Premiership of Danielle Smith 11 October 2022 [1] –present | |
Cabinet | Smith ministry |
---|---|
Party | United Conservative Party |
Appointed by | Lieutenant Governor of Alberta |
Seat | Edmonton |
Constituency | Brooks-Medicine Hat |
Official website |
The premiership of Danielle Smith began on 11 October 2022 when she was sworn in by Lieutenant Governor of Alberta,Salma Lakhani. [1] Smith won the 2022 United Conservative Party leadership election to replace then Alberta Premier Jason Kenney on October 6,2022,and was appointed as the 19th Premier of Alberta. Her cabinet was sworn in on 22 October.
Smith won the 2022 UCP leadership election on October 6,2022,defeating six candidates with 53% of the UCP caucus vote. The 30th Alberta Legislature was constituted on 11 October 2022.
She won the by-election as MLA for Brooks-Medicine Hat on November 8,2022.
On October 21,2022 [1] the cabinet was sworn in by the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta,Salma Lakhani. Ministers in the newly formed cabinet who had held key ministries and responsibilities during the Premiership of Jason Kenney,included Jason Copping as Minister of Health,Tyler Shandro as Minister of Justice,Adriana LaGrange as Minister of Education,Demetrios Nicolaides as minister of Minister of Advanced Education,and Rick Wilson as Minister of Indigenous Relations. [1]
By October 21,the total roster of 27 cabinet members and their eleven secretaries represented nearly "two-thirds of the entire governing United Conservative Party caucus. [1] This includes Kaycee Madu and Nathan Neudorf as Deputy Premiers of Alberta on 21 October,Matt Jones as Minister of Affordability and Utilities,Nate Horner as Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation,Mickey Amery as Minister of Children's Services,Jason Luan as Minister of Culture,Peter Guthrie as Minister of Energy,Sonya Savage as Minister of Environment and Protected Areas,Travis Toews as Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board,Todd Loewen as |Minister of Forestry,Parks and Tourism]],Brian Jean as Minister of Jobs,Economy and Northern Development,Nicholas Milliken as Minister of Mental Health and Addictions,Rebecca Schulz as Minister of Municipal Affairs,Mike Ellis as Minister of Public Safety,Jeremy Nixon as Minister of Seniors,Community and Social Services,Dale Nally as Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction,Nate Glubish as Minister of Technology and Innovation,Rajan Sawhney as Minister of Trade,Immigration and Multiculturalism,Rajan Sawhney,and Devin Dreeshen as Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors who were also sworn in on October 21.
As promised in her election campaign as a contender for the leadership of the UCP replacing then Alberta Premier Jason Kenney,the first piece of legislation Premier Smith introduced on the first day of the fall sitting of the 4th Session of the 30th Alberta Legislature was Bill 1:Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act,commonly known as the Alberta Sovereignty Act. [2] It was introduced on 29 November 2022 on the first day of the fall sitting of the 4th Session of the 30th Alberta Legislature by Premier Smith and passed on December 8,2022. The final requirement before it passes into law is the royal assent,which is mostly viewed as ceremonial. [3] [4] Lieutenant Governor Lakhani told media on 2 September,after Smith had announced her intention to introduce Bill 1,that she would be seeking legal advice before giving assent to the Act,in order to ensure she would be "do[ing] the right thing for our people and for our Constitution". [3] [4]
The Act was a key component of Smith campaign during the United Conservative Party (UCP) leadership election in 2022,contributing to her election as UCP leader and appointment as Premier of Alberta. [5] [6]
Affordability and Utilities Minister Matt Jones introduced Bill 2:Inflation Relief Statutes Amendment Act on 7 December. [7] [8] If passed,Bill 2 would provide targeted relief through monthly cash payments of $100 to some families and seniors with combined incomes of less than $180,000 following submission of applications. Opposition Shannon Phillips said that the bill as it stands reflects a "back-of-the-napkin approach" lacking critical details while neglecting many who struggle with their finances. [9]
Included in Health Minister Jason Copping's 14 November mandate letter from Premier Smith,was a reminder to consider the affordability crisis and inflation in decisions related to the eleven expectations or commitments listed in the health portfolio. [10] [11] First on the list was a call to assess and reform the health care system including the Health Quality Council of Alberta (HQCA) and Alberta Health Services (AHS). This includes an immediate response to issues such as lengthy ER wait times and EMS response times. [10] [11]
