Honorific-Prefix: | The Honourable |
Kathleen Ganley | |
Caption: | Ganley in June 2024 |
Birth Place: | Edmonton, Alberta |
Residence: | Calgary, Alberta |
Office1: | Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for Calgary-Mountain View |
Predecessor1: | David Swann |
Term Start1: | April 16, 2019 |
Office: | Minister of Justice and Solicitor General of Alberta |
Term Start: | May 24, 2015 |
Term End: | April 30, 2019 |
Premier: | Rachel Notley |
Predecessor: | Jonathan Denis |
Successor: | Doug Schweitzer |
Office3: | Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for Calgary-Buffalo |
Predecessor3: | Kent Hehr |
Term Start3: | May 5, 2015 |
Term End3: | April 16, 2019 |
Successor3: | Joe Ceci |
Office4: | Minister of Aboriginal Affairs |
Term Start4: | May 24, 2015 |
Term End4: | February 2, 2016 |
Predecessor4: | Jim Prentice |
Successor4: | Richard Feehan |
Party: | Alberta New Democratic Party |
Occupation: | Lawyer |
Portfolio: | Minister of Justice and Solicitor General |
Alma Mater: | University of Calgary |
Kathleen Teresa Ganley (born 1978) is a Canadian lawyer and politician who was elected in the 2019 Alberta general election to represent the electoral district of Calgary-Mountain View in the 30th Alberta Legislature. She was previously elected in 2015 to represent Calgary-Buffalo in the 29th Legislature. She is a member of the New Democratic Party of Alberta.[1] On May 24, 2015 she was sworn in as the Minister of Justice and Minister of Aboriginal Affairs for the province of Alberta.[2] On February 2, 2016 six new members were sworn into Alberta's Cabinet, and Kathleen Ganley retained the role of Minister of Justice and Solicitor General for the province of Alberta becoming one of the first non-conservatives to be appointed since the early 1960s.[3] The department of Aboriginal Relations was renamed to Indigenous Relations, reflecting the preference of Indigenous communities, with Richard Feehan appointed Minister of Indigenous Relations.[4]
In 2024, she ran for the position of leader of the Alberta NDP, ultimately losing out to former Mayor of Calgary Naheed Nenshi after receiving 5,899 votes or about 8% of the vote.[5]
Ganley was born in Edmonton and moved to Calgary before she turned two.[6] She has degrees in Psychology and in Philosophy from the University of Calgary. She graduated from the University of Calgary faculty of law in 2012. As a lawyer, she specialized in labour and employment.[6] She also worked as a clerk in a provincial court.[7] Ganley gave birth to her first child, a daughter named Wren, in November 2017.[8]