Alberta government to introduce bill limiting who can run in provincial elections

EDMONTON — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s government is planning to introduce legislation this fall to limit who can run in provincial elections.

Government house leader Joseph Schow says the changes will ensure only those who “truly care and are serious about representing a community” will be put on the ballot.

Schow, speaking to reporters Monday, declined to provide details on how that process would work.

Asked how the bill would ensure the candidate approval process would not be abused for partisan political reasons, Schow would only say the goal is to bring transparency and clarity to the process.

He said there have been instances around the country where “certain interest groups” have created very long ballots of names “to confuse” voters.

Justice Minister Mickey Amery will be introducing the legislation, and his office confirmed that it will only apply to provincial elections.

It comes after controversy over a federal byelection in Alberta that saw Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre regain a seat in Parliament.

A record 214 people were on the ballot, most of whom were part of a protest movement called the Longest Ballot Committee, which was pushing for electoral reform to replace the first-past-the-post system.

The province’s fall legislature sitting begins Thursday with a speech from the throne.

Schow said he expects the government will introduce at least 15 bills in the legislature this sitting.

Among them will be legislation limiting how professional regulatory bodies can police their own members, a move first promised by Smith a year ago.

Smith has said Albertans need to have confidence in the competence and ethical practice of regulated professionals, but those professionals should also have freedom to express personal views, especially outside their jobs.

She has signalled that if necessary, her government will introduce legislation forcing striking teachers back to work as soon as next week.

Across the province, 51,000 teachers walked off the job Oct. 6, closing 2,500 schools and affecting at least 740,000 students.

Schow said the government hasn’t finalized when exactly it might legislate teachers back to work.

Opposition NDP house leader Christina Gray promised her party will “fiercely oppose” such an order from the government and the focus needs to be on properly funding public education.

Gray said the United Conservative Party government’s agenda shows they do not have Albertans’ priorities in mind.

“Albertans have been clear: they care about addressing the cost of living and affordability, better health care, a stronger education system, creating quality jobs and a strong economy,” she said.

Schow said the next session will see the government prioritize things like affordability, public safety and health care.

“The issues that matter most to Albertans are the issues that matter most to us,” he said.

Schow said they plan to streamline approvals for internationally trained professionals to work in the province, bring more measures to reduce government red tape to save Albertans money, and make legal changes to continue its health-care system restructuring.

Smith’s government is expected to invoke the notwithstanding clause for three laws affecting transgender people in the province.

The notwithstanding clause is a rarely used Charter of Rights and Freedoms provision that allows governments to override certain sections of the Charter for up to five years.

The three laws, introduced last year, establish rules for students changing their names or pronouns in school, ban transgender girls from participating in amateur female sports and limit gender-affirming health care for those under 16.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 20, 2025.

Lisa Johnson, The Canadian Press