Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has rebutted claims from the Opposition that her United Conservatives are manipulating the redrawing of election boundaries to favor their party. During a recent session, Opposition NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi accused Smith’s government of being the masterminds behind proposed maps that would benefit the United Conservatives, but it is expected that these maps will be reconsidered as the government plans to revisit the redrawing process.
“They thought they could get away with passing the minority map, but it was so egregious, it was so wrong, that it was too shameless even for the UCP to do that,” Nenshi remarked. He questioned whether the minority report was actually authored by the government and represented the UCP’s perspective.
Smith promptly refuted any involvement by the government in drafting the maps. She emphasized, “Government did not have a role in drafting any maps. The member opposite keeps on implying that the government had something to do with the outcome of this report. We did not.”
The ongoing dispute coincides with an impending vote in the house to reconsider a recent bipartisan commission’s report on Alberta’s electoral ridings for the 2027 election. According to provincial law, Alberta’s electoral divisions must be reviewed every eight to 10 years to accommodate population changes.
The NDP has been focusing on the boundaries controversy in successive sitting days. Last week, Speaker Ric McIver reprimanded members for their conduct, cautioning them against unwarranted accusations. The government is now proposing to form a new panel, with a majority representation from the UCP, to redraw the maps based on the majority’s proposal, without public engagement.
Susan Samson, one of the NDP’s appointees on the initial commission, criticized the government’s involvement in the redrawing process, emphasizing the importance of an independent and compromise-based approach. She expressed concerns about potential gerrymandering and emphasized the need for a fair outcome for Albertans.
The majority on the commission stated that the split in the commission emerged unexpectedly, indicating that the commission had been cohesive until shortly before the final reports were issued. Samson raised doubts about the minority report’s swift production and questioned the motives behind it.
The government’s proposal sets a fall deadline for the panel and committee to produce the new maps. Nenshi mentioned that the NDP is still deliberating on its participation in the revised process, pending the outcome of the motion.