Alberta cabinet minister Ric McIver exits post, voted in as new legislature Speaker

Ric McIver was elected to be the new speaker of the Alberta legislative assembly Tuesday.

Calgary legislature member Ric McIver is the new Speaker of the Alberta legislature.

McIver resigned as municipal affairs minister early Tuesday and soon after was voted into the Speaker’s job by his peers, defeating Opposition NDP candidate Heather Sweet.

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After the vote result was announced, McIver was ceremoniously dragged to the Speaker’s chair by Premier Danielle Smith and Opposition NDP house leader Christina Gray.

Some jovial heel dragging on McIver’s part meant Gray dropped his elbow and started pushing him from behind while Smith led the way.

The dragging is a parliamentary tradition that dates back hundreds of years to when the Speaker’s role was viewed as both unappealing and perilous, given that they risked incurring the wrath of the sovereign.

In his first speech from the Speaker’s chair, McIver said he was grateful for the new post.

“I’m committed to everybody on both sides to honour the traditions of this place, to be non-partisan and to help us get through the business of the day every day,” McIver said.

“If we have a little fun, great ... better fun than nastiness.”

The Speaker’s role is to be the non-partisan referee during question period and debate. The Speaker also doesn’t vote on legislation.

After mistakenly thanking Sweet by name in his speech, breaking the parliamentary tradition of referring to members only by their titles, McIver urged colleagues to bear with him as he learns the ins and outs of the role.

“See? I’m already breaking the rules,” he said. “Despite the fact I’ve watched this show for this important place for almost about 13 years, that doesn’t mean I won’t mess it up. But with your help, I’ll fail along until we get better at it.”

The premier said in a statement that she is confident McIver is the right choice for Speaker.

“He is respected on both sides of the aisle and I know he will approach his new role as Speaker with the utmost seriousness,” Smith said.

The sentiment was shared by United Conservative Party backbencher Glenn van Dijken, who nominated McIver for the role.

“What distinguishes Mr. McIver is not only his experience, which is unmatched in this assembly, but his fairness, his sense of humour and his deep institutional knowledge,” van Dijken said.

“He understands the weight of this institution because he has lived it through good times and challenging ones, always with dignity and grace.”

Gray agreed, telling reporters Tuesday that she’s sure McIver’s ready to leave his partisanship behind.

“And if you were watching the election this morning, you will know that I don’t mind giving him a little push along the way if he needs to be redirected,” Gray joked.

Since being elected in 2012, McIver served as municipal affairs minister under two premiers, while also doing stints as transportation minister, infrastructure minister and jobs minister.

The Speaker’s job became vacant last week after United Conservative MLA Nathan Cooper announced he was stepping down as Speaker after nearly six years and resigning his seat in the assembly in order to represent Alberta’s interests in Washington, D.C.

Tourism Minister Joseph Schow will take on McIver’s municipal affairs portfolio on an interim basis until a permanent replacement is appointed.

Schow told reporters he’s committed to being accessible to municipal leaders during wildfire season.

The presidents of Alberta’s two municipal associations said they looked forward to working with Schow, but are sad to see McIver leave the role.

“He has been an absolute wonderful minister and wonderful MLA to work with in that portfolio,” said Rural Municipalities of Alberta president Kara Westerlund.

Alberta Municipalities president Tyler Gandam said he and McIver developed a good relationship over the past year and appreciated the work he’s done in the role.

Both leaders said their advice to McIver’s replacement is to utilize the knowledge held by their respective organizations.

“We have a really good idea in terms of what the environment and what the temperature is like within municipalities,” Gandam said.

By Jack Farrell

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 13, 2025.