# 27th Alberta Legislature

The 27th Alberta Legislative Assembly was in session from April 14, 2008, to March 26, 2012, with the membership of the assembly determined by the results of the 2008 Alberta general election held on March 3, 2008. The Legislature officially resumed on April 14, 2008, and continued until the fifth session was prorogued on March 22, 2012, and dissolved on March 26, 2012, prior to the 2012 Alberta general election on April 23, 2012.
Alberta's twenty-sixth government was controlled by the majority Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta, led by Premier Ed Stelmach until his resignation on October 7, 2011, where he was succeeded by Alison Redford. The Official Opposition was led by David Swann of the Liberal Party, and later Raj Sherman. The Speaker was Ken Kowalski.

## Election aftermath

The result of the 2008 election resulted in the Progressive Conservative party strengthening their ranks and picking up many districts. The results had fooled most of the pundits who were predicting quite the opposite.
Premier Ed Stelmach shuffled the Cabinet on March 13, 2008. The more notable members of his cabinet included Ron Liepert, Lindsay Blackett and Mel Knight. The opposition criticized Stelmach for not reducing the size of cabinet which had become bloated to record levels.

## 1st Session

The 1st Session of the 27th Alberta Legislature began on April 14, 2008, with the re-election of Ken Kowalski as speaker of the assembly defeating Laurie Blakeman on the first ballot.
The first throne speech during the assembly was read by Normie Kwong the next day. The 1st session was marked by a number of initiatives that cast the government in a negative light.

## No Meet Committee

In March 2012 it came to light that the "Select Standing Committee on Privileges and Elections, Standing Orders and Printing", a committee of the Legislative Assembly had not sat for over three years, despite each member of the committee receiving a $1,000 stipend. The committee was chaired by Ray Prins, a backbench Progressive Conservative MLA for Lacombe-Ponoka who received an additional $38,000 per year for the appointment. The committee's 21 members included individuals from all political parities in the Assembly. In response, Premier Alison Redford instituted a freeze on committee pay and announced members would have to return six months of pay. After public criticism continued, Redford ordered all Progressive Conservative MLAs to pay back all pay received since the committee last met.

## Budget
### Budget 2012

Budget 2012: Investing in People was presented in the Legislature by Minister of Finance Ron Liepert on February 9, 2012. The budget projected CA$40.3-billion in revenue, with $41.1-billion in expenses and a total deficit of $886-million. The budget would outline government direction towards results-based budgeting and reviews of all government programs and services, and lay the groundwork for three-year funding cycles for municipalities, school boards and post-secondary institutions. The budget projected a path to balance in the next fiscal year, with a projected surplus of $952-million. The projected economic growth for 2012 in Alberta was 3.8%, and West Texas Intermediate benchmark at USD$99.25 per barrel.

