Election as MLA
Turton was first elected as Member of the Legislative Assembly for Spruce Grove-Stony Plain on April 16, 2019, as a member of the United Conservative Party. [1] He defeated United Conservative Party nomination challengers Mathew Clarke and Jerry W. Semen in December 2018. [6] He was re-elected on May 29, 2023. [1]
Committee work and parliamentary roles
Before his appointment to Cabinet, Turton held several legislative positions:
- Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy [1]
- Chair of the Social Services Cabinet Policy Committee [1]
- Deputy Chair of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts [1]
- Member of the Standing Committee on Resource Stewardship [1]
Minister of Children and Family Services
Turton was sworn in as Minister of Children and Family Services on June 9, 2023, following Premier Danielle Smith's cabinet shuffle after the 2023 election. [7]
E. coli Outbreak response (2023)
In September 2023, Turton managed the government's response to Alberta's largest E. coli outbreak, which affected hundreds of children at multiple Calgary daycares. The outbreak was linked to a shared commercial kitchen. Turton announced a compensation program providing $2,000 per child affected by closures and led a review of shared commercial kitchens serving daycares across the province. [8] [9] [10]
Foster care and kinship support initiatives (2023-2025)
As Minister, Turton implemented several initiatives to support foster and kinship caregivers in Alberta. In October 2023, the government announced over $23.6 million in new supports for caregivers and measures to improve stability for young people in care. Key initiatives included the Enhanced Caregiver Compensation, mental health supports, the Transition to Adulthood Program, and the Refer-a-Foster Caregiver Program. [11] [12] [13]
The initiatives received positive responses from stakeholder organizations. Melissa Jones, CEO of the Alberta Foster and Kinship Association, stated that foster caregivers' "well-being is important, and we are very pleased to see that new funding is on the way." [11] Bjorn Johansson, CEO of Wood's Homes, commented that his organization was "pleased Alberta's government is helping to build good mental health for not just those in care but for those who care for them." [11] Sonja Polz, executive director of ALIGN Association of Community Services, described the investment as "an important step in ensuring caregivers have the resources they need to provide care, stability, and safety for children and youth in their homes." [12]
As of December 31, 2024, Alberta had 1,494 foster caregivers, 2,196 kinship caregivers, and 3,013 families offering permanent homes through adoption or guardianship. [12]
Seniors housing investment (2023)
In March 2023, Turton announced a $14.7 million investment to the Meridian Housing Foundation to build seniors' housing units in Spruce Grove, the largest single allocation in a provincial affordable housing program announcement. [13] [14] Turton stated at the announcement that he had advocated to Alberta's housing minister "over and over and over again about the need for more seniors’ housing" in his constituency. [13]
Private member's bills
In March 2021, Turton introduced Bill 213: the Traffic Safety (Maximum Speed Limit for Provincial Freeways) Amendment Act, which proposed raising the speed limit on divided highways outside urban areas from 110 km/h to 120 km/h. [15] [16] The bill applied to highways including Highways 1, 2, 3, 4, 16, and 43. Turton argued that Alberta's flat prairie terrain made the roads suitable for higher speeds and that the change would improve safety by better synchronizing posted limits with actual driving speeds. [15] The bill passed first reading on March 10, 2021, [17] but did not advance beyond that stage. [18]
Controversies
Sean Feucht legislature tour (2025)
In August 2025, Turton faced criticism for conducting a late-night tour of the Alberta Legislature for American Christian singer Sean Feucht following a concert on the legislature grounds. Feucht, known for his socially conservative views on abortion and LGBTQ rights, posted a video on social media showing a "worship session" in the legislature rotunda. [19] [20]
Opposition NDP deputy leader Rakhi Pancholi criticized the incident, stating that "turning a space that belongs to all Albertans into a Minister's personal worshipping space is wrong." [19] Turton acknowledged the tour was "not usual procedure" and promised to follow proper protocols in the future, though he stated no rules had been broken. [20]
Recall petition (2025)
On November 26, 2025, Elections Alberta approved a recall petition against Turton. Under Alberta's Recall Act, petitioners have 90 days to collect signatures from voters equal to at least 60% of those who voted in the most recent provincial election. [21]
