Conservative Damien Kurek says he'll step aside for Poilievre — but by law he has to wait
CBC
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has already taken a trip out to the Alberta riding he hopes to represent, after losing the Ottawa-area seat he held for more than two decades in last week's general election.
On Friday, Battle River-Crowfoot MP Damien Kurek announced he'll step aside so Poilievre can run in the riding, considered one of the safest Conservative seats in the country.
But Poilievre will have to wait at least 30 days for that to happen, and likely more.
According to the Office of the Speaker of the House of Commons, Members of Parliament can't resign their seat until 30 days after their election result is published in the Canada Gazette, the federal government's official publication.
After the 2019 and 2021 federal elections, it took about a month before the chief electoral officer's validated results were published in gazette. CBC News has asked Elections Canada when it expects to publish results this time around.
The Parliament of Canada Act sets out when a member can and can't resign. Olivier Duhaime, spokesperson for the Speaker's office, said the 30-day window is enshrined in the Canada Elections Act and "linked to the contestation period of an election."
"After this period, a member may submit their resignation unless their election is being contested," he said in a statement to CBC News.
Once Kurek is in the clear to resign, it's the Speaker who informs the chief electoral officer that a seat is vacant.
The Governor General, on the advice of the prime minister and cabinet, then sets the date for the byelection. A byelection can be called between 11 and 180 days after an MP resigns.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said Friday he won't go the long route.
"I will ensure that it happens as soon as possible. No games, nothing," he told reporters at a news conference.
That could mean Poilievre will be back to leading the Opposition and facing off against the prime minister at some point during the fall sitting.
Kurek first won the seat of Battle River-Crowfoot in 2019 and was re-elected last week with almost 82 per cent of the vote.
In his statement Friday, Kurek said he plans to run in Battle River-Crowfoot again in the next general election
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