Thepremier of Albertais thehead of governmentandfirst ministerof theCanadian provinceofAlberta.The currentpremierisDanielle Smith,leader of the governingUnited Conservative Party,who wassworn inon October 11, 2022.[1]
| Premier of Alberta | |
|---|---|
| Premier ministre de l'Alberta | |
 | |
| Office of the Premier | |
| Style |
|
| Status | Head of Government |
| Member of | |
| Reports to | |
| Seat | Edmonton |
| Appointer | Lieutenant Governor of Alberta with theconfidenceof the Alberta Legislature |
| Term length | At His Majesty's pleasure contingent on the premier's ability tocommand confidencein the legislative assembly |
| Formation | September 2, 1905 |
| First holder | Alexander Cameron Rutherford |
| Deputy | Deputy Premier of Alberta |
| Website | www |
The premier of Alberta is the leader of thelegislative majorityin theAlberta Legislature.The premier selectsministers of the Crownto theExecutive Council of Alberta(the "cabinet") and as such is thehead of the governmentin Alberta. The premier is thefirst ministerrepresenting Alberta towards thefederal governmentand the otherprovinces and territories in Canada.
Byconstitutional conventionthe premier is normally aMember of the Legislative Assembly.
Duties and functions
editTo be effective, accountable and in line with custom, the premier is expected to hold a seat in the legislature, so the premier serves as the MLA for aridingand is elected as MLA by the constituents of that constituency. As with most government leaders in aparliamentary system,the premier usually wins his or her own election as MLA easily. However, on occasion, a premier has not been re-elected to their seat in a general election, forcing them to run in aby-electionin a constituency that comes empty by the resignation of the sitting MLA or other incident. The most recent case of this wasDon Getty,who lost hisEdmonton-Whitemudseat in the1989 electionand then ran and was elected in a by-election inStettler.In 2022 Danielle Smith was elected party leader without holding a seat in the legislative assembly, thus becoming premier, and within a few weeks won a seat in a by-election.
List of premiers
editReferences
edit- ^Austen, Ian (30 May 2023)."After a Hard-Right Turn, Alberta's Conservatives Retain Power".The New York Times.Retrieved28 October2023.
Further reading
edit- Perry, Sandra E.; Craig, Jessica J. (2006).The Mantle of Leadership: Premiers of the Northwest Territories and Alberta.Edmonton,Alberta:Legislative Assembly of Alberta.ISBN0-9689217-2-8.
- Bradford J. Rennie, ed. (2004).Alberta Premiers of the Twentieth Century.Regina, Saskatchewan:Canadian Plains Research Center, University of Regina.ISBN978-0-88977-151-2.