Citizen-driven recall petitions were formally sanctioned Tuesday against three additional Alberta legislature members, bringing the total to 26. Of these petitions, 24 target United Conservative Party representatives, comprising over half of Premier Danielle Smith’s 47-member caucus, with the remaining two directed at Opposition New Democrats.
This marks the inaugural application of Alberta’s Recall Act on provincial politicians, introduced during the tenure of former UCP premier Jason Kenney to empower citizens and ensure accountability between general elections. According to the legislation, petitioners are required to provide a rationale in 100 words or less for why they believe an MLA should face recall.
To initiate the process, the petitioner must reside in the constituency and pay a $500 processing fee, with no specific criteria outlined for the reasons provided. If the petition is endorsed by Elections Alberta, the applicant has 90 days to gather sufficient signatures from constituents to prompt a vote. The number of signatures required must equal 60% of votes cast in the constituency during the 2023 election.
If the requisite number of signatures is collected and verified, a constituency-wide vote is organized within four months to determine the fate of the MLA in question. If over half of the votes cast affirm the recall, the member is ousted, triggering a by-election.
The following politicians are currently facing recall petitions, listed in the order of petition issuance:
– Demetrios Nicolaides UCP; Calgary-Bow
– Angela Pitt UCP; Airdrie-East
– Nolan Dyck UCP; Grande Prairie
– Myles McDougall UCP; Calgary-Fish Creek
– Ric McIver UCP; Calgary-Hays
– Muhammad Yaseen UCP; Calgary-North
– Rajan Sawhney UCP; Calgary-North West
– R.J. Sigurdson UCP; Highwood
– Dale Nally UCP; Morinville-St. Albert
– Glenn van Dijken UCP; Athabasca-Barrhead-Westlock
– Jackie Lovely UCP; Camrose
– Nathan Neudorf UCP; Lethbridge East
– Jason Stephan UCP; Red Deer-South
– Searle Turton UCP; Spruce Grove-Stony Plain
– Amanda Chapman NDP; Calgary-Beddington
– Peter Singh UCP; Calgary-East
– Tanya Fir UCP; Calgary-Peigan
– Adriana LaGrange UCP; Red Deer North
– Rebecca Schulz UCP; Calgary-Shaw
– Danielle Smith UCP; Brooks-Medicine Hat
– Nate Glubish UCP; Strathcona-Sherwood Park
– Mickey Amery UCP; Calgary-Cross
– Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk UCP; Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville
– Ron Wiebe UCP; Grande Prairie-Wapiti
– Justin Wright UCP; Cypress-Medicine Hat
– Peggy Wright NDP; Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview
Each petitioner has outlined specific grievances against the respective MLAs, highlighting concerns ranging from lack of responsiveness to constituents to disagreements over policy decisions. The recall process remains ongoing, reflecting citizens’ engagement in holding their elected representatives accountable.