MLA Angela Pitt facing recall petition, says Elections Alberta
CBC
A second member of the Alberta legislature is facing a citizen petition to recall her from her job.
Alberta's chief electoral officer Gordon McClure, speaking Monday to a legislature committee, said a recall campaign has been approved on United Conservative member Angela Pitt.
McClure didn't say what reason the applicant gave.
The person can start collecting signatures on Wednesday. McClure said the applicant will have until early February to collect just under 15,000 signatures from residents of Pitt's riding, Airdrie-East.
If the petition is successful, Elections Alberta rules state a recall vote would be ordered within four months of the date the petition results are published. If more than 50 per cent of electors vote in favour of a recall, Pitt would be removed and a byelection would be held.
Pitt represents the riding of Airdrie-East, on Calgary's northern outskirts, and also serves as deputy speaker of the legislature.
Pitt said in a statement that she takes her role seriously and that recalls shouldn't be approved just because people disagree with government policy.
"Recalls are meant to address breaches of trust, serious misconduct or a sustained failure to represent constituents, not political disagreements," she said.
It comes just weeks after another petition was approved for Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides, with the applicant alleging he is failing in his duties by undermining the public education system.
Nicolaides, like Pitt, has also said that recalls shouldn't be used for political disagreements.
There have been rumblings that other members of the United Conservative Party caucus are targets for recall petitions. Service Alberta Minister Dale Nally told reporters last week he was aware of more than a dozen campaigns.
Another potential target is Indigenous Relations Minister Rajan Sawhney, who at a recent constituency event faced an angry crowd that broke out into chants of "Recall! Recall!"
Videos circulating online show Sawhney addressing the crowd and pointing out that several people were wearing red, a colour now aligned to show support for Alberta's teachers, who the government invoked the notwithstanding clause against last week to end a provincewide strike.
"I would ask for respect for me and my staff," Sawhney said, inciting a chorus of boos and shouts from the audience.
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