## Membership in the 27th Alberta Legislative Assembly

| Member | Party | Constituency | First elected/ previously elected |
| Cindy Ady | Progressive Conservative | Calgary-Shaw | 2001 |
| Ken Allred | Progressive Conservative | St. Albert | 2008 |
| Moe Amery | Progressive Conservative | Calgary-East | 1993 |
| Rob Anderson | Progressive Conservative | Airdrie-Chestermere | 2008 |
| Rob Anderson | Wildrose Alliance | Airdrie-Chestermere | 2008 |
| Carl Benito | Progressive Conservative | Edmonton-Mill Woods | 2008 |
| Evan Berger | Progressive Conservative | Livingstone-Macleod | 2008 |
| Naresh Bhardwaj | Progressive Conservative | Edmonton-Ellerslie | 2008 |
| Manmeet Bhullar | Progressive Conservative | Calgary-Montrose | 2008 |
| Lindsay Blackett | Progressive Conservative | Calgary-North West | 2008 |
| Laurie Blakeman | Liberal | Edmonton-Centre | 1997 |
| Guy Boutilier | Progressive Conservative | Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo | 1997 |
| Guy Boutilier | Independent | Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo | 1997 |
| Guy Boutilier | Independent Wildrose Alliance | Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo | 1997 |
| Guy Boutilier | Wildrose | Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo | 1997 |
| Neil Brown | Progressive Conservative | Calgary-Nose Hill | 2004 |
| Pearl Calahasen | Progressive Conservative | Lesser Slave Lake | 1989 |
| Robin Campbell | Progressive Conservative | West Yellowhead | 2008 |
| Wayne Cao | Progressive Conservative | Calgary-Fort | 1997 |
| Harry B. Chase | Liberal | Calgary-Varsity | 2004 |
| Cal Dallas | Progressive Conservative | Red Deer South | 2008 |
| Ray Danyluk | Progressive Conservative | Lac La Biche-St. Paul | 2001 |
| Alana DeLong | Progressive Conservative | Calgary-Bow | 2001 |
| Jonathan Denis | Progressive Conservative | Calgary-Egmont | 2008 |
| Arno Doerksen | Progressive Conservative | Strathmore-Brooks | 2008 |
| Wayne Drysdale | Progressive Conservative | Grande Prairie Wapiti | 2008 |
| Doug Elniski | Progressive Conservative | Edmonton-Calder | 2008 |
| Iris Evans | Progressive Conservative | Sherwood Park | 1997 |
| Kyle Fawcett | Progressive Conservative | Calgary-North Hill | 2008 |
| Heather Forsyth | Progressive Conservative | Calgary-Fish Creek | 1993 |
| Heather Forsyth | Wildrose Alliance | Calgary-Fish Creek | 1993 |
| Yvonne Fritz | Progressive Conservative | Calgary-Cross | 1993 |
| Hector Goudreau | Progressive Conservative | Dunvegan | 2001 |
| Doug Griffiths | Progressive Conservative | Battle River-Wainwright | 2002 |
| George Groeneveld | Progressive Conservative | Highwood | 2004 |
| Dave Hancock | Progressive Conservative | Edmonton-Whitemud | 1997 |
| Jack Hayden | Progressive Conservative | Drumheller-Stettler | 2007 |
| Kent Hehr | Liberal | Calgary-Buffalo | 2008 |
| Ron Stevens | Progressive Conservative | Calgary-Glenmore | 1997 |
| Paul Hinman | Wildrose Alliance | Calgary-Glenmore | 2004, 2009 |
| Fred Horne | Progressive Conservative | Edmonton-Rutherford | 2008 |
| Doug Horner | Progressive Conservative | Spruce Grove-Sturgeon-St. Albert | 2001 |
| Mary Anne Jablonski | Progressive Conservative | Red Deer North | 2000 |
| Broyce Jacobs | Progressive Conservative | Cardston-Taber-Warner | 2001, 2008 |
| Jeff Johnson | Progressive Conservative | Athabasca-Redwater | 2008 |
| Arthur Johnston | Progressive Conservative | Calgary-Hays | 2004 |
| Darshan Kang | Liberal | Calgary-McCall | 2008 |
