifteen of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Owing to the conservative political climate in the province, the government of Alberta was slow to respond, but in 2000 Alberta did amend the provincial Marriage Act to specifically limit marriage to different-sex couples. The Act was based on the January 2002 Alberta Law Reform Institute recommendations in Recognition of Rights and Obligations in Same-Sex Relationships which was funded in part by the provincial government.
Electoral Divisions Act The Electoral Divisions Act (S.A. 2003, c. E-4.1) was passed by the Alberta Legislature during the third session, and received Royal Assent on May 15, 2003. The Act implemented the recommendations of the Final Report of the Electoral Boundaries Commission, chaired by former Social Credit MLA and Alberta's Ethics Commissioner Robert Curtis Clark which delineated the new electoral boundaries for the upcoming 2004 Alberta general election and the 26th Alberta Legislature. The new electoral boundaries retained a total of 83 seats, with Calgary gaining two seats, Edmonton losing one seat, and one of the "special consideration" divisions (due to its isolation, it is allowed to have a population below 75% of the provincial average) was eliminated, leaving Dunvegan-Central Peace the last remaining special consideration district.
Members of the 25th Legislature by district DistrictMemberPartyFirst elected/ previously electedNo.# of term(s)NotesAthabasca-WabascaMike CardinalProgressive Conservative19894th termAirdrie-Rocky ViewCarol HaleyProgressive Conservative19933rd termBanff-CochraneJanis TarchukProgressive Conservative19972nd termBarrhead-WestlockKen KowalskiProgressive Conservative19797th termBonnyville-Cold LakeDenis DucharmeProgressive Conservative19972nd termCalgary-BowAlana DeLongProgressive Conservative20011st termCalgary-BuffaloHarvey CenaikoProgressive Conservative20011st termCalgary-CrossYvonne FritzProgressive Conservative19933rd termCalgary CurrieJon LordProgressive Conservative20011st termCalgary-EastMoe AmeryProgressive Conservative19933rd termCalgary-EgmontDenis HerardProgressive Conservative19933rd termCalgary ElbowRalph KleinProgressive Conservative19894th termCalgary Fish CreekHeather ForsythProgressive Conservative19933rd termCalgary-FoothillsPat NelsonProgressive Conservative19894th termCalgary-FortWayne CaoProgressive Conservative19972nd termCalgary-GlenmoreRon StevensProgressive Conservative19972nd termCalgary LougheedMarlene GrahamProgressive Conservative19972nd termCalgary McCallShiraz ShariffProgressive Conservative19953rd termCalgary MontroseHung PhamProgressive Conservative19933rd termCalgary-Mountain ViewMark HladyProgressive Conservative19933rd termCalgary-North HillRichard MagnusProgressive Conservative19933rd termCalgary North WestGreg MelchinProgressive Conservative19972nd termCalgary Nose CreekGary MarProgressive Conservative19933rd termCalgary ShawCindy AdyProgressive Conservative20011st termCalgary-VarsityMurray SmithProgressive Conservative19933rd termCalgary WestKaren KryczkaProgressive Conservative19972nd termCardston-Taber-WarnerBroyce JacobsProgressive Conservative20011st termClover Bar-Fort SaskatchewanRob LougheedProgressive Conservative19972nd termCypress-Medicine HatLorne TaylorProgressive Conservative19933rd termDrayton Valley-CalmarTony AbbottProgressive Conservative20011st termDrumheller-ChinookShirley McClellanProgressive Conservative19875th termDunveganHector GoudreauProgressive Conservative20011st termEdmonton-Beverly-ClareviewJulius YankowskyProgressive Conservative19933rd termEdmonton-CalderBrent RathgeberProgressive Conservative20011st termEdmonton Castle DownsThomas LukaszukProgressive Conservative20011st termEdmonton CentreLaurie BlakemanLiberal19972nd