CALGARY -- Don't like the politician representing you? For Alberta voters, a chance to send politicians packing could be on the way.
Introduced Monday, Bill 52 would bring recall legislation to Alberta, which would apply to MLAs, municipal representatives and school board trustees.
The recall process varies depending on who voters want to fire.
Different rules for different politicians
Constituents taking aim at their provincial representative will only be allowed to do so 18 months after an election or until six months before one.
Any Albertan can apply to the Chief Electoral Officer for a recall petition. They'd have to specify why the elected official should be removed, and if approved, they'll have 60 days to gather signatures from 40 per cent of eligible voters in the constituency.
They are allowed help, but any canvassers must also be residents of the constituency.
Once the signatures are gathered, they would be submitted to the Chief Electoral Officer.
A recall vote would then be held. If successful, it would trigger a byelection.
There can only be one active recall petition for an MLA at a time and only one recall vote in each constituency, per term.
Albertans unhappy with their municipal leaders will have an easier time taking action.
No recall votes would be necessary, which means if a petition is signed by enough electors to represent 40 per cent of the total constituency population, the politician is removed.
That threshold is different than the 40 per cent of eligible voters needed in the constituency to fire an MLA.
Recall petitions for city leaders — like councillors and the mayor — would be posted online for two months and if enough signatures are gathered, the official in question would be removed at the next council meeting.
If a voter feels an elected official in their school division is not upholding their responsibilities, they can apply to the secretary of the school board. That person would then have 120 days to gather signatures of 40 per cent of the eligible voters in that school district.
If successful, the school board official would be removed.
To recall either a municipal leader or a school official, the application will cost $500.
The price to file an MLA recall application is currently unknown.
Piqued interest?
Premier Jason Kenney and Alberta Justice Minister Kaycee Madu spoke about Bill 52 on Monday.
The two politicians are part of a government that's been mired in controversy since taking office in 2019. Kenney said Monday he's not overly worried.
"At the end of the day, ordinary Alberta voters are the boss in our democracy," he said. "I'm proud of this important step forward to strengthen democratic grassroots accountability."
Kenney's party promised to bring in the legislation when elected, but word of the bill went quiet in late 2020 after multiple negative stories. Information on the caucus website was also removed.
Public interest in the legislation was never higher than after Christmas, when several members of the party took sunny vacations.
The government had previously urged residents to stay home over the holidays.
The province also faced heat for its handling of the Alberta parks file and for a plan that would've seen coal-mining in the Rocky Mountains.
Its approval rating has dipped significantly over the last year.
How the logistics work
The legislation would make Alberta voters the second in the country to have recall powers. British Columbians have a similar process.
But in that province, no local officials are eligible and no recall vote is taken. Instead, MLAs are removed if the required signature threshold is met.
That'll be the process for Alberta's local politicians, but not for its provincial ones.
Bill 52 would set limits on how much individual residents and third-parties — like political action committees — can spend on promoting or arguing against an MLA recall.
Those limits are not yet set.
The legislation will come into force upon proclamation, but officials say multiple regulations still have to be developed. That means a current timeline is not set, though Kenney said he hopes it'll be implemented by the end of the year.
