Prior to the 1982 Alberta provincial election, Speaker and another longtime Alberta Social Credit Party Socred MLA, Walt Buck, left the party and ran as Independents due to a collapse of their party and problems with organisation and leadership. The two MLAs were successfully returned as Independents to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. After election they tried to form the official opposition over but were denied by the Speaker of the Assembly who gave the two-member Alberta New Democratic Party the official opposition status.