Alberta’s premier will have little time to rest with another session of the legislature announced Tuesday and numerous controversies to sort out, says a political scientist.

Alison Redford and the ruling Progressive Conservative party charged to a commanding majority win in Monday’s provincial election, picking up 61 of 87 seats.

But on Tuesday Redford went right back to business, calling for another session of the legislature before summer and pledging to sort out confusion over the status of Asia envoy Gary Mar and the “no meet” committee.

“We will be making some decisions over the course of the next couple of weeks with regard to the other issues we need to decide together around cabinet, legislative scheduling,” Redford said.

Keith Brownsey, a political science professor at Mount Royal University, said the sooner Redford acts on matters dogging her party the better.
“She has to clean up her own act, would be the best way to put it,” he said.

Questions also linger about promises made by Redford both before and during the election, including plans to establish 140 new family care clinics and 50 schools. There is also the matter of the polarizing impaired driving legislation that has drawn sharp criticism from civil rights advocates.

Nevertheless, Brownsey said the Tories have been handed a commanding majority — something which the premier hinted Tuesday she expected all along.
“I’m not as surprised as everybody else,” Redford said when asked about Monday’s win.