CPSA Council elections
The Health Professions Act (HPA) specifies that half of CPSA’s councillors are public members appointed by Alberta’s Lieutenant-Governor in Council. The other half is made up of regulated members who are elected by CPSA’s regulated members (physicians and physician assistants).
Any regulated member with a valid practice permit that isn’t suspended may consider becoming a candidate in an election for a regulated member position on CPSA Council. The general election process involves these steps:
- CPSA issues a call for nominations to our regulated members each August.
- Interested regulated members submit nominations, and if eligibility requirements are met, they become candidates in a general election.
- If there are more eligible candidates than there are vacant seats on Council, candidates will run in an election held in the fall for regulated member councillor positions. All regulated members in good standing can vote in the election.
- At the final CPSA Council meeting of the year (December), Council uses the election results to appoint successful candidates to Council for 3-year terms beginning January 1 of the next year.
Eligibility requirements
A regulated member on the General Register, the Provisional Register or the Limited Practice Register (whether a physician, surgeon, osteopath or physician assistant) may stand for nomination, nominate a colleague and vote in the election if:
- no fees, costs, fines, assessments, levies or any other sums are owing by the member to CPSA;
- the member has a valid and current practice permit that is not currently suspended; and
- the member is in compliance with all orders or directions made pursuant to the HPA.
A regulated member is not eligible to be nominated for or elected as a member of Council if:
- the member is currently subject to certain undertakings, conditions imposed under section 55 or 65, or directions under section 118 of the Health Professions Act; or
- has been formally charged with unprofessional conduct that has not yet been determined by a Hearing Tribunal; or
- has been found guilty of unprofessional conduct within the preceding 10 years; or
- has been found guilty of unprofessional conduct related to sexual abuse, misconduct or any sexual boundary violation at any time in any jurisdiction, including outside of Canada; or
- is elected to federal or provincial public office; occupies a senior position (Assistant Deputy Minister or higher) with the Government of Alberta; is a senior member or officer of a Regional Health Authority; or as their primary responsibility in the course of their employment represents an organization in collective bargaining or in proceedings under a collective bargaining agreement with regulated members, where those proceedings negotiate or set fees charged by regulated members for professional services, unless they cease to have those positions and five years have passed from the date of the election.
For more information on eligibility, review Bylaw 12.
Election for 2025 Councillor(s)
Council election timeline
| August 28, 2024 | Nominations open |
| September 25, 2024 | Nominations close |
| October 2, 2024 | Voting opens |
| October 30, 2024 | Voting closes |
| November 14, 2024 | New Councillors officially announced in Messenger |
| January 1, 2025 | New Councillors start their term |