Alberta Senate Elections

Election results from Elections Alberta 

The Alberta government intends to renew its request to the Prime Minister following the election and urge appointment of the elected nominees in order to fill the vacancies for Alberta in the Senate.

• News Release (Albertans to elect Senators-in-waiting)
• News Release (Senatorial nominee campaign begins)

• Alberta is the only province in the country to select nominees through voting.
• Alberta's Senatorial Selection Act was originally proclaimed into law in 1987, allowing voters to select nominees to fill vacant seats in the Senate.
• Senate nominee elections were held in Alberta in 1989,1998 and 2004.
• So far, Alberta’s two elected Senate nominee were appointed to the Senate.
• Stan Waters, winner of the first Alberta Senate election, was appointed in 1990 by former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney.
• Bert Brown, winner of the 2004 Alberta Senate election, was appointed in 2007 by Prime Minister Harper.

• It was time to provide Alberta's Senate nominees with a new popular mandate.
• Alberta's two previous senators in waiting were elected six years prior and legislation governing how nominee elections take place indicates that Senate nominees' terms expire after six years.
• Recent surveys indicate Senate Reform is still supported by Albertans. Canada West Foundation survey data indicates that approximately 87% of people in the province agree that the Canadian Senate should be equal, elected, and effective.

How many Senate Nominees were elected in November 2004?

• Alberta currently has three vacant seats in the Senate. Albertans elected four people to fill those vacancies (three plus one spare).
• The four candidates in the election who received the most votes were designated as Alberta's Senate nominees.
• Albertans did not vote for different nominees in each constituency. There was a common ballot across the province listing all candidates.

Who can run as a Senate Nominee?

• The Canadian Constitution says that a person appointed to the Senate must be thirty years old, be a resident of the province they represent, and own property worth $4,000 (above their debts).

  For more information, contact:
  
  Elections Alberta
  Phone: 780-427-7191
  Toll free: 310-0000
  Website: http://www.electionsalberta.ab.ca/

How much did it cost?

• The Senate nominee election held in conjunction with a provincial election is estimated to cost $3 million.
• The costs were to pay for such things as additional guides and supplies, printing of additional forms such as ballots, additional staffing costs, and additional advertising requirements.

Related Links
Senate of Canada Website