Days after Premier Jim Prentice was sworn-in and named his cabinet, the provincial government announced that the sitting of the legislature had been pushed back.
The province announced that notice had been given to the Speaker that the legislative sitting had been prorogued, with a new start date of November 17.
Officials said the fall sitting will start later, but will last 20 days, the same number of days as was previously scheduled.
The announcement gives time for Prentice, and two of his ministers: Health Minister Stephen Mandel and Education Minister Gordon Dirks time to be elected in a byelection.
Prorogation brings to an end all business and legislation that was before the Legislative Assembly – including the Public Sector Pension Plans Amendment Act (Bill 9) and the Employment Pension (Private Sector) Plans Amendment Act (Bill 10).
The legislation would have changed pensions, including changing early retirement dates and cost of living adjustments.
“There were many occasions where people that worked hard for Albertans as government employees would meet with me and they would be in tears often about these bills,” Prentice said Thursday.
It’s a move critics were quick to applaud.
“We take that as a significant victory not just for ourselves but for all our public employees,” NDP Leader Brian Mason said.
The province said those two pieces of legislation will not be reintroduced under the Prentice government.
