The 3rd Alberta Senate nominee election was held on November 22, 2004 in conjuction with the Alberta general election, 2004.

Alberta is the only Canadian province to elect nominees for appointment to the Senate of Canada. These elections are non_binding as the appointment of senators is the jurisdiction of the federal government. The elections, however, are held under the auspices of the Alberta Senatorial Selection Act of 1987 which was passed in response to a proposal under the Meech Lake Accord which would have required the federal government to appoint senators from lists provided by provincial governments.

After the failure of the Meech Lake and subsequent Charlottetown Accords, the federal government continued its traditional practice of appointing senators without consulting the provinces. The result was vacancies in Alberta being filled before an election could be held. As such, the pro_Senate Reform government of Ralph Klein amended the act in 1998 providing for it to elect senators in advance of vacancies.

The amended Senatorial Selection Act looks six years ahead to see how many Alberta vacancies will exist in the Senate due to the mandatory retirement of senators at the age of 75. From 1998 onward, senate nominees are elected for six year terms as a protest to push for senate reform. Whenever a vacancy arises in the senate from Alberta, the Alberta government formally requests that the Prime Minister appoint the Albertan nominees.

Controversy

Despite the idea of senate reform being very popular in Western Canada, largely due to their disproptionately low represenation in the Senate of Canada, the Alberta senate elections are very controversial.

Though Stan Waters, elected in the first Senate election, was appointed to the Senate by then-Prime Minister Brian Mulroney in 1990, subsequent elected senate nominees have not been appointed. Moreover, current Prime Minister Paul Martin has said he will not appoint any nominees elected in this fashion because he does not support "piecemeal" senate reform. Due to this fact, detractors of the election argue it is a waste of time and money. The cost of the election is estimated at $3 million by the Alberta government.

The second and third largest parties in Alberta, the Alberta Liberal Party and the Alberta New Democrats do not support the elections and did not run candidates in the election, leaving it to be contested exclusively by the right_of_centre Alberta Progressive Conservatives, Alberta Alliance and Social Credit parties, and independents.

The candidate nominated by Social Credit did not obtain the 1500 signatures required to get on the ballot and the party therefore was no represented in the election.

Candidates and results

As of the date of the election, there were three vacant Alberta seats in the Senate of Canada and another will become vacant within six years. Voters could vote for up to four candidates, though many candidates encouraged their supporters to vote for only one, a legal option, to prevent the vote totals of their competitors from rising.

Past Senate elections

Alberta Senate nominee election, 1989

Stan Waters wins the one seat up for election defeating two other candidates. He was appointed to the Senate by then-Prime Minister Brian Mulroney in 1990.

Alberta Senate nominee election, 1998

Ted Morton and Bert Brown are elected. Neither are appointed to the Senate.

External links

• Alberta Department of Intergovernmental & International Relations - Senate Nominee Elections (http://www.iir.gov.ab.ca/canadian_intergovernmental_relations/senate_nominee_elections.asp)
• Elections Alberta - Senate Nominee Results (http://results.electionsalberta.ab.ca/SSAProvincialResults.htm)