termEdmonton EllerslieDebby CarlsonLiberal19933rd termResignedVacant at dissolutionEdmonton-GlengarryBill BonnerLiberal19972nd termEdmonton-GlenoraDrew HuttonProgressive Conservative20011st termEdmonton-Gold BarHugh MacDonaldLiberal19972nd termEdmonton-HighlandsBrian MasonNDP20002nd termEdmonton ManningTony VandermeerProgressive Conservative20011st termEdmonton-McClungMark NorrisProgressive Conservative20011st termEdmonton MeadowlarkBob MaskellProgressive Conservative20011st termEdmonton Mill CreekGene ZwozdeskyProgressive Conservative19933rd termEdmonton-Mill WoodsDon MasseyLiberal19933rd termEdmonton-NorwoodGary MasykProgressive Conservative20011st termCrossed the floorEdmonton RiverviewKevin TaftLiberal20011st termEdmonton RutherfordIan McClellandProgressive Conservative20011st termEdmonton-StrathconaRaj PannuNDP19972nd termEdmonton-WhitemudDavid HancockProgressive Conservative19972nd termFort McMurrayGuy BoutilierProgressive Conservative19972nd termGrande Prairie-SmokyMel KnightProgressive Conservative20011st termGrande Prairie-WapitiGordon GraydonProgressive Conservative20011st termHighwoodDon TannasProgressive Conservative19894th termInnisfail-Sylvan LakeLuke OuelletteProgressive Conservative20011st termLac La Biche-St. PaulRay DanylukProgressive Conservative20011st termLacombe-StettlerJudy GordonProgressive Conservative19933rd termLesser Slave LakePearl CalahasenProgressive Conservative19894th termLeducAlbert KlapsteinProgressive Conservative19972nd termLethbridge-EastKen NicolLiberal19933rd termResignedVacant at dissolutionLethbridge-WestClint DunfordProgressive Conservative19933rd termLittle BowBarry McFarlandProgressive Conservative19924th termLivingstone-MacleodDavid CouttsProgressive Conservative19933rd termMedicine HatRob RennerProgressive Conservative19933rd termOlds-Didsbury-Three HillsRichard MarzProgressive Conservative19972nd termPeace RiverGary FriedelProgressive Conservative19933rd termPonoka-RimbeyHalvar JonsonProgressive Conservative19826th termRed Deer NorthMary Anne JablonskiProgressive Conservative20002nd termRed Deer SouthVictor DoerksenProgressive Conservative19933rd termRedwaterDave BrodaProgressive Conservative19972nd termRocky Mountain HouseTy LundProgressive Conservative19894th termSherwood ParkIris EvansProgressive Conservative19972nd termSt. AlbertMary O'NeillProgressive Conservative19972nd termSpruce Grove-Sturgeon-St. AlbertDoug HornerProgressive Conservative20011st termStony PlainStan WoloshynProgressive Conservative19894th termStrathmore-BrooksLyle ObergProgressive Conservative19933rd termVegreville-VikingEd StelmachProgressive Conservative19933rd termVermilion-LloydminsterLloyd SnelgroveProgressive Conservative20011st termWainwrightRobert FischerProgressive Conservative19826th termResignedDoug Griffiths (2002)Progressive Conservative20021st termElected by-electionWest YellowheadIvan StrangProgressive Conservative19972nd termWetaskiwin-CamroseLeRoy JohnsonProgressive Conservative19972nd termWhitecourt-Ste. AnneGeorge VanderBurgProgressive Conservative20011st term
Standings changes during the 25th Assembly Number of membersper party by date200120022004Mar 12Dec 31Apr 8May 25May 28Jun 2974737473765201Total members8382838281Vacant01012Government Majority656465666765 December 31, 2001 Robert Fischer, Wainwright resigns April 8, 2002 Doug Griffiths, Wainwright elected in a by-election May 25, 2004 Ken Nicol, Lethbridge-East resigns to run in a federal election May 28, 2004 Debby Carlson, Edmonton Ellerslie resigned to run in a federal election June 29, 2004 Gary Masyk, Edmonton Norwood crossed the floor to the Alberta Alliance
Notes
References
Further reading
External links Alberta Legislative Assembly Legislative Assembly of Alberta Members Book By-elections 1905 to present