The 7th Alberta Legislative Assembly lasted from 1930 to 1935. The United Farmers of Alberta

United Farmers of Alberta

The United Farmers of Alberta is an association of Alberta farmers that has served many different roles throughout its history as a lobby group, a political party, and as a farm-supply retail chain. Since 1934 it has primarily been an agricultural supply cooperative headquartered in Calgary...

 government had been re-elected to their third term in power under Premier John Brownlee

John Edward Brownlee

John Edward Brownlee was the fifth Premier of Alberta, Canada, serving from 1925 until 1934. Born in Port Ryerse, Ontario, he studied history and political science at the University of Toronto's Victoria College before moving west to Calgary to become a lawyer...

.

Scandals

Premier John Brownlee's personal reputation was destroyed by a sex scandal

Sex scandal

A sex scandal is a scandal involving allegations or information about possibly-immoral sexual activities being made public. Sex scandals are often associated with movie stars, politicians, famous athletes or others in the public eye, and become scandals largely because of the prominence of the...

 in which he was successfully sued for the ancient and rarely-litigated civil tort of seduction

Seduction

In social science, seduction is the process of deliberately enticing a person to engage. The word seduction stems from Latin and means literally "to lead astray". As a result, the term may have a positive or negative connotation...

 by a young woman in his employ.

In July 1933 Brownlee gave a car ride to Vivian MacMillan, then employed as a clerk in the office of the attorney general. MacMillan's fiancé filed a seduction suit against Brownlee, who denied all charges and launched a countersuit alleging that MacMillan, her father, and her fiancé had planned the entire affair for their own financial gain.

The jury found Brownlee guilty of seduction, but the presiding judge overturned its verdict. Nevertheless the circumstances were damaging enough that Brownlee resigned from the provincial ministry in July 1934.

Little Bow

Little Bow (electoral district)

Little Bow is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, Canada.The district, named after the Little Bow River, was created in 1913 from the north-west corner of Lethbridge District and the eastern portions of Okotoks, High River, Nanton and Claresholm...

 MLA Oran McPherson

Oran McPherson

Oran Leo "Tony" McPherson was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for Little Bow from 1921 to 1935 as a member of the United Farmers of Alberta.-Early life:...

 also had a high profile divorce scandal that made big headlines after Cora McPherson took him to court.

The UFA's economic policies as well as the scandalizing of Alberta's conservative population led to the party's downfall in the 1935 election

Alberta general election, 1935

The Alberta general election of 1935 was the eighth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on August 22, 1935 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....

 when it failed to win one seat in the legislature

Legislature

A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...

. William Aberhart

William Aberhart

William Aberhart , also known as Bible Bill for his outspoken Baptist views, was a Canadian politician and the seventh Premier of Alberta between 1935 and 1943. The Social Credit party believed the reason for the depression was that people did not have enough money to spend, so the government...

 and his Social Credit Party swept the province.

Floor crossings

A sensational week occurred in the Assembly just prior to the opening of the 4th Legislative Session. Victoria MLA Peter Miskew decided to cross the floor from the United Farmers to the Liberals. The floor crossing did terrific damage to John Brownlee

John Edward Brownlee

John Edward Brownlee was the fifth Premier of Alberta, Canada, serving from 1925 until 1934. Born in Port Ryerse, Ontario, he studied history and political science at the University of Toronto's Victoria College before moving west to Calgary to become a lawyer...

's government as the Premier had announced three days prior that Miskew would be moving the governments reply to the throne speech.

Miskew's reasoned after crossing the floor that moving the reply to the speech from the throne would mean that he would support the governments policies which he no longer believed in. He sent notice by memo to the Premier deciding not to inform him in person.

