With recall petitions targeting UCP members such as Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides and Airdrie East MLA Angela Pitt underway and more likely forthcoming, Alberta NDP leader Naheed Nenshi has blasted the UCP government for what he calls inconsistent recall legislation.“I think it’s funny that the premier, who was an enthusiastic cheerleader for the recall of a mayor, has now decided recall is only for people who’ve been convicted of criminal activity,” Nenshi told the media in Calgary on Friday.“This is what the internet calls the 'find-out' phase.'”He added that the legislation — which was passed by the UCP government — was flawed from the start.“I don't like recall... I thought it was performative and virtue-signaling,” he stated.“It really didn't give more democratic rights to citizens, but it is the law, and if you're going to be the government that passes the law, you've got to fund it.”Earlier this month, Alberta’s Chief Electoral Officer Gordon McClure asked a legislative committee for $13.5 million in additional funding to properly verify recall petitions and other potential referenda, citing the need for extra staff and resources..'I KNOW HOW TO BUILD A PIPELINE': Nenshi calls out Smith's tactics .The UCP majority on the committee ultimately approved only $1.45 million.At the time, McClure warned that the full amount was “crucial for my office to maintain a state of functionality and readiness.”Nenshi also criticized the UCP’s reaction to the petitions, citing an open letter from Pitt, in which she accused one of her constituents, Derek Keenan — who started the petition — of abusing his role as a high school principal to launch a politically motivated campaign against her.Pitt and Nicolaides’ recall petitions came about following Premier Smith’s government passing a bill that forced 51,000 teachers back to work after a three-week strike and imposed a labour contract previously rejected by the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA).Nenshi said such reactions reflected a broader lack of engagement with constituents, noting that UCP politicians are “not used to talking to citizens or getting pushback.”“A lot of these folks are people who've grown up in a place where if you win the Conservative nomination, you've got a job for life,” he said.Nenshi said the current recall law is “flawed legislation” but one that should be taken seriously and that the UCP’s current behaviour is an example “of a shocking disregard for democracy.”
