Alberta announces new senatorial election in October 2021

From the Province of Alberta: Battling back with a new Senate Election

Bill 13, the Alberta Senate Election Act, would reinstate Senate nominee elections to enable Albertans to choose who would best represent them in the Senate.

Premier Jason Kenney and Justice and Solicitor General Minister Doug Schweitzer announce Bill 13: The Alberta Senate Election Act.

Senate nominee elections would reflect the democratic will of Albertans and make senators directly accountable to Alberta voters to defend our province’s interests.

“We are introducing the Alberta Senate Election Act to enable Albertans to choose the people they think would best represent them in the Upper Chamber. Senators who are elected by Albertans have shown that they effectively stand up for Alberta’s economy, jobs and families. They set a strong example to other provinces of the benefits of having effective voices with the moral legitimacy of having been elected.” Jason Kenney, Premier

In the four elections between 1989 and 2012 held under the previous Senate elections law, which expired in 2016, Alberta voters nominated 10 candidates for Senate appointments. Of those, five were ultimately appointed, including current senators Doug Black and Scott Tannas, who recently stood up for Alberta’s economy and for resource jobs in Canada by advocating for changes to Bill C-69, the ‘No More Pipelines Bill’ and the prejudicial Bill C-48.

“Elected senators are accountable to Albertans and have greater moral legitimacy to effectively speak on our behalf because they receive a mandate from voters. When Albertans have had a say in who would best represent them in the Senate, they have chosen people of the highest calibre who have been effective voices for Alberta’s interests.” Doug Schweitzer, Minister of Justice and Solicitor General

“Alberta Senate nominee elections had played an important role in allowing Albertans to decide who will be their voice at the federal Parliament. These elections bestowed significant moral and political legitimacy to Alberta’s senatorial candidates. I was honoured to have won in the 2012 Alberta Senate nominee elections, and am proud to continue to serve alongside my fellow Albertan colleague, the Honourable Scott Tannas. The renewal of the Senatorial Selection Act is an important step forward for reasserting Alberta’s role as a leader in the democratization of the Canadian Senate.”Sen. Doug Black

“Since 1989, Alberta voters have gone to the polls to nominate their choice for who should represent them in Canada’s Senate. I am proud to be one of five elected candidates to have been appointed as a senator from Alberta. I am pleased to see the Government of Alberta is reviving the Senatorial Selection Act after the previous government refused to renew it. Albertans have a proud tradition of electing candidates for the Senate, and should continue to do so.”Sen. Scott Tannas

“As a proud Albertan and retired member of the Senate of Canada, I am pleased to see the introduction of Bill 13: The Alberta Senate Election Act. This act would revive Alberta’s proud history of leading and strengthening our shared Canadian democratic traditions. I have always firmly believed that a strong, democratic Senate is in the interest of provinces like Alberta that do not have adequate weight in the House of Commons but important regional interests. Under the leadership of Premier Jason Kenney, I am confident that this government will restore Alberta’s rightful voice and standing in federal politics.”Betty Unger, former senator

“In 2012, over 300,000 Alberta voters marked my name on their Senate election ballot. Despite that, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau refused to respect the wishes of Albertans, and instead appointed senators who voted against Alberta’s interests and in favour of the so-called ‘No More Pipelines Act,’ Bill C-69. It’s time for Albertans to once again have their say on who they want to see representing them in Ottawa.”Mike Shaikh, senate nominee

Quick facts

Alberta has six representatives in the Senate.
In 2012, 1.3 million Albertans voted in a Senate nominee election, which was held in conjunction with the provincial election.
In general, the law would allow for voting for Senate nominees:
- as part of provincial or municipal elections
- as a stand-alone process
- with a referendum
The next scheduled Alberta Senate vacancy will be in March 2021.
The Government of Alberta would provide names of elected nominees to the prime minister for consideration when filling Senate vacancies.
The previous Senate elections legislation expired in 2016.

Related Topics:feature Premier Jason Kenney Province of Alberta Senate Election

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Big win for Alberta and Canada: Statement from Premier Smith

Published on April 2, 2025

Government of Alberta

Premier Danielle Smith issued the following statement on the April 2, 2025 U.S. tariff announcement:

“Today was an important win for Canada and Alberta, as it appears the United States has decided to uphold the majority of the free trade agreement (CUSMA) between our two nations. It also appears this will continue to be the case until after the Canadian federal election has concluded and the newly elected Canadian government is able to renegotiate CUSMA with the U.S. administration.

