The Office of Premier
Surprising as it may seem, no provision is made for the Office of Premier in the Constitution Act of 1867, formerly known as the British North America Act of 1867, or the Northwest Territories Act of 1876 as amended in 1897, or in the Alberta Act of 1905. The ultimate executive power in provincial government lies with the Crown or Lieutenant-Governor. In part, this is to ensure the continuity and stability of government during certain periods of transition, particularly after general elections.
The Premier is usually the leader of the political party that has elected the most Members to the Legislature, and he or she is appointed by the Lieutenant-Governor. The Premier is the President of the Lieutenant-Governor's Executive Council or Cabinet, which is the government or executive branch of government of the related jurisdiction. The Premier chooses the members of the Cabinet, who are also appointed by the Lieutenant-Governor. A member of the Cabinet is called a "Minister," and each is usually assigned responsibility for a specific area or a number of areas of responsibility, for example agriculture, education, etc. Individually and collectively, these Cabinet Ministers develop policy, direct its implementation, and oversee the more routine day to day administration of the government.
The Premier's powers are considerable. The basis of this power is his or her relationship to the Lieutenant-Governor. Only the Premier can advise the Lieutenant-Governor regarding a wide range of matters from government appoint- ments to new legislative requirements. Although the approval of the Legislature, which includes all Members of the Legislative Assembly, is required for some matters, other actions can be taken by the government through order-in-council, which is a directive of Cabinet, or under authority delegated by existing law. As President of the Executive Council, the Premier also sets the Cabinet's agenda and determines its consensus or final position on issues. Once this consensus has been established, all Cabinet Ministers must publicly support that position or resign. As well, Cabinet Ministers are forbidden from disclosing Cabinet business.
The Premier can lose office if he or she loses the confidence of the Legislative Assembly. If the Premier's government puts forward proposed legislation that is not supported by the majority of the Members of the Legislative Assembly, the Premier, by convention, must submit his or her government's resignation to the Lieutenant-Governor.
The Office of Premier is one of the most influential positions in Canadian provincial government. The Premier has powers that Cabinet Ministers individually and collectively do not possess. Even though ultimate executive authority lies with the Lieutenant-Governor, the Lieutenant-Governor does not become involved in government affairs unless the government loses the confidence of the Legislative Assembly. Because the Premier's influence is so wide-ranging, specific governments are usually known by the personal name of the Premier (e.g. the Rutherford Government).
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Legislative Assembly of Alberta
