Bill passed to give Alberta's cabinet ministers permanent 'honourable' designation
The Alberta government has passed a new bill that will add a permanent "honourable" title to all former, current and future cabinet ministers' names.
In February, Premier Jason Kenney introduced Bill 1, also known as the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Recognition Act. That bill, which received royal assent in the legislature this week, was put in place to recognize the Queen's 70 years on the throne.
According to the premier, it seeks to recognize the contributions of Alberta's young people through special awards, scholarships and a special Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal.
It also adds in a new title and initials to anyone who has served or who will serve on the Executive Council of Alberta, commonly known as the provincial cabinet.
All cabinet ministers, the bill says, "may use the honorific 'The Honourable' before the member’s name and the initials 'E.C.A.' after the member’s name," even after they're done their term.
Provincial cabinet ministers previously lost their "honourable" title after leaving office.
The bill says it "is but a small gesture of recognition for the role they have played in shaping Alberta, no matter which party they have served under. It comes with no financial benefit or authority; it is simply an honour of recognition. However, it does align with the spirit of celebrating public service."
One NDP MLA took exception to the bill during a debate in the legislature last week.
"It really sounds like the government caucus is more interested in sort of pumping their own tires and giving themselves pats on the back, which is not really the mood of a lot of Albertans right now," Edmonton-Whitemud NDP MLA Rakhi Pancholi said.
"I certainly don’t hear my constituents saying, 'I really hope that the current members of this cabinet get to call themselves honorary for forever going forward.' That’s certainly not something that anybody has raised to me as their top priority."
UCPer Jason Nixon denies the move was motivated by vanity.
"This is a recognition of those who have served not just currently, but throughout the 100-and-some-year history of our legislature," he told CTV News. "We wanted to use that legislation to recognize lots of Albertans from all walks of life, and one of them was to recognize Albertans who have taken the time and dedicated certain portions of their lives to serve."
NDP MLA Christina Gray argues there are better ways to spend legislative time.
"It's a vanity title project that Albertans didn't ask for," she said Thursday. "And I can only assume that was motivated by current UCP cabinet ministers wanting to hang on to a fancy title."
Nixon points out the bill "did not take up a significant amount of legislative time."
Nova Scotia passed similar legislation in 2009 and Saskatchewan followed suit a decade later.
Previously, the permanent "honourable" title had been reserved for the premier, some judges, senators and members of the House of Commons who also belonged to the Canadian Privy Council.
Federally, the title "the Right Honourable" applies for life to the governor general, prime minister and chief justice of Canada.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Person on fire outside Trump's hush money trial rushed away on a stretcher
A person who was on fire in a park outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump’s hush money trial is taking place has been rushed away on a stretcher.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Tropical fish stolen from Beachburg, Ont. restaurant found and returned
Ontario Provincial Police have landed a suspect following a fishy theft in Beachburg, Ont.
U.S. FAA launches investigation into unauthorized personnel in cockpit of Colorado Rockies flight to Toronto
The U.S.’s Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a video that appears to show unauthorized personnel in the cockpit of a charted Colorado Rockies flight to Toronto.