Former judge to chair panel re-drawing Alberta electoral boundaries

Alberta’s governing United Conservative Party has tapped a retired judge to chair the province’s new political boundaries panel.

Former provincial justice Brian O’Ferrall will head a panel, overseen by a UCP-led committee, to redraw a map marking all electoral ridings across the province.

The Opposition NDP questions whether O’Ferrall can be seen as impartial, given he has donated money to the UCP.

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But the UCP says O’Ferrall was free to participate in the political process in his personal life, and he can be trusted to be impartial in heading the panel.

The appointment comes as the province takes a second run at redrawing the boundaries ahead of the 2027 election in order to ensure there is fair representation for rural ridings.

The NDP says the UCP is using the rural representation issue as a way to redraw multiple ridings to give them an unfair advantage come election time.