| Heather Klimchuk | Progressive Conservative | Edmonton-Glenora | 2008 |
| Mel Knight | Progressive Conservative | Grande Prairie Smoky | 2001 |
| Ken Kowalski | Progressive Conservative | Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock | 1979 |
| Genia Leskiw | Progressive Conservative | Bonnyville-Cold Lake | 2008 |
| Ron Liepert | Progressive Conservative | Calgary West | 2004 |
| Fred Lindsay | Progressive Conservative | Stony Plain | 2004 |
| Thomas Lukaszuk | Progressive Conservative | Edmonton-Castle Downs | 2001 |
| Ty Lund | Progressive Conservative | Rocky Mountain House | 1989 |
| Hugh MacDonald | Liberal | Edmonton-Gold Bar | 1997 |
| Barry McFarland | Progressive Conservative | Little Bow | 1992 |
| Diana McQueen | Progressive Conservative | Drayton Valley-Calmar | 2008 |
| Richard Marz | Progressive Conservative | Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills | 1997 |
| Vacant | Vacant | | Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills | 1997 |
| Brian Mason | NDP | Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood | 2000 |
| Leonard Mitzel | Progressive Conservative | Cypress-Medicine Hat | 2004 |
| Ted Morton | Progressive Conservative | Foothills-Rocky View | 2004 |
| Rachel Notley | NDP | Edmonton Strathcona | 2008 |
| Frank Oberle | Progressive Conservative | Peace River | 2004 |
| Verlyn Olson | Progressive Conservative | Wetaskiwin-Camrose | 2008 |
| Luke Ouellette | Progressive Conservative | Innisfail-Sylvan Lake | 2001 |
| Bridget Pastoor | Liberal | Lethbridge-East | 2004 |
| Bridget Pastoor | Progressive Conservative | Lethbridge-East | 2004 |
| Ray Prins | Progressive Conservative | Lacombe-Ponoka | 2004 |
| Dave Quest | Progressive Conservative | Strathcona | 2008 |
| Alison Redford | Progressive Conservative | Calgary-Elbow | 2008 |
| Rob Renner | Progressive Conservative | Medicine Hat | 1993 |
| David Rodney | Progressive Conservative | Calgary Lougheed | 2004 |
| George Rogers | Progressive Conservative | Leduc-Beaumont-Devon | 2004 |
| Peter Sandhu | Progressive Conservative | Edmonton Manning | 2008 |
| Janice Sarich | Progressive Conservative | Edmonton Decore | 2008 |
| Raj Sherman | Progressive Conservative | Edmonton Meadowlark | 2008 |
| Raj Sherman | Independent | Edmonton Meadowlark | 2008 |
| Raj Sherman | Independent Liberal | Edmonton Meadowlark | 2008 |
| Raj Sherman | Liberal | Edmonton Meadowlark | 2008 |
| Lloyd Snelgrove | Progressive Conservative | Vermilion-Lloydminster | 2001 |
| Lloyd Snelgrove | Independent | Vermilion-Lloydminster | 2001 |
| Ed Stelmach | Progressive Conservative | Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville | 1993 |
| David Swann | Liberal | Calgary-Mountain View | 2004 |
| Kevin Taft | Liberal | Edmonton-Riverview | 2001 |
| Janis Tarchuk | Progressive Conservative | Banff-Cochrane | 1997 |
| Dave Taylor | Liberal | Calgary-Currie | 2004 |
| Dave Taylor | Independent | Calgary-Currie | 2004 |
| Dave Taylor | Alberta Party | Calgary-Currie | 2004 |
| George VanderBurg | Progressive Conservative | Whitecourt-Ste. Anne | 2001 |
| Tony Vandermeer | Progressive Conservative | Edmonton Beverly Clareview | 2001, 2008 |
| Greg Weadick | Progressive Conservative | Lethbridge-West | 2008 |
| Len Webber | Progressive Conservative | Calgary Foothills | 2004 |
| Teresa Woo-Paw | Progressive Conservative | Calgary Mackay | 2008 |
| David Xiao | Progressive Conservative | Edmonton McClung | 2008 |
| Gene Zwozdesky | Progressive Conservative | Edmonton Mill Creek | 1993 |

