25th Alberta Legislature

{{More categories|date=January 2025}}{{Infobox Canadian Parliament | jurisdiction = AB | # = 25th | type = Majority | houseimage =

| status = inactive | term-begin =  April 9, 2001 | term-end =  October 25, 2004

| sc = Ken Kowalski | scterm = April 14, 1997 – May 23, 2012 | sc2 = | scterm2 =

| pm = Ralph Klein | pmterm = December 14, 1992 – December 14, 2006 | ministry = Klein cabinet

| lo = Ken Nicol | loterm = March 12, 2001 – March 14, 2004

| ghl = Dave Hancock | ghlterm = May 26, 1999 – November 24, 2006

| ohl = | ohlterm = | ohl2 = | ohlterm2 =

| party = Progressive Conservative Association | party2 = Liberal Party | party3 = New Democratic Party | unrecparty1 = Alberta Alliance

| monarch = Elizabeth II | monarchterm = February 6, 1952 – September 8, 2022 | viceroy = Hon. Lois Hole | viceroyterm = February 10, 2000 – January 6, 2005

| members = 83

| lastparl = 24th | nextparl = 26th }} 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.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Perry, Sandra E. |author2=Footz, Valerie L. |editor1-last=Massolin |editor1-first=Philip A. |title=A Higher Duty: Speakers of the Legislative Assemblies |date=2006 |publisher=Legislative Assembly of Alberta |location=Edmonton, AB |isbn=0-9689217-3-6 |page=504 |url=https://archive.org/details/centennialseries03perr |access-date=August 9, 2020}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite news |title=NDP Leader Brian Mason |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/ndp-leader-brian-mason-1.1150725 |access-date=August 12, 2020 |work=CBC News |date=March 16, 2012}}</ref>

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''=== {{main|Adult interdependent relationship in Alberta}}

The ''Adult Interdependent Relationships Act'' (S.A. 2002, c. A-4.5)<ref>{{cite canlaw|short title=Adult Interdependent Relationships Act |abbr=S.A. |year=2002 |chapter=A-4.5 |link=http://canlii.ca/t/53rdx}}</ref> was passed by the Alberta Legislature on December 4, 2002, and proclaimed in force on June 1, 2003.<ref name='duncancraig'>{{cite web|url=http://www.duncanandcraig.com/articles/Adult%20Interdendent%20Relationships.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060111183316/http://www.duncanandcraig.com/articles/Adult%20Interdendent%20Relationships.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 11, 2006 |title=Adult Interdependent Relationships Act: Estate Planning and Administration Issues for General Practitioners |access-date=July 29, 2007 |last=Dobbie |first=Peter J. |date=April 26, 2003 |work=Duncan & Craig LLP }}</ref> 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.<ref name='Eliott2004'>{{cite journal|title=The Canadian Earthquake: Same-sex Marriage in Canada |journal=The New England Law Review |first=R. Douglas |last=Elliott |volume=38 |issue=3 |pages=608, 610 |url=http://www.nesl.edu/lawrev/VOL38/3/12-Elliott-PDF.pdf |access-date=July 29, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060904132223/http://www.nesl.edu/lawrev/vol38/3/12-Elliott-PDF.pdf |archive-date=September 4, 2006 }}</ref> 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.<ref name='ALRIjan2002'>{{cite book |url=http://www.law.ualberta.ca/alri/docs/RP21mas.pdf |title=Recognition of Rights and Obligations in Same-Sex Relationships |access-date=July 29, 2007 |date=January 2002 |location=Edmonton, Alta. |author=Alberta Law Review |publisher=Alberta Law Reform Institute |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081002111452/http://www.law.ualberta.ca/alri/docs/RP21mas.pdf |archive-date=October 2, 2008 |url-status=dead |isbn=9781896078090 |issn=0838-0503}}</ref>

===''Electoral Divisions Act''=== The ''Electoral Divisions Act'' (S.A. 2003, c. E-4.1)<ref name="2003bound">{{Cite canlaw |short title=Electoral Divisions Act |abbr=S.A. |year=2003 |chapter=E-4.1 |link=http://canlii.ca/t/53m7s}}</ref> 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.<ref name="2003boundarychanges">{{cite web|title=Proposed Electoral Division Areas, Boundaries, and Names for Alberta. Final Report to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta |url=https://archive.org/details/proposedelectora00albe_1 |date=February 2003 |access-date=May 29, 2020 |author=Alberta Electoral Boundaries Commission |publisher=Legislative Assembly of Alberta}}</ref>

