7th Alberta Legislature

The 7th Alberta Legislative Assembly was in session from January 29, 1931, to July 22, 1935, with the membership of the assembly determined by the results of the 1930 Alberta general election held on June 19, 1930. The Legislature officially resumed on January 29, 1931, and continued until the fifth session was prorogued on April 23, 1935 and dissolved on July 22, 1935, prior to the 1935 Alberta general election.[1]

7th Alberta Legislature
Majority parliament
January 29, 1931 – July 22, 1935
Parliament leaders
Premier
(cabinet)		John Edward Brownlee
(Brownlee cabinet)
November 23, 1925 – July 10, 1934
Richard Gavin Reid
(Reid cabinet)
July 10, 1934 – September 3, 1935
Party caucuses
GovernmentUnited Farmers of Alberta
OppositionLiberal Party
Third partiesDominion Labor Party
Conservative Party
Legislative Assembly
Speaker of the
Assembly		George Norman Johnston
February 10, 1927 – July 22, 1935
Members63 MLA seats
Sovereign
MonarchGeorge V
May 6, 1910 – January 20, 1936
Lieutenant
Governor		Hon. William Egbert
October 29, 1925 – May 5, 1931
Hon. William L. Walsh
May 5, 1931 – October 1, 1936
Sessions
1st Session
January 29, 1931 – March 28, 1931
2nd Session
February 4, 1932 – April 6, 1932
3rd Session
February 9, 1933 – April 11, 1933
4th Session
February 8, 1934 – April 16, 1934
5th Session
February 7, 1935 – April 23, 1935
<6th 8th>

Alberta's sixth government was controlled by the majority United Farmers of Alberta for the third consecutive term, led by Premier John Edward Brownlee, who would later resign and be replaced with Richard Gavin Reid. There was no Official Opposition in Alberta between 1926 and 1941 due to the Independent Movement which saw a majority of non-UFA candidates elected as independents. The Speaker was George Norman Johnston.

Scandals

Premier John Brownlee's personal reputation was destroyed by a sex scandal in which he was successfully sued for the ancient and rarely litigated civil tort of seduction by a young woman in his employ.

In July 1933 Brownlee gave a car ride to Vivian MacMillan, then employed as a clerk in the office of the attorney general. MacMillan's fiancé filed a seduction suit against Brownlee, who denied all charges and launched a countersuit alleging that MacMillan, her father, and her fiancé had planned the entire affair for their own financial gain.[2]

The jury found Brownlee guilty of seduction, but the presiding judge overturned its verdict. Nevertheless, the circumstances were damaging enough that Brownlee resigned from the provincial ministry in July 1934.[2]

Little Bow MLA Oran McPherson also had a high-profile divorce scandal that made big headlines after Cora McPherson took him to court.[3]

The UFA's economic policies as well as the scandalizing of Alberta's conservative population led to the party's downfall in the 1935 election when it failed to win one seat in the legislature. William Aberhart and his Social Credit Party swept the province.

Bills
Main article: Alberta Health Insurance Act (1935)

The Alberta Health Insurance Act was an act passed by the Alberta Legislature in February 1935. It was the first Canadian health insurance act to provide some public funding for medical services, and as such is considered to be an early step toward the provision of medicare in Canada.

The legislation proposed to provide health care to the every province resident at an annual cost of CA$14.50 per person. However, the Act was unable to pass before the UFA was defeated out of office by the Social Credit Party.[4] The plan would require health care providers to provide specific services for the insured at no extra cost. These services included "full-time public health service", "complete medical service" (including major and minor surgery and obstetrics), "drugs and surgical appliances" if prescribed, limited "dental service", "private nursing service" (under special circumstances) and "hospitalization" (x-rays, operating room, lab services, etc.).[5] Although this plan was not enacted, later in the 1940s and 50s, a national health care system became gradually more prevalent among provinces. Hospital insurance would provide federal funds to provinces that would implement a universal hospital insurance plan. The full implementation of such programs slowly developed and in 1969 Alberta adopted a universal health insurance program.[6]

Floor crossings

A sensational week occurred in the Assembly just prior to the opening of the 4th Legislative Session. Victoria MLA Peter Miskew decided to cross the floor from the United Farmers to the Liberals. The floor crossing did terrific damage to John Brownlee's government as the Premier had announced three days prior that Miskew would be moving the governments reply to the throne speech.[7]

Miskew's reasoned after crossing the floor that moving the reply to the speech from the throne would mean that he would support the government's policies which he no longer believed in. He sent notice by memo to the premier deciding not to inform him in person.[7]

