Alberta.

• Author: Orydzuk, Micheline
• Position: Legislative Reports

On December 2, 2006, Edward Michael Stelmach was elected leader of the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party. Mr. Stelmach, who defeated Jim Dinning and Ted Morton (PC, Foothills-Rockyview) on the second round of balloting, was sworn in as Alberta's 13th Premier on December 14, 2006.

Mr. Stelmach was born on May 11, 1951, and was raised in the Lamont area. He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in 1993. He was elected to his fourth term on November 22, 2004, representing the constituency of Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville. He served as Minister of International and Intergovernmental Relations until March 2006. Previously Mr. Stelmach served as Minister of Transportation Infrastructure Minister from May 1999 to February 2001 and Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development from March 1997 to May 1999.

Mr. Stelmach has a long record of public and community service. He is a past Lamont County reeve, school trustee, Chair of the Vegreville Health Unit board, and member of the Archer Memorial Hospital and Lamont Auxiliary Hospital and Nursing Home boards. Mr. Stelmach also served as a Director for the Andrew Co-Op Association, President of the Lamont District 4-H Council, and leader for the Andrew 4-H Beef Club.

New Cabinet

Premier Stelmach announced the Cabinet on December 15, 2006. Several portfolios were changed as the number of Cabinet members was reduced from 24 to 19. Some portfolio changes include:

* a Treasury Board Secretariat was created to manage Government expenditures, capital planning, and internal audit as well as the use of public-private partnerships for capital projects. The President of the Treasury Board will be responsible for the Secretariat and for the new Service Alberta ministry that merged the former portfolios of Government Services and Restructuring and Government Efficiency;

* the portfolios of Advanced Education and Innovation and Science have been combined into the ministry of Advanced Education and Technology;

* an Employment, Immigration and Industry portfolio has been created to deal with labour force planning;

* a new ministry of Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture assumes responsibility for lottery funded programs from the former Gaming ministry as well as tourism and film programs from the former Economic Development ministry;

* the responsibility for affordable housing has been added to the new ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (affordable housing was previously under the...