Premier Danielle Smith speaks to the media at the Legislature in Edmonton on Wednesday.--CP PHOTO AMBER BRACKEN
asmith@medicinehatnews.com
Premier Danielle Smith is slated to make a series of visits to the riding in coming days, but recall petitioners say they are seeking more meaningful engagement.
Since responding to questions regarding to the recall petition earlier in the week, Smith has has booked several appearances, including time in Calgary on Thursday with the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, a Christmas market appearance in Brooks on Friday evening and an abbreviated town hall in Bassano, to mixed reactions.
While some welcome the increased presence, others are frustrated with the controlled format of some of these engagements, such as the fact that questions for the Bassano town hall must be submitted in advance and approved before being asked.
“A weekend visit and increased visibility don’t erase longstanding concerns about accessibility, representation and meaningful engagement,” said recall campaign co-organizer Brittany Doctor.
“People here want more than three sightings a year, and not just for the big stuff, but also for the smaller, everyday connections,” said petition applicant Heather VanSnick. “You can’t represent a community you don’t show up for. Constituents deserve timely communication, regular engagement and an MLA who takes their concerns seriously.”
With the recall petition officially posted on Wednesday, the committee is now able to begin recruiting canvassers and collecting signatures. Supporters of the petition say the campaign is not about political parties, but about accountability and ensuring elected officials remain responsive to the communities they represent.
This is one of 21 recall petitions issued since the end of October, prompting chief electoral officer Gordon McClure to advise that more money was required to manage an “unprecedented spike.”
Each petition is estimated to cost a little more than $300,000, $1.5 million for shipping and postage of documents and $2.4 million in staffing costs. As a result, Alberta election officials are set to receive $6.7 million in additional funding.
Smith’s government left the Recall Act as is through the fall legislature sitting but the premier has repeatedly said her MLAs are looking at it and that they don’t believe it is being used as intended. In response to her own petition, Smith listed the current criteria as being too easy to meet, criteria her government imposed in July.
