The Election Actfixes the election to a three-month period, between March 1 and May 31 in the fourth calendar year after the preceding election day which in this case was May 5, 2015. However, this does not affect the powers of the Lieutenant Governor to dissolve the Legislature before this period.[1]
In the last General Election The Alberta New Democratic Party (NDP) was elected to a majority government under leader Rachel Notley. The NDP formed the government for the first time in Alberta history and ousted the long-ruling Progressive Conservatives, who were reduced to third place. Prentice resigned as party leader and as MLA for Calgary-Foothills on election night.[2] The Progressive Conservatives had won every provincial election since the 1971 election, making them the longest-serving provincial government in Canadian history. It was only the fourth change of government in Alberta since Alberta became a province in 1905, and one of the worst defeats that any provincial government has suffered in Canada. On May 22nd NDP leader and Alberta Premier Rachel Notley announced Calgary-Bow MLA Deborah Drever was suspended from the NDP caucus over a homophobic remark found posted from Drever’s Instagram account. Notley said that she would review Drever's status within a year.[3]
