Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has responded to a recall petition levelled against her by a Medicine Hat resident last week, telling her constituents that she is “proud” to represent them in the legislature.
Smith wrote a letter to Chief Electoral Officer Gordon McClure in response to the recall petition, which was filed against her on Dec. 3.
In her statement, dated Dec. 9, Smith said “it is an honour to serve the people of Brooks-Medicine Hat.”
“I regularly make myself available to meet with constituents and I routinely host town halls across my riding,” she wrote.
“I’m proud to serve the people of Brooks-Medicine Hat and I use the feedback I hear from all of you to help inform all decisions, big or small, that our government makes.”
Smith also spoke of the work her government is doing for the community such as the JBS-Highway 873 connection, new and modernized schools for the town of Brooks and health facility upgrades in both Brooks and the city of Medicine Hat.
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According to the Elections Alberta website, 20 UCP MLAs are facing recall petitions.
One NDP MLA also faces a recall petition.
Nineteen of those members, including Smith, have submitted statements.
Angela Pitt, Airdrie-East MLA, and Spruce Grove-Stony Plain MLA Searle Turton have not formally responded to their recall petitions.
“What it indicates is the process is being abused. All you need to do is have $500, hire a CFO and write a 100-word reason why you are launching a petition. So we’ve been watching this, thinking this is not how it was intended when it first came in,” said Smith on Wednesday.
The premier has suggested her government could rewrite the legislation.
“I think it has rattled the UCP even though they have yet to make legislative challenges,” said political scientist Duane Bratt.
“It is clearly bothering them.
“This is a very good protest movement. The government has removed a lot of different ways for protesting, but they haven’t removed this one, and that’s why it’s being used. Once one group saw it against one MLA, they jumped on another and another and another.”
Signatures can be collected in Smith’s riding from Dec. 11 to March 10, 2026.
