 Once in the legislature , however , Greenfield faltered in his leadership of his caucus . The UFA MLAs came from a determinedly independent and non @-@ partisan background and proved nearly impossible to whip . When Greenfield selected his cabinet and was about to announce it to his caucus for their vetting , he was interrupted by Lorne Proudfoot who asked whether , in addition to the rumoured inclusion of Labour members , the cabinet would include any of the fourteen Liberal MLAs . Proudfoot argued that to exclude them would be to " start out much after the matter of the old parties " . Greenfield had not intended this , and suggested that no Liberals would likely be amenable to it . Irene Parlby , the caucus 's only woman ( who Greenfield would shortly name as Alberta 's first female cabinet minister ) agreed , and suggested that the UFA 's ideal of securing representation for all economic groups in society did not apply to the Liberals , who were not an economic group and were not democratically organized in any event . Proudfoot 's proposal was defeated sixteen votes to fourteen . Greenfield went on to name the seven member cabinet he had intended , including Labour MLA Alex Ross as Minister of Public Works , Parlby as Minister Without Portfolio , and Greenfield himself as Provincial Treasurer . 
