The 5th Alberta Legislative Assembly was in
session from February 2, 1922, to May 25, 1926, with the membership of the assembly determined by the results of the
1921 Alberta general election held on July 18, 1921. The Legislature officially resumed on February 2, 1922, and continued until the sixth session was
prorogued on May 22, 1926 and
dissolved on May 25, 1926, prior to the
1926 Alberta general election
The 1926 Alberta general election was held on June 28, 1926, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. The United Farmers of Alberta government that had first been elected in 1921 was re-elected, taking a majority of the seats in t ...
.
Alberta's fifth government was controlled by the
majority United Farmers of Alberta
The United Farmers of Alberta (UFA) is an association of Alberta farmers that has served different roles in its 100-year history – as a lobby group, a successful political party, and as a farm-supply retail chain. As a political party, it forme ...
led by
Premier Herbert Greenfield
Herbert W. Greenfield (November 25, 1869 – August 23, 1949) was a Canadian politician and farmer who served as the fourth premier of Alberta from 1921 until 1925. Born in Winchester, Hampshire, in England, he immigrated to Canada in his late t ...
, who would resign following a push from the party on November 23, 1925, and was replaced by
John Edward Brownlee
John Edward Brownlee, (August 27, 1883 – July 15, 1961) was the fifth premier of Alberta, serving from 1925 until 1934. Born in Port Ryerse, Ontario, he studied history and political science at the University of Toronto's Victoria College ...
. The
Official Opposition was the
Alberta Liberal Party
The Alberta Liberal Party (french: Parti libéral de l'Alberta) is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1905, it is the oldest active political party in Alberta and was the dominant political party until the 1921 election ...
led by
John Robert Boyle
John Robert Boyle, (February 1, 1870 or February 3, 1871 – February 15, 1936) was a Canadian politician and jurist who served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, a cabinet minister in the Government of Alberta, and a judge on ...
, and later
Charles Richmond Mitchell
Charles Richmond Mitchell (November 30, 1872 – August 16, 1942) was a Canadian lawyer, judge, cabinet minister and former Leader of the Official Opposition in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.
Early life
Mitchell was born in Newcastle, Ne ...
, and eventually future
Lieutenant Governor of Alberta
The lieutenant governor of Alberta () is the viceregal representative in Alberta of the . The lieutenant governor is appointed in the same manner as the other provincial viceroys in Canada and is similarly tasked with carrying out most of the m ...
John C. Bowen. The
Speaker
Speaker may refer to:
Society and politics
* Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly
* Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture
* A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially:
** I ...
was
Oran McPherson
Oran Leo "Tony" McPherson (April 12, 1886 – May 23, 1949) was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta (Canada) for Little Bow from 1921 to 1935 as a member of the United Farmers of Alberta.Perry, Footz 2006 pg. 295, 303
Early li ...
.
Speaker
Premier Herbert Greenfield nominated the government's preferred candidate for speaker,
Oran McPherson
Oran Leo "Tony" McPherson (April 12, 1886 – May 23, 1949) was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta (Canada) for Little Bow from 1921 to 1935 as a member of the United Farmers of Alberta.Perry, Footz 2006 pg. 295, 303
Early li ...
, only to have one of his UFA backbenchers,
Alex Moore, nominate Independent Conservative
John Smith Stewart
John Smith Stewart, (18 May 1878 – 14 August 1970) was a Canadian politician and brigadier-general from Alberta.
Early life
John Smith Stewart was born 16 May 1878 in the Brampton, Ontario, to John Stewart and Mary Armstrong. Stewart m ...
; Stewart spared the government embarrassment by declining the nomination.
Bills
Wheat Board
The Legislature would pass ''An Act to Confer Certain Powers upon the Canadian Wheat Board'' (Bill 1) during the short second session in August 1922. The bill conferred powers to the create the
Alberta Wheat Pool.
''Debt Adjustment Act''
The ''Debt Adjustment Act'' (Bill 49) of 1923 was designed to adjust farmers' debts to a level that they could actually pay, thus allowing them to carry on while still ensuring that creditors received as much as was feasible. In the words of
University of Calgary
The University of Calgary (U of C or UCalgary) is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The University of Calgary started in 1944 as the Calgary branch of the University of Alberta, founded in 1908, prior to being ins ...
professor David C. Jones, the bill offered "solace, but no real satisfaction". According to Jones, Greenfield's attempts to rescue southern Alberta from agricultural calamity were probably doomed to failure. Even so, Greenfield had called the situation his top priority, and his failure to bring it to a successful resolution cost him politically.
''Government Liquor Control Act of Alberta''
The ''Government Liquor Control Act of Alberta'' (Bill 14) passed in the fourth session in 1924. The bill repealed
prohibition
Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcohol ...
which had been instituted following a 1916 referendum. The Government held a
referendum
A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...
on the matter in autumn 1923 which saw Albertans vote decisively for the repeal of prohibition. Bill 14 would be subject to a
free vote
A conscience vote or free vote is a type of vote in a legislative body where legislators are allowed to vote according to their own personal conscience rather than according to an official line set down by their political party. In a parliamentary ...
in the legislature, and while the legislation passed, the new measures were divisive, pitting community leaders who wanted their towns to remain "dry" against those who wanted to apply for liquor licences, and different would-be saloon-keepers against one another in competing for the government-issued licences.
Membership in the 5th Alberta Legislature
Standings changes since the 5th general election
# Exact date the Speaker received resignation unknown, nomination deadline date for the 1925 federal election used. All were received by Speaker
Oran McPherson
Oran Leo "Tony" McPherson (April 12, 1886 – May 23, 1949) was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta (Canada) for Little Bow from 1921 to 1935 as a member of the United Farmers of Alberta.Perry, Footz 2006 pg. 295, 303
Early li ...
after September 29 and before October 17.
References
Works Cited
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Further reading
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External links
Alberta Legislative Assembly WebsiteLegislative Assembly of Alberta Members Book
{{Alberta Assemblies
05
1922 in Alberta
1923 in Alberta
1924 in Alberta
1925 in Alberta
1926 in Alberta
1922 in Canadian politics
1923 in Canadian politics
1924 in Canadian politics
1925 in Canadian politics
1926 in Canadian politics