US EditionAlberta’s governing UCP to revisit proposed riding changes before next election
The proposal would let a new majority-UCP committee review a second panel’s map and could expand the legislature to 91 seats, critics said.
- On Thursday, Premier Danielle Smith's United Conservatives introduced a motion to revisit Alberta's provincial riding boundaries before the 2027 general election, aiming to establish 91 ridings from the current 87.
- Last month, a five-member bipartisan panel delivered a report riven by internal conflict, with UCP-appointed members recommending merging urban and rural ridings that others called an indefensible suggestion favoring rural areas.
- Opposition NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi labeled the plan "nuts" and accused Smith of gerrymandering to cling to power, while political scientist Duane Bratt of Mount Royal University said the process is "not normal."
- If the motion passes, a new committee of MLAs chaired by UCP backbencher Brandon Lunty will oversee a second bipartisan panel, with a fall deadline to report back.
- Premier Smith argued the expansion ensures rural Albertans have equal voice, though University of Calgary political scientist Lisa Young warned the rushed mandate threatens public trust and compared criticism to rhetoric by President Donald Trump.
10 Articles
10 Articles
Alberta's governing UCP to revisit proposed riding changes before next election
Alberta’s governing United Conservatives are looking to take another run at redrawing provincial riding boundaries – a move the Opposition NDP calls a cynical backdoor scheme to rig the October 2027 general election.
The Toronto Star
Alberta’s governing UCP to revisit proposed riding changes before next election
EDMONTON - Alberta's governing United Conservatives are looking to take another run at redrawing provincial riding boundaries – a move the Opposition NDP calls a cynical backdoor scheme to rig
Alberta NDP accuse UCP of gerrymandering over electoral map plans
EDMONTON — The Alberta New Democratic Party are accusing the United Conservative Party government of gerrymandering after a new motion signalled potential changes to electoral boundaries ahead of the next provincial election. Opposition Leader Naheed Nenshi said the proposal would allow the government to override the work of the independent electoral boundaries commission and redraw maps without public consultation. He alleged the move would giv…
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