Events suddenly stacked up Wednesday into a pre-summer political blast in Alberta. The top of the heap featured two resignations from cabinet, followed by a bitter blow-up in the legislature committee reviewing Thomas Lukaszuk's pro-Canada question for a referendum on independence.
Two Key Ministers Step Down
The cabinet shuffle, which had been rumored, turned out to be significant. Premier Danielle Smith will name new ministers on Thursday morning. Finance Minister Nate Horner announced he is quitting the post because he will not run again in the 2027 election. He chose to leave cabinet immediately so his successor can write the budget for an election year.
“In discussing my plans with the premier, we both felt it was important for the election year budget to be built by a member of cabinet who will be running for re-election, and therefore I will not continue in my role as minister of Finance and president of Treasury Board,” Horner said.
This decision hints at a possible early election. The election itself is scheduled for October 2027, but the UCP and the premier have been tempted by strong poll numbers to call an earlier vote.
Also stepping down from cabinet is Hospital and Surgical Health Services Minister Matt Jones, who also does not plan to run again. He said he is doing so to support an “orderly transition.” Both Horner and Jones are senior, crucial ministers, making this more than a minor shuffle.
Ministerial Contributions
Horner has been laser-focused on the province’s finances without getting sidetracked by partisan politics. In the sizable list of Horner family ministers—including Hugh and Doug—Nate may be the strongest, though not the most terrifying (that was Hugh from the Lougheed years). Matt Jones has been hard-working and direct in his very difficult post, addressing tragedies in emergency wards with devotion to solutions, though it is unclear he found many.
Smith's Upcoming TV Speech
Later on Thursday, Smith will address the province on the independence question to be put to the public on referendum day, October 19. The legislature committee assessing Lukaszuk's pro-Canada question referred it to the government Wednesday afternoon, leading to a furious confrontation between NDP and UCP committee members. While the meeting was still in progress, the UCP caucus released a full statement on the meeting with quotes from chair Brandon Lunty. The NDP deemed this improper and launched points of privilege, as debates on motions continued. The statement itself included criticism of proponent Lukaszuk.
