A high-profile political story is gaining momentum in Alberta: nine members of Premier Danielle Smith's United Conservative Party (UCP) government have simultaneously become the subject of recall petitions. If even some of these campaigns are successful, it could undermine the government's majority in the provincial legislature.
Even more interesting is that the day after the news about the nine MPs broke, the election commission approved petitions against several more members of the faction — and as of the end of November, 14 government MLAs formally have active recall campaigns, write Global News.
How recall works in Alberta
The mechanism for recalling MLAs (members of the provincial parliament) was introduced in 2021 by Jason Kenney's government through the Recall Act. It allows voters to initiate a petition to remove their representative before the next election.
The main steps are now as follows:
- The initiator submits an application to Elections Alberta.
- If it is approved, a signature collection campaign begins.
- Within 90 days, the team must collect signatures from voters equal to at least 60% of those who voted in that constituency in the last election.
- Elections Alberta verifies the signatures.
- If the threshold is met, a recall vote is scheduled.
- If more than 50% of those who come to the polls vote for recall, the representative loses their seat, and a by-election is announced in the district.
In other words, it is a long and difficult process that requires a very high level of voter mobilization. Even in British Columbia, where a similar system has been in place since 1995, no petition has formally led to the successful recall of a member of the legislature — either there were not enough signatures, or the politician resigned before the final vote.
Who exactly is at risk?
According to Global News, the first “wave” of approved petitions covered nine members of the UCP faction:
- Government ministers (including ministers of governance, agriculture, infrastructure, etc.)
- Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Rick McIver
- Deputy Speaker Angela Pitt
- Minister of Education Demetrios Nikolaides
- Several “rank-and-file” MLAs representing constituencies in Calgary and other parts of the province
Elections Alberta has confirmed that signature collection has been officially authorized for each of these MLAs.
The very next day, five more petitions were approved, bringing the total number of government MLAs facing recall proceedings to 14, including several more ministers and other influential figures in the caucus.
Why are people launching petitions?
The formal reasons vary slightly in each district, but three main themes can be identified:
1. Reaction to the teachers' strike and the “prohibitive” law
At the end of October, Daniel Smith's government passed a law that forcibly returned striking teachers to work, while imposing a “notwithstanding clause” (a reservation on the non-application of certain provisions of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms). This move deprived teachers of their constitutional right to strike and caused outrage among unions and part of society.
Global News reports that many petition initiators cite the use of this law to suppress the teachers' strike as the main reason why they decided to start the recall campaign.
2. Dissatisfaction with education policy
A separate story is the petition against Education Minister Demetrius Nicolaides. The Alberta Teachers' Association writes that the initiator from Calgary accuses the minister of failing to protect public education while the government redirects funding to private and charter schools. The petition mentions overcrowded classrooms, a lack of resources, and a significant increase in funding for the private sector.
3. “Lack of communication with constituents”
In a number of other constituencies, petitioners write that their MLAs:
- Do not respond to constituents' inquiries
- Do not attend meetings in the constituency
- Ignore local issues, from healthcare to infrastructure
One petitioner quoted by Global News describes his representative as someone who “shows a lack of responsibility and commitment to the people he is supposed to represent.”
On the other hand, the MLAs themselves and Premier Danielle Smith argue that the recall system is being used “for the wrong reasons” — not to punish serious violations or corruption, but as a tool for political pressure on the government between elections.
Why this could change the balance of power in parliament
Currently, the United Conservative Party holds 47 of 87 seats in the Alberta Legislative Assembly. The opposition NDP holds 38, with two more members sitting as independents.
If, hypothetically, all nine government MLAs lose the recall vote and are replaced by opposition or independent candidates, the UCP could:
- Lose its formal majority
- Find itself in a minority government situation
- Or even face pressure for early elections
However, analysts interviewed by Global News emphasize that the road to this is very long. Not only do thousands of signatures need to be collected in each district, but a successful vote must also be held. The history of similar laws (for example, in British Columbia) shows that fully completed successful campaigns are extremely rare.
Will this become the new “norm” in Alberta?
The fact that tens of thousands of people across the province are simultaneously signing recall petitions indicates several trends:
The growth of grassroots political mobilization — not only right-wing movements such as Take Back Alberta, but also trade unions and progressive organizations, which are now also actively using instruments of direct democracy.
Accumulated fatigue and anger among some voters over the situation with education, healthcare, the use of the “notwithstanding clause,” and conflicts with municipalities.
Testing the limits of the new system: the government sees that the recall law can easily get out of control and become a constant threat to any government.
Premier Smith has already stated that she does not plan to immediately change the recall rules, but at the same time expresses concern about external campaign financing and the participation of people who do not live in the districts.
What this means for Albertans
For ordinary voters — including newcomers who have gained the right to vote — this story is important for several reasons:
- You see a very powerful mechanism of direct democracy in action
- At the same time, it becomes clear how difficult it is to see such a campaign through to the end
- Even without a successful recall, the very fact of the petitions is already putting pressure on the government and MPs to actively communicate with communities and explain their decisions
Even if none of the petitions result in the actual recall of a lawmaker, this wave has already sent a signal to politicians: voters are ready to use the tools provided to them by the legislative branch — and they are doing so in an organized and massive way.