Searle Turton

Searle Turton (born 23 June 1979) is a Canadian politician who is the Alberta Minister of Children and Family Services. He was elected in the 2019 Alberta general election to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta representing the electoral district of Spruce Grove-Stony Plain. Turton previously was a city councillor in the City of Spruce Grove from 2010 to 2019 until his election as MLA. He was re-elected in the 2023 Alberta general election, and in June 2023 he was appointed to Cabinet.

Before being elected, Turton also worked in the tech sector and in construction consulting with a variety of oil refineries/ facilities around Alberta.

As MLA, Turton was Chair of the Social Services Cabinet Policy Committee, Deputy Chair of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, and member of the Standing Committee on Resource Stewardship. Turton has previously been Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy, Deputy Char of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, and has served on various other boards as well.

Turton sponsored Bill 213 titled the Traffic Safety (Maximum Speed Limit for Provincial Freeways) Amendment Act. Turton described how due to Alberta’s mostly flat prairie terrain, a mild increase to the speed limit would be necessary.

In 2023, Turton announced a $14.7 million investment to Meridian Housing Foundation to build seniors units in Spruce Grove. He described how “Alberta's seniors have spent decades making our communities what they are today. I am pleased to see that through funding from the Affordable Housing Partnership Program, seniors in the Spruce Grove-Stony Plain area will have access to the modern, safe, and affordable housing they deserve”.