 Like most of the UFA caucus , Greenfield had no experience in government and he struggled in the position . He relied extensively on his Attorney General , John E. Brownlee , for counsel on policy and strategy . He was unable to control his caucus , which did not generally believe in party discipline , and his government almost lost several votes in the Legislature despite its majority . He was unable to effectively address the problems facing farmers ( including drought and low grain prices ) , bitter labour disputes in the coal industry , or the pronounced divisions in public opinion that had sprung up around prohibition ( which his government ended ) . Despite this , his time as Premier saw the elimination of the provincial deficit , substantial progress in negotiating the transfer of natural resource rights from the federal government , and the creation of the Alberta Wheat Pool . He also named Irene Parlby as the province 's first female cabinet minister . 