==Members of the 25th Legislature by district== {| class="wikitable sortable" !|  !|District !|Member !|Party !|First elected/ previously elected !|No.# of term(s) !|Notes {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Athabasca-Wabasca |Mike Cardinal |Progressive Conservative |1989 |4th term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Airdrie-Rocky View |Carol Haley |Progressive Conservative |1993 |3rd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Banff-Cochrane |Janis Tarchuk |Progressive Conservative |1997 |2nd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Barrhead-Westlock |Ken Kowalski |Progressive Conservative |1979 |7th term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Bonnyville-Cold Lake |Denis Ducharme |Progressive Conservative |1997 |2nd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Calgary-Bow |Alana DeLong |Progressive Conservative |2001 |1st term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Calgary-Buffalo |Harvey Cenaiko |Progressive Conservative |2001 |1st term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Calgary-Cross |Yvonne Fritz |Progressive Conservative |1993 |3rd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Calgary Currie |Jon Lord |Progressive Conservative |2001 |1st term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Calgary-East |Moe Amery |Progressive Conservative |1993 |3rd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Calgary-Egmont |Denis Herard |Progressive Conservative |1993 |3rd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Calgary Elbow |Ralph Klein |Progressive Conservative |1989 |4th term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Calgary Fish Creek |Heather Forsyth |Progressive Conservative |1993 |3rd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Calgary-Foothills |Pat Nelson |Progressive Conservative |1989 |4th term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Calgary-Fort |Wayne Cao |Progressive Conservative |1997 |2nd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Calgary-Glenmore |Ron Stevens |Progressive Conservative |1997 |2nd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Calgary Lougheed |Marlene Graham |Progressive Conservative |1997 |2nd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Calgary McCall |Shiraz Shariff |Progressive Conservative |1995 |3rd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Calgary Montrose |Hung Pham |Progressive Conservative |1993 |3rd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Calgary-Mountain View |Mark Hlady |Progressive Conservative |1993 |3rd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Calgary-North Hill |Richard Magnus |Progressive Conservative |1993 |3rd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Calgary North West |Greg Melchin |Progressive Conservative |1997 |2nd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Calgary Nose Creek |Gary Mar |Progressive Conservative |1993 |3rd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Calgary Shaw |Cindy Ady |Progressive Conservative |2001 |1st term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Calgary-Varsity |Murray Smith |Progressive Conservative |1993 |3rd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Calgary West |Karen Kryczka |Progressive Conservative |1997 |2nd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Cardston-Taber-Warner |Broyce Jacobs |Progressive Conservative |2001 |1st term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Clover Bar-Fort Saskatchewan |Rob Lougheed |Progressive Conservative |1997 |2nd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Cypress-Medicine Hat |Lorne Taylor |Progressive Conservative |1993 |3rd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Drayton Valley-Calmar |Tony Abbott |Progressive Conservative |2001 |1st term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Drumheller-Chinook |Shirley McClellan |Progressive Conservative |1987 |5th term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Dunvegan |Hector Goudreau |Progressive Conservative |2001 |1st term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview |Julius Yankowsky |Progressive Conservative |1993{{efn|name=''liberal''|First elected as a Liberal}} |3rd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Edmonton-Calder |Brent Rathgeber |Progressive Conservative |2001 |1st term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Edmonton Castle Downs |Thomas Lukaszuk |Progressive Conservative |2001 |1st term {{Canadian party colour|AB|Liberal|row}} |Edmonton Centre |Laurie Blakeman |Liberal |1997 |2nd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|Liberal|row}} |rowspan=2|Edmonton Ellerslie |Debby Carlson |Liberal |1993 |3rd term |Resigned |- | |colspan=4|Vacant at dissolution {{Canadian party colour|AB|Liberal|row}} |Edmonton-Glengarry |Bill Bonner |Liberal |1997 |2nd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Edmonton-Glenora |Drew Hutton |Progressive Conservative |2001 |1st term {{Canadian party colour|AB|Liberal|row}} |Edmonton-Gold Bar |Hugh MacDonald |Liberal |1997 |2nd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|NDP|row}} |Edmonton-Highlands |Brian Mason |NDP |2000 |2nd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Edmonton Manning |Tony Vandermeer |Progressive Conservative |2001 |1st term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Edmonton-McClung |Mark Norris |Progressive Conservative |2001 |1st term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Edmonton Meadowlark |Bob Maskell |Progressive Conservative |2001 |1st term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Edmonton Mill Creek |Gene Zwozdesky |Progressive Conservative |1993{{efn|name=''liberal''}} |3rd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|Liberal|row}} |Edmonton-Mill Woods |Don Massey |Liberal |1993 |3rd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |rowspan=2|Edmonton-Norwood |rowspan=2|Gary Masyk |Progressive Conservative |rowspan=2|2001 |rowspan=2|1st term |rowspan=2|Crossed the floor {{Canadian party colour|AB|Alliance|row-name}} {{Canadian party colour|AB|Liberal|row}} |Edmonton Riverview |Kevin Taft |Liberal |2001 |1st term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Edmonton Rutherford |Ian McClelland |Progressive Conservative |2001 |1st term {{Canadian party colour|AB|NDP|row}} |Edmonton-Strathcona |Raj Pannu |NDP |1997 |2nd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Edmonton-Whitemud |David Hancock |Progressive Conservative |1997 |2nd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Fort McMurray |Guy Boutilier |Progressive Conservative |1997 |2nd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Grande Prairie-Smoky |Mel Knight |Progressive Conservative |2001 |1st term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Grande Prairie-Wapiti |Gordon Graydon |Progressive Conservative |2001 |1st term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Highwood |Don Tannas |Progressive Conservative |1989 |4th term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Innisfail-Sylvan Lake |Luke Ouellette |Progressive Conservative |2001 |1st term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Lac La Biche-St. Paul |Ray Danyluk |Progressive Conservative |2001 |1st term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Lacombe-Stettler |Judy Gordon |Progressive Conservative |1993 |3rd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Lesser Slave Lake |Pearl Calahasen |Progressive Conservative |1989 |4th term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Leduc |Albert Klapstein |Progressive Conservative |1997 |2nd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|Liberal|row}} |rowspan=2|Lethbridge-East |Ken Nicol |Liberal |1993 |3rd term |Resigned |- | |colspan=4|Vacant at dissolution {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Lethbridge-West |Clint Dunford |Progressive Conservative |1993 |3rd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Little Bow |Barry McFarland |Progressive Conservative |1992 |4th term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Livingstone-Macleod |David Coutts |Progressive Conservative |1993 |3rd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Medicine Hat |Rob Renner |Progressive Conservative |1993 |3rd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills |Richard Marz |Progressive Conservative |1997 |2nd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Peace River |Gary Friedel |Progressive Conservative |1993 |3rd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Ponoka-Rimbey |Halvar Jonson |Progressive Conservative |1982 |6th term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Red Deer North |Mary Anne Jablonski |Progressive Conservative |2000 |2nd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Red Deer South |Victor Doerksen |Progressive Conservative |1993 |3rd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Redwater |Dave Broda |Progressive Conservative |1997 |2nd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Rocky Mountain House |Ty Lund |Progressive Conservative |1989 |4th term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Sherwood Park |Iris Evans |Progressive Conservative |1997 |2nd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |St. Albert |Mary O'Neill |Progressive Conservative |1997 |2nd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Spruce Grove-Sturgeon-St. Albert |Doug Horner |Progressive Conservative |2001 |1st term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Stony Plain |Stan Woloshyn |Progressive Conservative |1989{{efn|First elected as a NDP}} |4th term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Strathmore-Brooks |Lyle Oberg |Progressive Conservative |1993 |3rd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Vegreville-Viking |Ed Stelmach |Progressive Conservative |1993 |3rd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Vermilion-Lloydminster |Lloyd Snelgrove |Progressive Conservative |2001 |1st term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |rowspan=2|Wainwright |Robert Fischer |Progressive Conservative |1982 |6th term |Resigned {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Doug Griffiths (2002) |Progressive Conservative |2002 |1st term |Elected by-election {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |West Yellowhead |Ivan Strang |Progressive Conservative |1997 |2nd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Wetaskiwin-Camrose |LeRoy Johnson |Progressive Conservative |1997 |2nd term {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row}} |Whitecourt-Ste. Anne |George VanderBurg |Progressive Conservative |2001 |1st term |}