On January 10,2023,Premier Smith told reporters that she had asked Nate Glubish—Minister of technology and innovation—to move forward on the creation of Health Spending Accounts,similar to those offered by some industries and professions. [12] The accounts—if implemented—would be funded with a combination of $300 seed money from the provincial government supplemented with equal payment from individuals based on a sliding-scale. [12] In a 2021 University of Calgary,School of Public Policy academic paper,Smith described the concept of user fees in the form of Health Spending Accounts as one of the solutions for Alberta's key challenges. [13] Smith's concern,at that time,was to reduce the $12 billion "structural shortfall" of expenses-versus-revenue by slowly introducing scaled-to-income user fees of $3 billion,with Health Spending Accounts as only one prong on the multi-pronged proposal. [13] Because the Health Spending Account can be spent on a wider choice of health care options—orthodontics,physiotherapists,dieticians—individuals can use the $600 on preventative healthcare that is not covered by the public system. [13] The goal is to "change the conversation on health care" and revisit the concept of "universal social programs that are 100 per cent paid by taxpayers." [13]
The two top priorities in the mandate letter to Minister Tyler Shandro were the Alberta Sovereignty Act and amendments to the Alberta Human Rights Act (AHRA) to protect people from losing their jobs because of COVID-19 vaccination and/or booster status. [11] [14] [15] An amendment to AHRA if passed,would allow complaints to be made Alberta Human Rights Commission if a denial of work,housing or other services was related to their vaccine status. [15] If the complaint were considered valid they would then advance to the Alberta Human Rights Tribunal where an assessment would be made. [15] The Tribunal may find that "vaccination was a justifiable requirement for the workplace,facility,or service in question". [15]
In a January 21,2023 in a radio call-in show,Premier Smith announced that there would be a review of email contacts between Alberta Crown Prosecution Service (ACPS) and the office of the premier's staff in response to the January 19 CBC News article questioning the way in which Crown prosecutors were handling cases related to the February 2022 blockade at the Canada-U.S. border. [16] The CBC article was based on an unnamed source about alleged correspondence the CBC staff had not read,saying that there were emails sent from the office of the premier to Crown prosecutors. [17] [16] [18] On January 23,the Justice Department reported that following an Alberta Public Service investigation no evidence of these allegations had been found. [16] [18] [19] ACPS assistant deputy minister Kimberley Goddard said in a January 23 email said that it was wrong to continue to criticize the ACPS for inappropriate and unethical behaviour based on unwarranted and unsubstantiated allegations of "impropriety without evidence." [19] CBC's Head of Public Affairs said they are still questioning whether there were emails "but not on the government email system." [19] On March 29,Calgary pastor Artur Pawlowski's YouTube video,since removed,entitled "January 26,2023" of a 11-minute telephone call between Premier Smith and Pawlowski,was aired in the Alberta Legislature,raising fresh calls for an investigation into potential political interference. [20] In the conversation the premier explained to Pawlowski that she could not grant him amnesty. She said that she only has the authority to ask the Justice minister and his senior bureaucrats about the "reasonable likelihood of convictions and whether going to trial would be in the public interest". [21] Smith has been very open about her criticism of COVID-19 public health measures and was sympathetic with Pawlowski who is facing charges under the province's Critical Infrastructure Defence Act. [22] The Alberta ethics commissioner started investigating Smith in April,2023 for her alleged interference with the administration of justice. [23] In May 2023 the ethics commissioner found that Smith had contravened the Conflict of Interest Act by discussing criminal charges against Artur Pawlowski with the justice minister Tyler Shandro and with Pawlowski himself. [24]
In January 2024,Premier Smith announced major reforms releated to LGBT issues.
