Alberta Premier Wants to Make Recall Legislation More ‘Achievable’

Alberta Premier Aims to Enhance Achievability of Recall Legislation

April 5, 2024 TruthUSA

A petition to recall Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek was submitted to Elections Calgary by the deadline of April 4, but did not meet the required number of signatures to oust the mayor from office.

Landon Johnston, the individual spearheading the petition, shared on X: “72,200 signatures in 60 days – not enough to force the mayor to resign.”

“But enough to ignite a dialogue and a movement. The council is under pressure to improve. This city is ours, and we deserve better from our elected representatives,” he expressed in the post.

The threshold was set very high from the beginning. According to Alberta’s recall legislation, Mr. Johnston and his numerous volunteers would have required over 514,000 signatures within 60 days to unseat Ms. Gondek, representing 40 percent of Calgary’s population.

For comparison, only 393,090 individuals voted in the 2021 municipal election that saw Ms. Gondek assume the role of mayor.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith mentioned on April 5 that her administration is exploring modifications to the recall legislation to make it more “attainable.”

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“What we’ve discovered is that the initial legislation established an excessively high bar, unrealistically so, generating citizen frustration. If a rule is established, it should be reasonably attainable,” Ms. Smith conveyed during a news briefing.

“The issue we encountered is that we predicated it on 40 percent of the population, encompassing individuals unable to vote, whether due to being newcomers or under 18 years old,” she added.

She affirmed that the government refrained from making any alterations during the petition process but acknowledged that they will explore potential changes.

“We will commence the process to evaluate if another benchmark is more suitable. However, we aim to engage in further consultations on this matter,” she concluded.

Calgary’s mayor faced criticism for various stances, including endorsing a “safe and inclusive” public bylaw limiting public demonstrations and opting out of a politicized Menorah lighting at city hall. For Mr. Johnston, the tipping point was the council’s support of a single-use items bylaw.

The bylaw mandates eateries and stores to charge for items like paper bags and inquire if customers desire items such as cutlery and napkins. Council initiated the process to revoke the bylaw approximately two weeks after its introduction in January, but it remains active until the repeal becomes official. The City of Calgary website notes that a public hearing regarding the bylaw’s repeal is scheduled for May 7.

Mr. Johnston met with Ms. Gondek on March 22 to discuss his concerns about the city’s trajectory. At that time, he informed reporters that the mayor was receptive and attentively listened to his viewpoints.

In a statement released on March 22, Ms. Gondek echoed similar sentiments.

“While our policy positions may not align, I believe we both strive to advance Calgary positively,” her statement declared. “It’s evident that this petition has resonated with some … I am committed to listening even more intently to Calgarians’ concerns and working harder to address what is within reach.”

The City of Calgary has 45 days to tally the signatures on the petition, the initial phase in determining the petition’s adequacy for recalling the mayor.

If the required number of signatures had been collected and the petition validated, Ms. Gondek would have been ousted from council, necessitating a by-election to elect a new mayor.

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