Ministries
In Alberta, the ministries' names have two forms, often coexisting. The usual one is "Alberta X", (e.g. Alberta Education) the older style is "Ministry of X" (e.g. Ministry of Finance). The newer style without the word "ministry" resembles the federal government's Federal Identity Program and the federal naming scheme, except in reverse order. Federal ministries and departments are usually "X Canada" (e.g. Environment Canada).
With every new cabinet ministries can be created or disbanded, renamed or gain or lose responsibilities. Some ministries such as finance or health are common to all provincial governments and are comparable to similar ministries or departments at the federal level or indeed even in other countries. However, some ministries are quite distinct to Alberta, such as the Ministry of Sustainable Resource Development which oversees the management of public lands.
These are the current ministries as of 2012, listed alphabetically, with a short description and any notes to changes to that ministry's mandate.
| Ministry | Notes |
|---|---|
| Aboriginal Relations | Created 2008. Responsible for Aboriginal affairs. Also responsible for the Métis Settlements Appeals Tribunal, the Métis Settlements Ombudsman and the First Nations Development Fund. |
| Agriculture and Rural Development | Responsible for agriculture; responsibility for rural development added 2008. |
| Culture | Created 2008. Responsible for culture, community development, the voluntary sector, museums and heritage sites.
Also responsible for Human Rights and Citizenship Commission; Human Rights Citizenship and Multiculturalism Fund; Foundation for the Arts; Alberta Historical Resources Foundation; Wild Rose Foundation; and Government House Foundation. |
| Education | Responsible for Education in Alberta. |
| Energy | Responsible for energy policy. |
| Enterprise and Advanced Education | |
| Environment | Responsible for environmental policy. |
| Executive Council | The ministry which organizes, and reports directly to, cabinet. |
| Finance | Responsible for economic policy. Gained responsibility for the Regulatory Review Secretariat, the Alberta Economic Development Authority, and the Northern Alberta Development Council in 2008. |
| Health | Responsible for health policy. |
| Human Services | |
| Infrastructure | Created 2008. Responsible for infrastructure planning, and building and managing government-owned infrastructure. Also responsible for the administration of water/wastewater and other municipal infrastructure grants and the Natural Gas Rebate Program. |
| International and Intergovernmental Relations | Responsible for relations with other governments in Canada and internationally In 2008 it lost responsibility for Aboriginal relations and added responsibility for investment attraction. |
| Justice and Solicitor General | Responsible for the justice system. |
| Municipal Affairs | Responsible for local government in Alberta. In 2008 lost responsibility for housing and the voluntary sector. |
| Service Alberta | Responsible for the civil service. In 2008 lost responsibility for the Regulatory Review Secretariat. |
| Solicitor General and Public Security | Responsible for public security. |
| Sustainable Resource Development | Responsible for Crown land. |
| Tourism, Parks and Recreation | Responsible for tourism, and provincial parks. In 2008 lost responsibility for culture and community development, museums, heritage sites, and reporting entities now in Culture and Community Spirit, as well as the First Nations Development Fund now in Aboriginal Relations. |
| Transportation | Created 2008. Responsible for planning, building and managing the provincial highway network, including the administration of municipal transportation grants.
Also responsible for the Transportation Safety Board. |
| Treasury Board |
Read more about this topic: Executive Council Of Alberta
Famous quotes containing the word ministries:
“The State has but one face for me: that of the police. To my eyes, all of the State’s ministries have this single face, and I cannot imagine the ministry of culture other than as the police of culture, with its prefect and commissioners.”
—Jean Dubuffet (1901–1985)
“If English is spoken in heaven ... God undoubtedly employs Cranmer as his speechwriter. The angels of the lesser ministries probably use the language of the New English Bible and the Alternative Service Book for internal memos.”
—Charles, Prince Of Wales (b. 1948)
“Called as partners in Christ’s service,
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—Jane Parker Huber (b. 1926)