Plans that will require parental consent when students under 16 years old wish to change their gender pronouns. [25] [26] [27]
Plans to ban gender affirming surgeries for minors under the age of 18 and hormones and puberty blockers for minors under the age of 16. [25] [26] [27]
Plans to ban transgender women and girls from competing in women's sports. [25] [26] [27]
On December 3 2024,the Alberta legislature passed these bills. One banning doctors from treating those under 16 with puberty blockers or hormone therapy,One banning transgender athletes from competing in female sports,and another one requiring children under 16 to have parental consent if they want to change their names or pronouns at school. [28] [29] [30]
Smith has said she might use the notwithstanding clause to protect these laws. [31]
In November 2024,Premier Smith appointed former Prime Minister,Stephen Harper as Chair of the Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo). Harper will oversee AIMCO's $160 billion which includespension funds and the Heritage Savings Trust Fund. [32] This move has been seen as a departure from the traditional Canadian pension model,which emphasizes independence and political neutrality. [33]
Jason Thomas Kenney is a former Canadian politician who served as the 18th premier of Alberta from 2019 until 2022, and the leader of the United Conservative Party (UCP) from 2017 until 2022. He also served as the member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Calgary-Lougheed from 2017 until 2022. Kenney was the last leader of the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party before the party merged with the Wildrose Party to form the UCP. Prior to entering Alberta provincial politics, he served in various cabinet posts under Prime Minister Stephen Harper from 2006 to 2015.
Marlaina Danielle Smith is a Canadian politician, former lobbyist, and former columnist and media personality who has been serving as the 19th premier of Alberta and leader of the United Conservative Party (UCP) since October 2022.
Calgary-Acadia is a current provincial electoral district in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Created in 2010, the district is one of 87 districts mandated to return a single member (MLA) to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta using the first past the post method of voting.
Jason Luan is a former Canadian politician who was elected in the 2019 Alberta general election to represent the electoral district of Calgary-Foothills in the 30th Alberta Legislature. He was previously elected in the 2012 Alberta general election to represent the electoral district of Calgary-Hawkwood in the 28th Alberta Legislature. Luan served was an associate minister for mental health and then became the minister for community and social services on July 8, 2021 in the cabinet of Jason Kenney. Under the premiership of Danielle Smith, he became the minister of culture on October 24, 2022.
Michael George Ellis is a Canadian politician who has represented Calgary-West in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta since 2014, sitting as a member of the Progressive Conservatives and later the United Conservative Party (UCP). Ellis was sworn in as Deputy Premier and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services in Alberta. Prior to entering politics, he worked as a police officer.
Artur Pawlowski is a Polish-Canadian evangelical street preacher and political activist. He is pastor of the Cave of Adullam congregation in Calgary and previously led the Kings Glory Fellowship (KGF). Pawlowski is also founder and pastor of Street Church Ministries (SCM), a group no longer recognized as a religious or charitable organization by the Canadian government.
Jason John Nixon is a Canadian politician and the current Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services of Alberta. He is member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta representing the electoral district of Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre.
The United Conservative Party of Alberta (UCP) is a conservative political party in the province of Alberta, Canada. It was established in July 2017 as a merger between the Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta and the Wildrose Party. When established, the UCP immediately formed the Official Opposition in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. The UCP won a majority mandate in the 2019 Alberta general election to form the government of Alberta. The party won a renewed majority mandate in the 2023 Alberta general election under the leadership of Danielle Smith.
Travis Toews is a Canadian politician elected in the 2019 Alberta general election to represent the electoral district of Grande Prairie-Wapiti in the 30th Alberta Legislature. He was appointed as Minister of Finance of Alberta and President of the Treasury Board on April 30, 2019, by Alberta Premier Jason Kenney.
