Politician recall law could come into effect next month

Albertans may soon get the power to kick elected officials from office mid-term.

Premier Jason Kenney gave an update to the legislation as the controversy surrounding Calgary’s Ward 4 Councillor Sean Chu continues to swirl.

“Justice Department lawyers are completing the draft regulations to allow for [Bill 52] to be proclaimed,” Kenney said.

RELATED: Removing Sean Chu from office near impossible: poli-sci professor

“And I just got an update that they hope to be done within the next few weeks, so I hope sometime in November — that was always our intention, and just waiting for the final draft of the regulations.”

Under the act, an individual who lives in the ward of a municipal official or constituency of a provincial official could start a petition to get that person removed from office.

The petitioner must notify a Chief Administrative Officer of a municipality to remove a councillor, the secretary of a school board to remove a trustee, and the Chief Electoral Officer to remove an MLA.

RELATED:

• Alberta cannot ‘simply fire’ Chu, says municipal affairs minister

• Gondek officially sworn in as Calgary mayor, doesn’t administer oath to Sean Chu

Once a petition is started, there’s a 60-day deadline to receive at least 40 per cent of eligible voters in that ward or constituency to agree to remove the official.

School board recalls have a 120-day deadline.

The caveat is you cannot remove an elected official until 18 months after an election.

So, in the Sean Chu situation, he wouldn’t be able to be removed until at least April 2023.