Three days later, St. Albert MLA Omer St. Germain crossed the floor to join Miskew in the Liberal benches.[8] David Duggan, the leader of the Conservatives, applauded Miskew crossing the floor. He stated that it was the beginning of the end for the United Farmers and that the conservative-minded elements in the United Farmers will oppose the radical elements that were allowing the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation to pull the United Farmers to the left.[7]

Standings changes since the 7th general election
Number of members
per party by date		 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934
Jun 19 Aug 21 Oct 1 Jan 9 Aug 1 Nov 16 Jul 19 Oct 25 Oct 14 Jan 19 Nov 10 Jan 15 Feb 3 Feb 6
United Farmers 40 39 38 37 38 37 36
Liberal 10 11 10 11 12 13
     Conservative 6 5 6 7 6
     Dominion Labor 4
     Independent 3 4
Total members 63 62 63 62 63 62 63 62 63 62 63
Vacant 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0
Government Majority 17 15 16 15 14 13 12 13 14 13 14 13 11 9
Membership changes in the 7th Assembly
Date Name District Party Reason
  June 1930 Hugh Allen Grande Prairie United Farmers Acclaimed in the 1926 general election
  June 19, 1930 See List of Members Election day of the 7th Alberta general election
  August 21, 1930 John Delisle Beaver River United Farmers Lost seat after election was overturned in judicial recount.[9]
  August 21, 1930 Henry Dakin Beaver River Liberal Won seat after election was overturned in judicial recount.[9]
     October 1, 1930 Charles Weaver Edmonton Conservative Died of a heart attack[10]
     January 9, 1931 Frederick Jamieson Edmonton Conservative Elected in a by-election
  August 1, 1931 George Smith Red Deer United Farmers Died from a heart seizure[11]
     November 16, 1931 William Payne Red Deer Conservative Elected in a by-election
  July 19, 1932 Vernor Smith Camrose United Farmers Died from angina pectoris.[12]
  October 25, 1932 Chester Ronning Camrose United Farmers Elected in a by-election
     October 14, 1932 Harold McGill Calgary Conservative Appointed Superintendent-General of Indian Affairs.[13]
     January 19, 1933 Norman Hindsley Calgary Independent Elected in a by-election
  November 10, 1933 George Webster Calgary Liberal Died
  January 15, 1934 William Ross Calgary Liberal Elected in a by-election
  February 3, 1934 Peter Miskew Victoria Liberal Crossed the floor from the United Farmers caucus[7]
  February 6, 1934 Omer St. Germain St. Albert Liberal Crossed the floor from the United Farmers caucus[8]
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References
  1. Perry, Sandra E.; Footz, Valerie L. (2006). Massolin, Philip A. (ed.). A Higher Duty: Speakers of the Legislative Assemblies. Edmonton, AB: Legislative Assembly of Alberta. p. 496. ISBN 0-9689217-3-6. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  2. "Not-so-pure North: Canada's sex scandals, such as they are". CBC News. March 12, 2008. Archived from the original on March 14, 2008. Retrieved March 14, 2008.
  3. "Series Three Case Descriptions". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 18, 2009.
  4. "Civilization.ca - History of Canadian Medicare - 1930-1939 - Alberta Health Insurance Act". www.historymuseum.ca. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
  5. McGUGAN, A. C. (January 1, 1935). "The Alberta Health Insurance Act". Canadian Public Health Journal. 26 (8): 373–376. JSTOR 41979363.
  6. Hanratty, Maria J. (January 1, 1996). "Canadian National Health Insurance and Infant Health". The American Economic Review. 86 (1): 276–284. JSTOR 2118267.
  7. "U.F.A. Member Will Join Liberals". Vol XXVII No 46. The Lethbridge Herald. February 3, 1934. pp. 1–2.
  8. "Another One Deserts Brownlee". Vol XXVII No. 49. The Lethbridge Herald. February 7, 1934. p. 1.
  9. "Recount Gives Libs. Another Alta. Seat". Vol XXIII No 213. The Lethbridge Herald. August 21, 1930. p. 1.
  10. "Col C.Y. Weaver Dies Suddenly At Edmonton". Vol 56 No 76. Manitoba Free Press. October 2, 1930. p. 1.
  11. "Member For Red Deer George W. Smith Succumbs". Vol XXIV No 197. The Lethbridge Herald. August 3, 1931. p. 1.
  12. "Hon. Vernor Smith, Railway Minister, Passes Away Suddenly". Vol XXV No 186. The Lethbridge Herald. July 20, 1932. p. 1.
  13. "Calgary Doctor Gets Federal Appointment". Vol 58, No. 87. Winnipeg Free Press. December 14, 1932. p. 1.

Further reading


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