Rebecca Schulz is a Canadian politician who was elected in the 2019 Alberta general election to represent the electoral district of Calgary-Shaw in the 30th Alberta Legislature.
Rajan Sawhney is a Canadian politician from the United Conservative Party in Alberta. She was elected in the 2019 Alberta general election to represent the electoral district of Calgary-North West in the 30th Alberta Legislature. On April 30, 2019, she was appointed to be the Minister of Community & Social Services in the Executive Council of Alberta. On July 8, 2021, she was shuffled into the Minister of Transportation.
Tyler Shandro is a Canadian politician who served as the minister of justice and solicitor general of Alberta from February 2022 to June 2023. A member of the United Conservative Party (UCP), Shandro was elected to represent Calgary-Acadia in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in the 2019 provincial election. He was Alberta's minister of health from 2019 to 2021, and minister of labour and immigration from 2021 until he was named justice minister in 2022. He lost re-election in the 2023 provincial election.
Kelechi "Kaycee" Madu is a Canadian lawyer and politician. As a member of the United Conservative Party (UCP), Madu represented Edmonton-South West in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 2019 to 2023. He was elected in the 2019 provincial election. He was Alberta's minister of municipal affairs from 2019 to 2020, minister of justice and solicitor general of Alberta from 2020 to 2022.
Jason Copping is a Canadian politician who was the minister of health for Alberta from September 21, 2021, to June 9, 2023. Elected in the 2019 Alberta general election to represent the electoral district of Calgary-Varsity, Copping is a member of the United Conservative Party (UCP). He previously was the labour and immigration minister from April 20, 2019, to September 21, 2021.
The 2023 Alberta general election was held on May 29, 2023. Voters elected the members of the 31st Alberta Legislature. The United Conservative Party under Danielle Smith, the incumbent Premier of Alberta, was re-elected to a second term with a reduced majority. Across the province, 1,763,441 valid votes were cast in this election.
The premiership of Jason Kenney spanned from April 2019 until October 2022, when Jason Kenney and his cabinet were sworn in by Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, Lois Mitchell. Kenney was invited to form the 30th Alberta Legislature and became the 18th Premier of Alberta, following the 2019 Alberta general election where Kenney's United Conservative Party (UCP) won a majority of seats in the Alberta Legislature leading to the resignation of Premier Rachel Notley. Kenney stepped down as leader of the UCP party on May 18, 2022, after receiving 51.4% of the UCP party members' votes. His premiership ended shortly after Danielle Smith won the subsequent leadership election and was sworn in as premier.
The Kenney Ministry was the combined Cabinet, chaired by 18th Premier of Alberta Jason Kenney, that governed Alberta from April 2019 until October 2022.
Alberta's Ministry of Health is a ministry of the Executive Council of Alberta whose major responsibilities include setting "policy and direction to achieve a sustainable and accountable health system to promote and protect the health of Albertans."
The 2022 United Conservative Party leadership election was held on October 6 in Alberta to select a new leader of the United Conservative Party and Premier of Alberta. The leadership election was triggered following the May 18 leadership review in which the United Conservative Party membership voted 51.4 per cent in support of incumbent Premier Jason Kenney's leadership. In Kenney's speech following the announcement of the results, Kenney issued his resignation as leader of the United Conservative Party. Nominations for leadership of the United Conservative Party closed on July 20, with seven candidates meeting the nomination criteria. Party members selected their preference for leader using instant-runoff voting between September 2 and October 3.
The Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act, commonly known as the Alberta Sovereignty Act, is an act introduced on November 29, 2022, the first day of the fall sitting of the 4th Session of the 30th Alberta Legislature by the Premier of Alberta, Danielle Smith, and passed on December 8, 2022. The act seeks to protect Alberta from federal laws and policies that the Alberta legislature deems to be unconstitutional or harmful to Albertans or the province's economic prosperity, in areas such as natural resources, gun control, COVID-19 public health, education, and agriculture.
A
B
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)C
D
G
J
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)K
M
O
S
T
V