Three day's later St. Alberta MLA Omer St. Germain

Omer St. Germain

Omer St. Germain was a barrister, solicitor, notary, publisher and a provincial politician from Canada. He served as the first mayor of Morinville, Alberta, and became a perennial candidate in Alberta elections hold office as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1930 to 1935...

 crossed the floor to join Miskew in the Liberal benches. David Duggan

David Milwyn Duggan

David Milwyn Duggan was a politician in Alberta, Canada, a mayor of Edmonton, a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, and a leader of the Conservative Party of Alberta.-Early life:...

 the leader of the Conservatives applauded Miskew crossing the floor. He stated that it was the beginning of the end for the United Farmers and that the conservative minded elements in the United Farmers will oppose the radical elements that were allowing the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation to pull the United Farmers to the left.

Standings changes since the 7th general election

Number of members per party by date		1930			1931			1932			1933		1934
		Jun 19	Aug 21	Oct 1	Jan 9	Aug 1	Nov 16	Jul 19	Oct 25	Oct 14	Jan 19	Nov 10	Jan 15	Feb 3	Feb 6	United Farmers United Farmers of Alberta The United Farmers of Alberta is an association of Alberta farmers that has served many different roles throughout its history as a lobby group, a political party, and as a farm-supply retail chain. Since 1934 it has primarily been an agricultural supply cooperative headquartered in Calgary...	40	39			38		37	38					37	36	Liberal Alberta Liberal Party The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...	10	11									10	11	12	13	Conservative Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta The Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta is a provincial centre-right party in the Canadian province of Alberta...	6		5	6		7			6						Dominion Labor Dominion Labor Party (Alberta) The Dominion Labor Party provincial branch of the Canadian Labor Party in Alberta was a minor political party. The party was founded on March 29, 1919 as the Federated Labor Party. The party was renamed the Dominion Labor Party later that year.-Early history:...	4														Independent	3									4
	Total members	63		62	63	62	63	62	63	62	63	62	63
	Vacant	0		1	0	1	0	1	0	1	0	1	0
	Government Majority	17	15	16	15	14	13	12	13	14	13	14	13	11	9

