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
The notion that home ownership guarantees financial security in old age is being challenged by a recent survey.
The family of Nash Prystie has identified him as the man who died in an Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) shooting earlier this month north of Kenora, and is calling for more and quicker help for people with mental health challenges.
Playoff action in the Ontario Hockey League gets underway Thursday night for Guelph and Friday in Kitchener.
UPEI wants its faculty to sign on to an updated version of its sexual assault and discrimination policy, but the union that represents the school's academic staff says it wants the policies to be part of its collective agreement.
In Texas this week for a global energy conference, the federal natural resources minister is proclaiming "Canada is back" and ready to bolster its energy sector and grow exports.
Members of Parliament last year went on the fewest sponsored international trips in the last 15 years, excluding the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ontario is running out of time to beef up rules that would crack down on negligent and misbehaving municipal politicians ahead of the next civic election, some experts and opposition critics warn.
Six London teens are each facing multiple charges following a break-and-enter spree at homes in the city's southwest end early Sunday, police said.
The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure is putting the finishing touches on completing the Team Gushue Highway, but it means drivers might have to change their routes until later this summer.
Passage of the Nova Scotia government's budget bill stalled late Tuesday night when a group of singing protesters shut down the final vote to approve the budget.
Health Minister John Dornan said Woodstock-based eVisitNB will continue to provide virtual health-care services to New Brunswickers for another 90 days after March 31.
The head of Canada's largest airline has been summoned to Ottawa to explain why he spoke only in English when he offered his condolences to the families of those killed or hurt in the collision between a plane and a fire truck at a New York City airport on Sunday.
Manitoba is bucking a national trend by promising to slash its deficit, while boosting health care spending by nearly $1 billion and delivering modest affordability measures, including a PST cut that will save you money next time you buy a soda and bag of chips.