Legislative Assembly of Alberta
31st Alberta Legislature
Type
TypeUnicameral house of the Alberta Legislature
History
FoundedSeptember 9, 1905 (1905-09-09)
Preceded byNorth-West Legislative Assembly
Leadership
SpeakerRic McIver, UCP
since May 13, 2025
PremierDanielle Smith, UCP
since October 11, 2022
Government House LeaderJoseph Schow, UCP
since October 24, 2022
Opposition LeaderNaheed Nenshi, NDP
since July 12, 2025
Opposition House LeaderChristina Gray, NDP
since February 8, 2021
Structure
Seats87
Political groupsGovernment
  •   United Conservative (47)

Official Opposition

  •   New Democratic (38)

Other parties

Elections
Last electionMay 29, 2023
Next electionOn or before October 18, 2027
Meeting place
Alberta Legislature Building
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Website
assembly.ab.ca

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.

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, 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.

Member[15] Party Electoral district First elected No. of terms
  Peter Guthrie Progressive Tory Airdrie-Cochrane 2019 2nd term
  Angela Pitt United Conservative Airdrie-East 2015 3rd term
  Glenn van Dijken United Conservative Athabasca-Barrhead-Westlock 2015 3rd term
  Sarah Elmeligi New Democratic Banff-Kananaskis 2023 1st term
  Scott Cyr United Conservative Bonnyville-Cold Lake-St. Paul 2015[a] 2nd term*
  Danielle Smith United Conservative Brooks-Medicine Hat 2012[b] 3rd term*
  Diana Batten New Democratic Calgary-Acadia 2023 1st term
  Amanda Chapman New Democratic Calgary-Beddington 2023 1st term
  Irfan Sabir New Democratic Calgary-Bhullar-McCall 2015 3rd term
  Demetrios Nicolaides United Conservative Calgary-Bow 2019 2nd term
  Joe Ceci New Democratic Calgary-Buffalo 2015 3rd term
  Mickey Amery United Conservative Calgary-Cross 2019 2nd term
  Janet Eremenko New Democratic Calgary-Currie 2023 1st term
  Peter Singh United Conservative Calgary-East 2019 2nd term
  Julia Hayter New Democratic Calgary-Edgemont 2023 1st term
  Samir Kayande New Democratic Calgary-Elbow 2023 1st term
  Parmeet Singh Boparai New Democratic Calgary-Falconridge 2023 1st term
  Myles McDougall United Conservative Calgary-Fish Creek 2023 1st term
  Court Ellingson New Democratic Calgary-Foothills 2023 1st term
  Nagwan Al-Guneid New Democratic Calgary-Glenmore 2023 1st term
  Ric McIver United Conservative Calgary-Hays 2012 4th term
  Lizette Tejada New Democratic Calgary-Klein 2023 1st term
  Eric Bouchard United Conservative Calgary-Lougheed 2023 1st term
  Kathleen Ganley New Democratic Calgary-Mountain View 2015 3rd term
  Muhammad Yaseen United Conservative Calgary-North 2019 2nd term
  Gurinder Brar New Democratic Calgary-North East 2023 1st term
  Rajan Sawhney United Conservative Calgary-North West 2019 2nd term
  Tanya Fir United Conservative Calgary-Peigan 2019 2nd term
  Rebecca Schulz United Conservative Calgary-Shaw 2019 2nd term
  Matt Jones United Conservative Calgary-South East 2019 2nd term
  Luanne Metz New Democratic Calgary-Varsity 2023 1st term
  Mike Ellis United Conservative Calgary-West 2014 (by-election) 4th term
  Jackie Lovely United Conservative Camrose 2019 2nd term
  Joseph Schow United Conservative Cardston-Siksika 2019 2nd term
  Todd Loewen United Conservative Central Peace-Notley 2019 2nd term
  Chantelle de Jonge United Conservative Chestermere-Strathmore 2023 1st term
  Justin Wright United Conservative Cypress-Medicine Hat 2023 1st term
  Andrew Boitchenko United Conservative Drayton Valley-Devon 2023 1st term
  Nate Horner United Conservative Drumheller-Stettler 2019 2nd term
  Peggy Wright New Democratic Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview 2023 1st term
  Nicole Goehring New Democratic Edmonton-Castle Downs 2015 3rd term
  David Shepherd New Democratic Edmonton-City Centre 2015 3rd term
  Sharif Haji New Democratic Edmonton-Decore 2023 1st term
  Gurtej Singh Brar New Democratic Edmonton-Ellerslie 2025 (by-election) 1st term
  Sarah Hoffman New Democratic Edmonton-Glenora 2015 3rd term
  Marlin Schmidt New Democratic Edmonton-Gold Bar 2015 3rd term
  Janis Irwin New Democratic Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood 2019 2nd term
  Heather Sweet New Democratic Edmonton-Manning 2015 3rd term
  Lorne Dach New Democratic Edmonton-McClung 2015 3rd term
  Jasvir Deol New Democratic Edmonton-Meadows 2019 2nd term
  Christina Gray New Democratic Edmonton-Mill Woods 2015 3rd term
  David Eggen New Democratic Edmonton-North West 2004[c] 5th term*
  Lori Sigurdson New Democratic Edmonton-Riverview 2015 3rd term
  Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse New Democratic Edmonton-Rutherford 2023 1st term
  Rhiannon Hoyle New Democratic Edmonton-South 2023 1st term
  Nathan Ip New Democratic Edmonton-South West 2023 1st term
  Naheed Nenshi New Democratic Edmonton-Strathcona 2025 (by-election) 1st term
  Brooks Arcand-Paul New Democratic Edmonton-West Henday 2023 1st term
  Rakhi Pancholi New Democratic Edmonton-Whitemud 2019 2nd term
  Brian Jean United Conservative Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche 2015[d] 3rd term*
  Tany Yao United Conservative Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo 2015 3rd term
  Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk United Conservative Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville 2019 2nd term
  Nolan Dyck United Conservative Grande Prairie 2023 1st term
  Ron Wiebe United Conservative Grande Prairie-Wapiti 2023 1st term
  RJ Sigurdson United Conservative Highwood 2019 2nd term
  Devin Dreeshen United Conservative Innisfail-Sylvan Lake 2018 (by-election) 3rd term
  Shane Getson United Conservative Lac Ste. Anne-Parkland 2019 2nd term
  Jennifer Johnson United Conservative Lacombe-Ponoka 2023 1st term
  Brandon Lunty United Conservative Leduc-Beaumont 2023 1st term
  Scott Sinclair Independent[e] Lesser Slave Lake 2023 1st term
  Nathan Neudorf United Conservative Lethbridge-East 2019 2nd term
  Rob Miyashiro New Democratic Lethbridge-West 2024 (by-election) 1st term
  Chelsae Petrovic United Conservative Livingstone-Macleod 2023 1st term
  Rick Wilson United Conservative Maskwacis-Wetaskiwin 2019 2nd term
  Dale Nally United Conservative Morinville-St. Albert 2019 2nd term
  Tara Sawyer United Conservative Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills 2025 (by-election) 1st term
  Dan Williams United Conservative Peace River 2019 2nd term
  Adriana LaGrange United Conservative Red Deer-North 2019 2nd term
  Jason Stephan United Conservative Red Deer-South 2019 2nd term
  Jason Nixon United Conservative Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre 2015 3rd term
  Kyle Kasawski New Democratic Sherwood Park 2023 1st term
  Searle Turton United Conservative Spruce Grove-Stony Plain 2019 2nd term
  Marie Renaud New Democratic St. Albert 2015 3rd term
  Nate Glubish United Conservative Strathcona-Sherwood Park 2019 2nd term
  Grant Hunter United Conservative Taber-Warner 2015 3rd term
  Garth Rowswell United Conservative Vermilion-Lloydminster-Wainwright 2019 2nd term
  Martin Long United Conservative West Yellowhead 2019 2nd term

