Friday Focus: Calgary-Shaw Update and a Statement on the Referendums

We don’t get much press coverage largely because we don’t have a seat in the legislature. However, occasionally we do. In a CTV News story about the opposition NDP calling for cancellation of the referendums, I was quoted as follows:

Alberta Liberal Leader John Roggeveen said the referendums “have been a waste of time and money from the start.”

“They are non-binding, performative political theatre that the Danielle Smith UCP government is using to scapegoat immigrants and the federal government for the failures of the premier and her UCP minions,” Roggeveen said.

“Mountains of Albertans’ tax dollars have been sunk into them already, but cancelling them now would save some taxpayer money that hasn’t already been squandered.

“If they proceed because the Smith/UCP government doesn’t have the spine to stand up to the separatists—which we all know is the case—Albertans will need to show up at the polls and resoundingly stand up for Alberta remaining in Canada.”

The full statement is a little longer and should be posted on the campaign website soon.

I’m on the ballot for the Calgary-Shaw by-election. To do that I needed to get the signatures of 100 electors resident in Calgary-Shaw to agree that I could go on the ballot. Most people—even some people who described themselves as conservatives—were willing to sign to get me on the ballot. However, surprisingly, even though on Tuesday I took in nomination papers signed by 125 people that were obtained going door to door randomly throughout the communities in Calgary-Shaw, the Returning Officer advised me that only 86 were verified. That was extremely strange. So I went out again Tuesday evening and early on Wednesday and got another 25 signatures, to get me over the 100 needed.

The disqualification of some people was to be expected, but 39? That indicates a huge problem with voter registrations in Alberta’s voter registry. That will no doubt cause disruptions during voting in the by-election, but also in the October 19th referendums. Make sure you and everyone you know can vote. Go to voterlink.ab.ca to register or check to ensure you are registered.

That will only solve some of the problems as voters are going to have to show up at the polls able to prove they are Canadian citizens. That will be hard for many women who have adopted their husbands’ surnames and for anyone who doesn’t have a passport. You shouldn’t have to pay over $100 to get the documents you need to vote when there is almost no evidence of voter fraud in Alberta’s and Canada’s elections.

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