Alberta adding 2 MLA seats
Posted November 5, 2024 7:05 pm.
Last Updated November 5, 2024 7:17 pm.
Alberta will have two more MLAs in the legislature after the next election—if a new government bill passes.
Bill 31 was introduced Tuesday afternoon, proposing an increase in the number of electoral boundaries from 87 to 89.
The justice minister says this change is necessary due to the province’s rapid growth, with about 150,000 people moving to Alberta since the last election.
He added that some ridings are a four-hour drive from end to end, making it difficult for rural MLAs to meet face-to-face with constituents—particularly in northern Alberta.
“We’ve moved to the number 89, which will maintain a manageable number of constituents when we look at population alone, in relation to the number of MLAs elected in this assembly. That is a signal that we want fair but effective representation for all Albertans,” said Mickey Amery, Alberta’s justice minister.
An electoral boundaries commission will be appointed to determine the new boundaries and riding names.
Alberta last added MLA seats for the 2012 election. The province has grown by about one million people since then.
