Former Alberta justice named as chairman of electoral boundaries panel

A special committee of MLAs tasked with overseeing changes to the province’s electoral boundaries has named former Alberta justice Brian O’Ferrall as chairman of the independent advisory panel.

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At Tuesday’s special committee on electoral boundaries, the UCP members, who hold the majority, passed a motion appointing O’Ferrall as chairman, despite concerns  by Opposition members about the lack of applicants and transparency of the whole process.

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Alberta NDP house leader Christina Gray told reporters after the meeting that there were only two applications for the role of chair. She said both O’Ferrall and the other applicant had made donations to the UCP.

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“We expressed serious concern about the lack of applicants, particularly given the acting chief justice, the Canadian Bar Association and the law society’s choice to not participate, and the concerns that raises for the process,” Gray said.

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Vermilion-Lloydminster-Wainwright UCP MLA Garth Rowswell, who moved the motion to appoint O’Ferrall as chair, said retired judges are able to make donations to political parties.

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He said since the donations were made in compliance with the law, it does not impact O’Ferrall’s ability to act independently.

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“I don’t believe this is necessary in this situation. I trust that, given his experience as a justice, that he will be able to act with integrity and impartiality in this process,” Rowswell said.

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O’Ferrall served as a justice of the Alberta Court of Appeal and previously as a judge of the provincial court of Alberta. Prior to O’Ferrall’s judicial appointments, he practiced as a lawyer in litigation, regulatory environment and was the co-chair of the Energy Environment Regulatory Group.

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According to the Alberta NDP, O’Ferrall donated just under $2,800 to the UCP between 2022 and 2025 and $6,850 to the Conservative Party of Canada between 2023 and 2024.

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Read More

1. Acting chief justice refuses to circulate call for appointments to electoral boundaries committee
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In a statement to Postmedia, Daniel Verrier, communications and media relations manager with the UCP caucus, said they were unable to accommodate an interview but said the party is confident in O’Ferrall’s appointment.

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“His distinguished 50-year legal career including serving on Alberta’s highest court for 11 years, demonstrates his ability to maintain total impartiality, which will be critical to the work of the advisory panel,” Verrier said.

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Gray agreed that O’Ferrall has significant professional experience, but said she still has concerns with the credibility and independence of the process given the political donations.

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She pointed to previous motions by the Opposition to look for a chair that would be nonpartisan, which were defeated.

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The Alberta NDP brought forward several motions on Tuesday, including interviewing both candidates and rescinding government motion 37, citing a lack of public confidence. However, they were defeated.

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According to the motion, the independent advisory panel is tasked with conducting a review of the electoral boundaries of Alberta and making proposals for the 91 proposed electoral divisions. The panel must submit a report to the committee by Oct. 22.

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The committee’s next steps will be to nominate members to the independent advisory panel and discuss compensation for the chairman. On May 12, the committee passed a motion requesting $450,000 in funding to complete the work.