“This is precisely what I have been advocating for from the U.S. administration for months.

“It means that the majority of goods sold into the United States from Canada will have no tariffs applied to them, including zero per cent tariffs on energy, minerals, agricultural products, uranium, seafood, potash and host of other Canadian goods.

“There is still work to be done, of course. Unfortunately, tariffs previously announced by the United States on Canadian automobiles, steel and aluminum have not been removed. The efforts of premiers and the federal government should therefore shift towards removing or significantly reducing these remaining tariffs as we go forward and ensuring affected workers across Canada are generously supported until the situation is resolved.

“I again call on all involved in our national advocacy efforts to focus on diplomacy and persuasion while avoiding unnecessary escalation. Clearly, this strategy has been the most effective to this point.

“As it appears the worst of this tariff dispute is behind us (though there is still work to be done), it is my sincere hope that we, as Canadians, can abandon the disastrous policies that have made Canada vulnerable to and overly dependent on the United States, fast-track national resource corridors, get out of the way of provincial resource development and turn our country into an independent economic juggernaut and energy superpower.”

Alberta

Energy sector will fuel Alberta economy and Canada’s exports for many years to come

Published on April 2, 2025

Todayville

From the Fraser Institute

By Jock Finlayson

By any measure, Alberta is an energy powerhouse—within Canada, but also on a global scale. In 2023, it produced 85 per cent of Canada’s oil and three-fifths of the country’s natural gas. Most of Canada’s oil reserves are in Alberta, along with a majority of natural gas reserves. Alberta is the beating heart of the Canadian energy economy. And energy, in turn, accounts for one-quarter of Canada’s international exports.

Consider some key facts about the province’s energy landscape, as noted in the Alberta Energy Regulator’s (AER) 2023 annual report. Oil and natural gas production continued to rise (on a volume basis) in 2023, on the heels of steady increases over the preceding half decade. However, the dollar value of Alberta’s oil and gas production fell in 2023, as the surging prices recorded in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine retreated. Capital spending in the province’s energy sector reached $30 billion in 2023, making it the leading driver of private-sector investment. And completion of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project has opened new offshore export avenues for Canada’s oil industry and should boost Alberta’s energy production and exports going forward.

In a world striving to address climate change, Alberta’s hydrocarbon-heavy energy sector faces challenges. At some point, the world may start to consume less oil and, later, less natural gas (in absolute terms). But such “peak” consumption hasn’t arrived yet, nor does it appear imminent. While the demand for certain refined petroleum products is trending down in some advanced economies, particularly in Europe, we should take a broader global perspective when assessing energy demand and supply trends.

Looking at the worldwide picture, Goldman Sachs’ 2024 global energy forecast predicts that “oil usage will increase through 2034” thanks to strong demand in emerging markets and growing production of petrochemicals that depend on oil as the principal feedstock. Global demand for natural gas (including LNG) will also continue to increase, particularly since natural gas is the least carbon-intensive fossil fuel and more of it is being traded in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Against this backdrop, there are reasons to be optimistic about the prospects for Alberta’s energy sector, particularly if the federal government dials back some of the economically destructive energy and climate policies adopted by the last government. According to the AER’s “base case” forecast, overall energy output will expand over the next 10 years. Oilsands output is projected to grow modestly; natural gas production will also rise, in part due to greater demand for Alberta’s upstream gas from LNG operators in British Columbia.

The AER’s forecast also points to a positive trajectory for capital spending across the province’s energy sector. The agency sees annual investment rising from almost $30 billion to $40 billion by 2033. Most of this takes place in the oil and gas industry, but “emerging” energy resources and projects aimed at climate mitigation are expected to represent a bigger slice of energy-related capital spending going forward.

Like many other oil and gas producing jurisdictions, Alberta must navigate the bumpy journey to a lower-carbon future. But the world is set to remain dependent on fossil fuels for decades to come. This suggests the energy sector will continue to underpin not only the Alberta economy but also Canada’s export portfolio for the foreseeable future.