Petition to recall Danielle Smith gains momentum in southern Alberta

CALGARY – A petition to recall Danielle Smith is gaining traction in southern Alberta.

Caitlyn Madlener and Amanda Achtman, both students at the University of Calgary, organized the petition which calls for Danielle Smith to resign her seat and run in a by-election.

It follows Smith’s decision earlier this month to leave the Wildrose Party and cross over to the governing PCs, taking several Wildrose MLAs with her.

“We’re trying to make sure that she’s held accountable for her actions. She should have consulted her constituents and made sure they knew about what she was doing and made sure they were ok with it before she did this,” says Madlener.

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Smith had previously pushed for recall legislation while still leader of the Wildrose Party, she had claimed 20% of eligible voters is sufficient.

Currently there is no recall legislation on the books in Alberta.

“From a very legal point of view, it’s moot. But the fact that Danielle Smith and Rob Anderson supported recall legislation that got stopped by the PCs and now that same recall that’s being used against them is politically damaging,” says political analyst Duane Bratt.

He says there is also a move to start a recall petition in Airdrie against former Wildrose MLA Rob Anderson.

Madlener and volunteers have been hitting the streets in High River, Okotoks and other towns in the MLA’s constituency.

So far they have gathered 500 signatures. The goal is 6,000 names.

“About 90% of the people that actually opened their doors, we talked to them, said that they would sign the petition.”

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The petition can also be found online.

Danielle Smith is the MLA for Highwood