# 25th Alberta Legislature

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.
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.
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

The Adult Interdependent Relationships Act (S.A. 2002, c. A-4.5) was passed by the Alberta Legislature on December 4, 2002, and proclaimed in force on June 1, 2003. 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. 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.

### Electoral Divisions Act

The Electoral Divisions Act (S.A. 2003, c. E-4.1) 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.

## Members of the 25th Legislature by district

| District | Member | Party | First elected/ previously elected | Notes |
| Athabasca-Wabasca | Mike Cardinal | Progressive Conservative | 1989 |
| Airdrie-Rocky View | Carol Haley | Progressive Conservative | 1993 |
| Banff-Cochrane | Janis Tarchuk | Progressive Conservative | 1997 |
| Barrhead-Westlock | Ken Kowalski | Progressive Conservative | 1979 |
| Bonnyville-Cold Lake | Denis Ducharme | Progressive Conservative | 1997 |
| Calgary-Bow | Alana DeLong | Progressive Conservative | 2001 |
| Calgary-Buffalo | Harvey Cenaiko | Progressive Conservative | 2001 |
| Calgary-Cross | Yvonne Fritz | Progressive Conservative | 1993 |
| Calgary Currie | Jon Lord | Progressive Conservative | 2001 |
| Calgary-East | Moe Amery | Progressive Conservative | 1993 |
| Calgary-Egmont | Denis Herard | Progressive Conservative | 1993 |
| Calgary Elbow | Ralph Klein | Progressive Conservative | 1989 |
| Calgary Fish Creek | Heather Forsyth | Progressive Conservative | 1993 |
| Calgary-Foothills | Pat Nelson | Progressive Conservative | 1989 |
| Calgary-Fort | Wayne Cao | Progressive Conservative | 1997 |
| Calgary-Glenmore | Ron Stevens | Progressive Conservative | 1997 |
| Calgary Lougheed | Marlene Graham | Progressive Conservative | 1997 |
| Calgary McCall | Shiraz Shariff | Progressive Conservative | 1995 |
| Calgary Montrose | Hung Pham | Progressive Conservative | 1993 |
| Calgary-Mountain View | Mark Hlady | Progressive Conservative | 1993 |
| Calgary-North Hill | Richard Magnus | Progressive Conservative | 1993 |
| Calgary North West | Greg Melchin | Progressive Conservative | 1997 |
| Calgary Nose Creek | Gary Mar | Progressive Conservative | 1993 |
| Calgary Shaw | Cindy Ady | Progressive Conservative | 2001 |
| Calgary-Varsity | Murray Smith | Progressive Conservative | 1993 |
| Calgary West | Karen Kryczka | Progressive Conservative | 1997 |
| Cardston-Taber-Warner | Broyce Jacobs | Progressive Conservative | 2001 |
| Clover Bar-Fort Saskatchewan | Rob Lougheed | Progressive Conservative | 1997 |
| Cypress-Medicine Hat | Lorne Taylor | Progressive Conservative | 1993 |
| Drayton Valley-Calmar | Tony Abbott | Progressive Conservative | 2001 |
| Drumheller-Chinook | Shirley McClellan | Progressive Conservative | 1987 |
| Dunvegan | Hector Goudreau | Progressive Conservative | 2001 |
| Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview | Julius Yankowsky | Progressive Conservative | 1993 |
| Edmonton-Calder | Brent Rathgeber | Progressive Conservative | 2001 |
| Edmonton Castle Downs | Thomas Lukaszuk | Progressive Conservative | 2001 |
| Edmonton Centre | Laurie Blakeman | Liberal | 1997 |
| Edmonton Ellerslie | Debby Carlson | Liberal | 1993 | Resigned |
| Edmonton Ellerslie | Vacant at dissolution | Vacant at dissolution | Vacant at dissolution |
| Edmonton-Glengarry | Bill Bonner | Liberal | 1997 |
| Edmonton-Glenora | Drew Hutton | Progressive Conservative | 2001 |
| Edmonton-Gold Bar | Hugh MacDonald | Liberal | 1997 |
| Edmonton-Highlands | Brian Mason | NDP | 2000 |
| Edmonton Manning | Tony Vandermeer | Progressive Conservative | 2001 |
| Edmonton-McClung | Mark Norris | Progressive Conservative | 2001 |
