Premier Smith set for byelection in Brooks-Medicine Hat next month

Premier Danielle Smith, who was officially sworn in on Tuesday, is expecting to seal the deal with a byelection in the rural Alberta riding of Brooks-Medicine Hat next month.

The provincial government announced that a returning officer and an election clerk have been appointed in the riding for a vote on Nov. 8.

Candidate nominations are now open in the riding and will close at 2 p.m. on Oct. 21.

While no candidates have registered so far, Danielle Smith, the newly minted leader of the UCP and Alberta's premier, will be in the running.

She announced her candidacy in the riding on Oct. 8, after incumbent Michaela Frey said she would be resigning her seat.

Smith made the decision despite controversy over her overlooking Calgary-Elbow, which was left vacant following the departure of the UCP's Doug Schweitzer.

On Saturday, Smith said the decision was to avoid a "rolling series of byelections" and instead have an MLA from a neighbouring riding look after the constituents until a new representative can be elected.

"We have the ability, when you're less than a year out (from an election) to allow for a vacancy and Minister Tyler Shandro has been selected by the Speaker to be the overseer of that constituency.

"I asked him this morning if there were any major issues that have come onto his radar since that riding has been vacant and he has not had to intervene on anything, but he will continue to steward that riding."

She says Drew Barnes will be overseeing Brooks-Medicine Hat up until the point the byelection has been decided.

Smith, who was originally elected in a rural riding, says she wants to say in that environment and not interfere with an open and fair election in Calgary-Elbow.

Some of the issues she expects to bring forward are permanent funding for the HALO air ambulance service, the creation of an Alberta police service to "replace or augment" the RCMP and work to improve Highway 3.

"I've received some indication that the amount of traffic on that highway is equivalent to the kind of traffic that we saw on Highway 63 up to Fort McMurray.

"When you have harvest and a lot of farm equipment on those roads at the same time you're trying to move manufactured homes, is creating danger."

Unofficial results will be available after polls close, while official results will be announced on Nov. 18.

Once the byelection is out of the way, Smith says she plans to hold the fall session of legislature between Nov. 29 and Dec. 22.