The Executive Council of Alberta (informally and more commonly, the Cabinet of Alberta) is the cabinet of that Canadian province.
Almost always made up of members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, the Cabinet is similar in structure and role to the Cabinet of Canada while being smaller in size. As federal and provincial responsibilities differ there are a number of different portfolios between the federal and provincial governments.
The Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta, as representative of the Queen in Right of Alberta, heads the council, and is referred to as the Governor-in-Council. Other members of the Cabinet, who advise, or minister, the vice-regal, are selected by the Premier of Alberta and appointed by the Lieutenant-Governor. Most cabinet ministers are the head of a ministry, but this is not always the case.
As at the federal level the most important Cabinet post after that of the leader is Minister of Finance. Today the next most powerful position is certainly the health portfolio which has a vast budget and is of central political import. Other powerful portfolios include Education and Energy.
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The current ministry has been in place since October 12, 2011, following the 2011 leadership election won by Alison Redford.[1] Members are listed in order of precedence.[2]
In Alberta, the ministries' names have two forms, often coexisting. The usual one is "Alberta X", (e.g. Alberta Education) the older style is "Ministry of X" (e.g. Ministry of Finance). The newer style without the word "ministry" resembles the federal government's Federal Identity Program and the federal naming scheme, except in reverse order. Federal ministries and departments are usually "X Canada" (e.g. Environment Canada).
With every new cabinet ministries can be created or disbanded, renamed or gain or lose responsibilities. Some ministries such as finance or health are common to all provincial governments and are comparable to similar ministries or departments at the federal level or indeed even in other countries. However, some ministries are quite distinct to Alberta, such as the Ministry of Sustainable Resource Development which oversees the management of public lands.
These are the current ministries as of 2008[update], listed alphabetically, with a short description and any notes to changes to that ministry's mandate.
| Ministry | Notes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aboriginal Relations | Created 2008. Responsible for Aboriginal affairs. Also responsible for the Métis Settlements Appeals Tribunal, the Métis Settlements Ombudsman and the First Nations Development Fund. | ||||
| Advanced Education and Technology | Responsible for universities and colleges in Alberta. | ||||
| Agriculture and Rural Development | Responsible for agriculture; responsibility for rural development added 2008. | ||||
| Children and Youth Services | Responsible for child protection. | ||||
| Culture and Community Spirit | Created 2008. Responsible for culture, community development, the voluntary sector, museums and heritage sites.
Also responsible for Human Rights and Citizenship Commission; Human Rights Citizenship and Multiculturalism Fund; Foundation for the Arts; Alberta Historical Resources Foundation; Wild Rose Foundation; and Government House Foundation. |
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| Education | Responsible for Education in Alberta. | ||||
| Employment and Immigration | Responsible for immigration. Lost responsibility for rural and economic development in 2008. | ||||
| Energy | Responsible for energy policy. | ||||
| Environment | Responsible for environmental policy. | ||||
| Executive Council | The ministry which organizes, and reports directly to, cabinet. | ||||
| Finance and Enterprise | Responsible for economic policy. Gained responsibility for the Regulatory Review Secretariat, the Alberta Economic Development Authority, and the Northern Alberta Development Council in 2008. | ||||
| Health and Wellness | Responsible for health policy. | ||||
| Housing and Urban Affairs | Created 2008. Responsible for housing services including the Alberta Social Housing Corporation and the Homelessness Secretariat. | ||||
| Infrastructure | Created 2008. Responsible for infrastructure planning, and building and managing government-owned infrastructure. Also responsible for the administration of water/wastewater and other municipal infrastructure grants and the Natural Gas Rebate Program. | ||||
| International and Intergovernmental Relations | Responsible for relations with other governments in Canada and internationally In 2008 it lost responsibility for Aboriginal relations and added responsibility for investment attraction. | ||||
| Justice and Attorney General | Responsible for the justice system. | ||||
| Municipal Affairs | Responsible for local government in Alberta. In 2008 lost responsibility for housing and the voluntary sector. | ||||
| Seniors and Community Supports | Responsible for elderly care. | ||||
| Service Alberta | Responsible for the civil service. In 2008 lost responsibility for the Regulatory Review Secretariat. | ||||
| Solicitor General and Public Security | Responsible for public security. | ||||
| Sustainable Resource Development | Responsible for Crown land. | ||||
| Tourism, Parks and Recreation | Responsible for tourism, and provincial parks. In 2008 lost responsibility for culture and community development, museums, heritage sites, and reporting entities now in Culture and Community Spirit, as well as the First Nations Development Fund now in Aboriginal Relations. | ||||
| Transportation | Created 2008. Responsible for planning, building and managing the provincial highway network, including the administration of municipal transportation grants.
Also responsible for the Transportation Safety Board. |
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| Treasury Board | |||||
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