| Edmonton Meadowlark | Bob Maskell | Progressive Conservative | 2001 |
| Edmonton Mill Creek | Gene Zwozdesky | Progressive Conservative | 1993 |
| Edmonton-Mill Woods | Don Massey | Liberal | 1993 |
| Edmonton-Norwood | Gary Masyk | Progressive Conservative | 2001 | Crossed the floor |
| Edmonton-Norwood | Gary Masyk | Alberta Alliance | 2001 | Crossed the floor |
| Edmonton Riverview | Kevin Taft | Liberal | 2001 |
| Edmonton Rutherford | Ian McClelland | Progressive Conservative | 2001 |
| Edmonton-Strathcona | Raj Pannu | NDP | 1997 |
| Edmonton-Whitemud | David Hancock | Progressive Conservative | 1997 |
| Fort McMurray | Guy Boutilier | Progressive Conservative | 1997 |
| Grande Prairie-Smoky | Mel Knight | Progressive Conservative | 2001 |
| Grande Prairie-Wapiti | Gordon Graydon | Progressive Conservative | 2001 |
| Highwood | Don Tannas | Progressive Conservative | 1989 |
| Innisfail-Sylvan Lake | Luke Ouellette | Progressive Conservative | 2001 |
| Lac La Biche-St. Paul | Ray Danyluk | Progressive Conservative | 2001 |
| Lacombe-Stettler | Judy Gordon | Progressive Conservative | 1993 |
| Lesser Slave Lake | Pearl Calahasen | Progressive Conservative | 1989 |
| Leduc | Albert Klapstein | Progressive Conservative | 1997 |
| Lethbridge-East | Ken Nicol | Liberal | 1993 | Resigned |
| Lethbridge-East | Vacant at dissolution | Vacant at dissolution | Vacant at dissolution |
| Lethbridge-West | Clint Dunford | Progressive Conservative | 1993 |
| Little Bow | Barry McFarland | Progressive Conservative | 1992 |
| Livingstone-Macleod | David Coutts | Progressive Conservative | 1993 |
| Medicine Hat | Rob Renner | Progressive Conservative | 1993 |
| Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills | Richard Marz | Progressive Conservative | 1997 |
| Peace River | Gary Friedel | Progressive Conservative | 1993 |
| Ponoka-Rimbey | Halvar Jonson | Progressive Conservative | 1982 |
| Red Deer North | Mary Anne Jablonski | Progressive Conservative | 2000 |
| Red Deer South | Victor Doerksen | Progressive Conservative | 1993 |
| Redwater | Dave Broda | Progressive Conservative | 1997 |
| Rocky Mountain House | Ty Lund | Progressive Conservative | 1989 |
| Sherwood Park | Iris Evans | Progressive Conservative | 1997 |
| St. Albert | Mary O'Neill | Progressive Conservative | 1997 |
| Spruce Grove-Sturgeon-St. Albert | Doug Horner | Progressive Conservative | 2001 |
| Stony Plain | Stan Woloshyn | Progressive Conservative | 1989 |
| Strathmore-Brooks | Lyle Oberg | Progressive Conservative | 1993 |
| Vegreville-Viking | Ed Stelmach | Progressive Conservative | 1993 |
| Vermilion-Lloydminster | Lloyd Snelgrove | Progressive Conservative | 2001 |
| Wainwright | Robert Fischer | Progressive Conservative | 1982 | Resigned |
| Wainwright | Doug Griffiths (2002) | Progressive Conservative | 2002 | Elected by-election |
| West Yellowhead | Ivan Strang | Progressive Conservative | 1997 |
| Wetaskiwin-Camrose | LeRoy Johnson | Progressive Conservative | 1997 |
| Whitecourt-Ste. Anne | George VanderBurg | Progressive Conservative | 2001 |

## Standings changes during the 25th Assembly

| Number of members per party by date | Number of members per party by date | 2001 | 2001 | 2002 | 2004 | 2004 | 2004 |
| Number of members per party by date | Number of members per party by date | Mar 12 | Dec 31 | Apr 8 | May 25 | May 28 | Jun 29 |
| | Progressive Conservative | 74 | 73 | 74 | 74 | 74 | 73 |
| | Liberal | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 |
| | New Democratic | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| | Alberta Alliance | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| | Total members | 83 | 82 | 83 | 82 | 81 | 81 |
| | Vacant | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 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