Grande Prairie Mayor says specific details need clarifying for proposed recall legislation

The Alberta Government has proposed introducing recall legislation this spring, and Grande Prairie’s Mayor says if the legislation is tabled, then it needs to be done in a way that works for the people.

The United Conservative Party announced the proposed legislation in late February, which will require a petition from the public with a certain number of signatures to trigger a recall of an elected official.

Jackie Clayton says the signature threshold should vary depending on the community, and should also be written to ensure positions are not left empty, especially in areas where there aren’t a lot of people interested in politics.

“For example, if you have a position that was acclaimed in a small community, and the community didn’t feel that specific politician was doing a great job and they meet the appropriate numbers and have that individual recalled, then what does that municipality do for that position? We have circumstances in some of our rural (communities) in this region where there are open seats.”