 In 1910 , the Liberal government of Alexander Cameron Rutherford was embroiled in the Alberta and Great Waterways ( A & GW ) Railway scandal . Accusations of favouritism by the government towards the Alberta and Great Waterways Railway had split the Liberal Party , and Rutherford 's ability to remain at its head was in doubt . Lieutenant @-@ Governor George Bulyea , a Liberal who had reluctantly asked Rutherford to form a government in 1905 , saw his doubts about the Premier 's leadership skills validated and quietly began looking for candidates to replace him and save the Liberal Party . Several possibilities — including William Henry Cushing , Peter Talbot , and Frank Oliver — were considered and either rejected or found to be uninterested in the job . As early as March 14 , Bulyea had concluded that Sifton might be " the only permanent solution " , though it was not until May that the Lieutenant @-@ Governor was able to secure Rutherford 's agreement to resign and the agreement of both major factions in the Liberal caucus to accept Sifton as Premier . Even up until the last minute , Members of the Legislative Assembly ( MLAs ) loyal to Charles Wilson Cross — the province 's Attorney @-@ General and a staunch Rutherford ally — threatened to scuttle the arrangement unless Cross was kept on as attorney @-@ general , to which Sifton refused to agree . On May 26 , Rutherford resigned and Arthur Sifton became the second Premier of Alberta . 