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, 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]

Standings in the 31st Alberta Legislature
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

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

[17]

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

  1. Absent from Legislature during the 2019–2023 term
  2. Absent from Legislature during 2015–2022 before returning in 2022 by-election
  3. Absent from Legislature during 2008–2012 term
  4. Absent from Legislature during 2018–2022 before returning in 2022 by-election
  5. Left the UCP caucus; indicated membership of the Alberta Party, but has not formally joined the Alberta Party caucus with Peter Guthrie

References

  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. Emergency Statutes Amendment Act, 2024, S.A. 2024, c. 9, s. 2(2)
  5. Election Act, RSA 2000, c. E-1, s. 56
  6. Press, The Canadian (December 13, 2025). "Elections Alberta gets extra $6.7M to handle outburst of recall petitions". CTVNews.
  7. "History of the building". www.alberta.ca. February 29, 2024.
  8. "McDougall Centre". www.alberta.ca. February 29, 2024.
  9. Macauley, 75th Anniversary of Alberta's Legislative Building http://www.revparl.ca/english/issue.asp?art=735&param=122. accessed April 16, 2025
  10. Terrace Building, Edmonton, Alberta https://hermis.alberta.ca/paa/PhotoGalleryDetails.aspx?st=edmonton&cp=257&ReturnUrl=%2Fpaa%2FSearch.aspx%3Fst%3Dedmonton%26cp%3D257&dv=True&DeptID=1&ObjectID=A5676
  11. "Citizens Guide" (PDF). www.assembly.ab.ca. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 14, 2007.
  12. "Jeffers, Allan Merrick - Alberta On Record". albertaonrecord.ca.
  13. "Alberta Legislature". Alberta Legislature - Explore Edmonton.
  14. A Report on Alberta Elections, 1905-1982, p. 9
  15. "Legislative Assembly of Alberta". www.assembly.ab.ca.
  16. "Danielle Smith's UCP holds onto power in Alberta". Edmonton. May 29, 2023.
  17. "Chamber Seating Plan". www.assembly.ab.ca.