With Decisive Byelection Win, Danielle Smith Now Has a Seat in Alberta Legislature

With Decisive Byelection Win, Danielle Smith Now Has a Seat in Alberta Legislature
UCP Leader and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith celebrates her win in a byelection in Medicine Hat, Alta., on Nov. 8, 2022. The Canadian Press/Jeff McIntosh
Rachel Emmanuel
Updated:

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith was handed a decisive victory in the Brooks-Medicine Hat byelection on Nov. 8.

Smith won the seat with 54.5 percent of the vote, followed by NDP candidate Gwendoline Dirk who garnered 26.7 percent. Alberta Party Leader and byelection candidate Barry Morishita came in third with 16.5 percent.

In a speech following the announcement of the results, Smith said the people of Brooks-Medicine Hat made their choice, and promoted her party for the upcoming provincial election next year.

She said voters can choose the Alberta NDP “that increasingly takes their orders from Jagmeet Singh and Justin Trudeau at the federal level,“ or ”can choose a united, confident, and energized UCP—a UCP that will keep Alberta strong and free.”
“We are going to deliver more and better jobs, accessible health care, and a lower cost-of-living for you and your family,” she said.

Voicing support for her party’s candidate and taking aim at Smith’s UCP, Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley said on Twitter “Gwendoline [Dirk] never anticipated running for office but couldn’t stand by and watch as the current Government failed to address the affordability crisis, to protect public healthcare and public education, and to create good-paying jobs so Albertans can make ends meet.”

The Brooks-Medicine Hat riding was formerly held by UCP MLA Michaela Fry. She announced her resignation the day after Smith, who was the only leadership candidate without a seat in the Alberta Legislature, won the UCP leadership contest on Oct. 8, and encouraged the new premier to run for her rural seat.

Sovereignty Act

In her victory speech, Smith promised to take action to respond to the cost of living crisis facing Albertans. She also said her proposed Alberta Sovereignty Act legislation will be constitutional.

“It will provide our province the tools to push back against a federal government that continues to encroach upon provincial rights,” she said.

“The Sovereignty Act works to restore the ultimate purpose of Confederation and it will renew Alberta’s place as an equal partner in Confederation, not a child of the federal government.”

Smith has said she can take her seat in the Alberta Legislative Assembly once the results are verified, which will be Nov. 29 at the earliest. After that, she plans to quickly table her Sovereignty Act legislation.

During the UCP leadership contest, Smith pitched the Sovereignty Act as a means to oppose federal legislation deemed harmful to Alberta and its interests. She told her supporters the proposal would be her first piece of legislation as premier.

In her speech at the UCP’s annual general meeting on Oct. 22, Smith confirmed that work has begun on the legislation, and that she’s asked for it to be ready when she takes her seat in the legislature.

All of Smith’s leadership opponents except Todd Loewen opposed the Sovereignty Act during the leadership race, saying it would create economic uncertainty, chase away investment, and create a constitutional crisis. All those leadership opponents are now in Smith’s cabinet, except Leela Aheer, who’s since announced she will not seek re-election in the spring 2023 general election.

Smith has said her cabinet, unlike her caucus, will not have a free vote on the Sovereignty Act legislation.

Livingstone-Macleod Riding

During the leadership race, Smith had said she would run in Livingstone-Macleod, an electoral district currently represented by UCP MLA Roger Reid, who won his seat with over 70 percent of voters’ support in 2019.

But Reid showed no indications of stepping aside for the new premier—until he suddenly dropped out on Nov. 1, the morning after the Oct. 31 candidate entry deadline.

Former People’s Party of Canada candidate Nadine Wellwood is now seeking the UCP nomination in Livingstone-Macleod. The UCP Party Candidate Selection Committee rejected Wellwood on Nov. 7, a decision she said she will appeal.

“In fact, because of the tremendous support I have received from thousands of UCP members and residents alike over these last few weeks, I will be ramping up my efforts to meet with as many residents in the riding as possible in preparation for the 2023 General Election to represent Livingston-Macleod,” Wellwood said in a statement.