Membership changes in the 7th Assembly
	Date	Name	District	Party	Reason	June 1930	Hugh Allen Hugh Allen (politician) Hugh Wright Allen was a provincial politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1926 to 1935 sitting with the United Farmers of Alberta caucus...	Grande Prairie Grande Prairie (provincial electoral district) Grande Prairie was a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada. It was mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1930 to 1993.-1957 liquor plebiscite:...	United Farmers United Farmers of Alberta The United Farmers of Alberta is an association of Alberta farmers that has served many different roles throughout its history as a lobby group, a political party, and as a farm-supply retail chain. Since 1934 it has primarily been an agricultural supply cooperative headquartered in Calgary...	Acclaimed in the 1926 general election	June 19, 1930	See List of Members			Election day of the 7th Alberta general election Alberta general election, 1930 The Alberta general election of 1930 was the seventh general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on June 19, 1930 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....	August 21, 1930	John Delisle John Delisle John Amos Delisle is a former provincial politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1926 to 1930 sitting with the United Farmers caucus in government.-Political career:...	Beaver River Beaver River (provincial electoral district) -1944 general election:- External links :*...	United Farmers	Lost seat after election was overturned in judicial recount.	August 21, 1930	Henry Dakin Henry H. Dakin Henry H. Dakin was a provincial politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1930 to 1935 sitting with the Liberal caucus in opposition.-Political career:...	Beaver River	Liberal Alberta Liberal Party The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...	Won seat after election was overturned in judicial recount.	October 1, 1930	Charles Weaver Charles Yardley Weaver Charles Yardley Weaver was a politician, barrister, justice of the peace and soldier from Alberta, Canada. He held office on both municipal and provincial levels of government...	Edmonton Edmonton (provincial electoral district) Edmonton provincial electoral district existed in two incarnations from 1905 - 1909 and again from 1921 - 1955. The district was created when Alberta first became a province....	Conservative Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta The Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta is a provincial centre-right party in the Canadian province of Alberta...	Died of a heart attack	January 9, 1931	Frederick Jamieson Frederick Jamieson Frederick Charles Jamieson was a provincial politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1931 until 1935 sitting with the Conservative caucus in opposition.-Political career:...	Edmonton	Conservative	Elected in a by-election	August 1, 1931	George Smith George Wilbert Smith George Wilbert Smith was a teacher, businessman and politician on the municipal and provincial levels of government in Alberta, Canada...	Red Deer Red Deer (provincial electoral district) Red Deer was a provincial electoral district representing the city of Red Deer, Alberta in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1905 to 1986...	United Farmers	Died from a heart seizure	November 16, 1931	William Payne William Ernest Payne William Ernest Payne was a lawyer and provincial politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1931 to 1935 sitting with the Conservative caucus in opposition.-Early life:...	Red Deer	Conservative	Elected in a by-election	July 19, 1932	Vernor Smith Vernor Smith Vernor Winfield Smith was a politician in Alberta, Canada who served as the province's Minister of Railways and Telephones from 1921 until 1932. Born in 1864 in Prince Edward Island, he moved to British Columbia in 1883 where he worked for several railway companies as an accountant. In 1915 he...	Camrose Camrose (provincial electoral district) -1944 general election:-1957 liquor plebiscite:On October 30, 1957 a stand alone plebiscite was held province wide in all 50 of the then current provincial electoral districts in Alberta. The government decided to consult Alberta voters to decide on liquor sales and mixed drinking after a divisive...	United Farmers	Died from angina pectoris.	October 25, 1932	Chester Ronning Chester Ronning Chester Alvin Ronning, CC, AOE was a Canadian diplomat and politician.Ronning was born in Fangcheng, China, the son of Norwegian Lutheran missionaries, and graduated from the University of Alberta in 1916 with a B.Sc.He returned to China to serve as a missionary from 1922 to 1927 and then returned...	Camrose	United Farmers	Elected in a by-election	October 14, 1932	Harold McGill Harold McGill Dr. Major Harold Wigmore McGill was a provincial level politician and medical doctor from Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta and the Council of the Northwest Territories.-Early life:Dr...	Calgary Calgary (provincial electoral district) Calgary was a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada that existed from 1905 to 1913 and was recreated from 1921 to 1959. The district returned from one to six members to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta...	Conservative	Appointed Superintendent-General of Indian Affairs.	January 19, 1933	Norman Hindsley Norman Hindsley Norman Hindsley was a politician and published author from Alberta, Canada.In 1927 Norman wrote a report Into the Advisability of the Establishment of a Forty-Eight Hour Working Week in Alberta the title was published by the University of Alberta.Norman Hindsley was elected to the Legislative...	Calgary	Independent	Elected in a by-election	November 10, 1933	George Webster George Harry Webster George Harry "Cowboy Mayor" Webster was a politician and transportation expert in Alberta, Canada...	Calgary	Liberal	Died	January 15, 1934	William Ross William Henry Ross William Henry Ross was a provincial level politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1934 to 1935.-Political career:...	Calgary	Liberal	Elected in a by-election	February 3, 1934	Peter Miskew	Victoria Victoria (Alberta provincial electoral district) Victoria was a historical Alberta Provincial Electoral District. The riding was created in 1905 when Alberta became a province, and existed central north east part of the province....	Liberal	Crossed the floor from the United Farmers caucus	February 6, 1934	Omer St. Germain Omer St. Germain Omer St. Germain was a barrister, solicitor, notary, publisher and a provincial politician from Canada. He served as the first mayor of Morinville, Alberta, and became a perennial candidate in Alberta elections hold office as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1930 to 1935...	St. Albert St. Albert (provincial electoral district) St. Albert formally styled Saint Albert is a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada. The district is one of 83 current districts mandate to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta of Alberta, Canada....	Liberal	Crossed the floor from the United Farmers caucus

External links

• Alberta Legislative Assembly