==Standings changes during the 25th Assembly== {| class="wikitable" !colspan=2 rowspan=2|Number of members<br />per party by date !colspan=2|2001 !2002 !colspan=3|2004 |- !Mar 12 !Dec 31 !Apr 8 !May 25 !May 28 !Jun 29 {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row-name}} |74 |73 |colspan=3|74 |73 {{Canadian party colour|AB|Liberal|row-name}} |colspan=3|7 |6 |colspan=2|5 {{Canadian party colour|AB|NDP|row-name}} |colspan=6|2 {{Canadian party colour|AB|Alliance|row-name}} |colspan=5|0 |1 |- |rowspan=3| |Total members |83 |82 |83 |82 |colspan=2|81 |- |Vacant |0 |1 |0 |1 |colspan=2|2 |- |Government Majority |65 |64 |65 |66 |67 |65 |} #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 group="lower-alpha" /> ==References== {{Reflist}}

==Further reading== *{{cite book |author1=Office of the Chief Electoral Officer |author2=Legislative Assembly Office |author2-link=Legislative Assembly of Alberta |author-link1=Elections Alberta |title=A Century of Democracy: Elections of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, 1905-2005 |date=2006 |publisher=Legislative Assembly of Alberta |series=The Centennial Series |location=Edmonton, AB |isbn=0-9689217-8-7 |url=https://archive.org/details/centennialseries04perr/mode/2up |access-date=May 25, 2020}} *{{cite book |author1=Perry, Sandra E. |author2=Footz, Valerie L. |editor1-last=Massolin |editor1-first=Philip A. |title=A Higher Duty: Speakers of the Legislative Assemblies |date=2006 |publisher=Legislative Assembly of Alberta |location=Edmonton, AB |isbn=0-9689217-3-6 |url=https://archive.org/details/centennialseries03perr |access-date=August 9, 2020}}

==External links== *[https://www.assembly.ab.ca/ Alberta Legislative Assembly] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20101026192825/http://www.assembly.ab.ca/legislaturecentennial/pdf/membersBooklet.pdf Legislative Assembly of Alberta Members Book] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070704044849/http://www.electionsalberta.ab.ca/pastbyelection.html By-elections 1905 to present]