Should there be a recall after a democratic election?

with Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek is facing a recall petition and several others have appeared in Alberta, which begs the question: Should someone be able to recall a democratically elected politician just because they don't like them?

MD Mayor Hat Lindsey Clark and Village of Donalda Mayor Doug Booker are facing recall petitions.

Calgary petitioner Langdon Johnston paid $500 for the law, and now has February 5 to April 4 to collect signatures from at least 40 percent of Calgarians under the Municipal Government Act (MGA).

Former premier Jason Kenney revamped the MGA in 2022 to allow voters to write in a petition to recall politicians, including mayors and municipal councillors.

He said at the time it would allow Albertans to hold elected representatives accountable. The changes to the MGA also include removing the ability of local government to impose their own health care restrictions.

The changes also come after the 2021 Calgary municipal election when Congo is called. Shawn Chu resigned following a controversy surrounding two incidents that occurred while he was a police officer.

8th district. Courtney Walcott You have to weigh up the petition and ask yourself, should someone be able to turn back a politician because they don't like it?

“It also calls into question our true respect for the democratic process, and that if your elected official doesn't win or your preferred choice doesn't win, there's a very easy way to at least try and remove them. office,” he said.

“Remember, legislation appears to have been created when there was a feeling of unpopularity or unrepresentation by an elected official. But isn't that what the democratic process is all about, every four years there's a chance to re-elect or get rid of people?'

Only people who have the right to vote for the person named in the recall petition—in this case, Gondek—are allowed to sign the recall petition.

The last municipal election in 2021 had a voter turnout of about 46%, with just over 393,000 voters participating. According to Calgary Elections, 40 percent of the population represents 514,284 valid signatures out of a population of 1,285,711.

Laurie Williams, a political scientist at Mount Royal University, told CityNews that this could be due to frustration from the pandemic, but added that it was time for politicians to respond to the concerns of their constituents.

“The current recall legislation in Alberta has such a high threshold or is there that it's unlikely anyone will be recalled,” he said.

“But I think some of these people are just saying, 'We want to send a message that doesn't make us happy and that we want to be heard.'”

He said seeing the Calgary petition and petitions in Medicine Hat and Donalda might be encouraging at first, but could be an unpopular choice if nothing comes of it.

“Over time, when people realize that it's not an effective tool and that it's not going to help unseat a politician, they may think twice about starting the process,” Williams explained.

“On the other hand, if politicians reach out to disaffected groups, respond to the concerns they raise, if that's the kind of thing, then that's probably something that people will continue to do.”

The recall kick-off event will be held at the city hall on Saturday at 1:00 p.m

– With files from Jeff Slack and Lorin Heinz