## Seating plan

| | Allred | Sandhu | Xiao | Anderson | Forsyth | Leskiw | | | | | | | | | | |
| | McQueen | Fawcett | Dallas | Denis | Johnson | Doerksen | Quest | | Taft | Pastoor | | Chase | Kang | | | |
| | Cao | Mitzel | Johnston | Weadick | Drysdale | Brown | Vandermeer | | MacDonald | Taylor | Swann | Blakeman | Hehr | | | Mason | Notley |
| Kowalski |
| | Ady | Groenveld | Redford | Ouellette | Knight | Horner | Evans | Snelgrove | Stelmach | Hancock | Liepert | Renner | Zwozdesky | Tarchuk | Goudreau | Morton | Lindsay |
| | Boutilier | Marz | Olson | Rogers | Webber | Klimchuk | Blackett | Campbell | | Oberle | Fritz | Hayden | Danyluk | Jablonski | Prins | Horne | Sarich |
| Berger | Lund | VanderBurg | McFarland | Rodney | Bhardwaj | Woo-Paw | Bhullar | DeLong | | Griffiths | Lukaszuk | Calahasen | Sherman | Elniski | Amery | Benito | Jacobs |
Official Seating Plan (Retrieved December 9, 2009)

## Standings changes during the 27th Assembly

| Number of members per party by date | Number of members per party by date | 2008 | 2009 | 2009 | 2009 | 2010 | 2010 | 2010 | 2010 | 2010 | 2011 | 2011 | 2011 | 2011 | 2012 | 2012 |
| Number of members per party by date | Number of members per party by date | Mar 3 | May 15 | Jul 18 | Sep 14 | Jan 4 | Apr 12 | Jun 24 | Oct 25 | Nov 22 | Jan 24 | Mar 15 | Sep 12 | Nov 21 | Jan 27 | Mar |
| | Progressive Conservative | 72 | 71 | 70 | 70 | 68 | 68 | 68 | 68 | 67 | 67 | 67 | 67 | 68 | 67 | 66 |
| | Liberal | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| | Wildrose | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| | New Democratic | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| | Alberta Party | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| | Independent | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | Independent Liberal | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1$^2$ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Independent Wildrose Alliance | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1$^1$ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Total members | 83 | 82 | 82 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 82 |
| | Vacant | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| | Government Majority | 61 | 60 | 58 | 57 | 53 | 53 | 53 | 53 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 53 | 51 | 50 |
* Guy Boutilier began caucusing with the Wildrose Alliance on June 24, 2010, but kept independent status due to a $40,000.00 difference in private members research funding.
* Raj Sherman joined the Liberal party, but did not officially join the Liberal caucus, however, he did become the Liberal leader on September 10, 2011.
Membership changes in the 27th Assembly :
| Date | Name | District | Party | Reason |
| March 3, 2008 | See List of Members | See List of Members | See List of Members | Election day of the 27th Alberta general election |
| May 15, 2009 | Ron Stevens | Calgary-Glenmore | Progressive Conservative | Resigned seat to accept a judicial appointment. |
| July 18, 2009 | Guy Boutilier | Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo | Independent | Removed from the Progressive Conservative caucus. |
| September 14, 2009 | Paul Hinman | Calgary-Glenmore | Wildrose Alliance | Elected in a by-election. |
| January 4, 2010 | Rob Anderson | Airdrie-Chestermere | Wildrose Alliance | Crossed the floor from the Progressive Conservative caucus |
| January 4, 2010 | Heather Forsyth | Calgary-Fish Creek | Wildrose Alliance | Crossed the floor from the Progressive Conservative caucus |
| April 12, 2010 | Dave Taylor | Calgary-Currie | Independent | Left Liberal caucus to sit as an Independent. |
| June 24, 2010 | Guy Boutilier | Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo | Independent Wildrose Alliance | Joined the Wildrose Alliance as an Independent. |
| October 25, 2010 | Guy Boutilier | Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo | Wildrose Alliance | Fully joined Wildrose Alliance caucus |
| November 22, 2010 | Raj Sherman | Edmonton-Meadowlark | Independent | Removed from Progressive Conservative caucus |
| January 24, 2011 | Dave Taylor | Calgary-Currie | Alberta Party | Joined Alberta Party |
| March 15, 2011 | Raj Sherman | Edmonton-Meadowlark | Independent Liberal | Joined the Liberal Party, but not the caucus. |
| June 26, 2011 | See List of Members | See List of Members | Wildrose | Caucus name changed from Wildrose Alliance to Wildrose |
| September 12, 2011 | Raj Sherman | Edmonton-Meadowlark | Liberal | Joined the Liberal caucus. |
| November 21, 2011 | Bridget Pastoor | Lethbridge-East | Progressive Conservative | Crossed the floor from the Liberal caucus |
| January 27, 2012 | Lloyd Snelgrove | Vermilion-Lloydminster | Independent | Left the Progressive Conservative caucus due to issues with Premier Redford. |
| March 2012 | Richard Marz | Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills | Progressive Conservative | Vacated seat |