Alberta Premier Danielle Smith wins Brooks-Medicine Hat byelection

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is back in the legislature after winning a seat more than seven years after she left.

Smith has defeated four opponents to win the byelection in the constituency of Brooks-Medicine Hat in the southeastern corner of the province.

With all polls reporting NDP candidate Gwendoline Dirk was second while Barry Morishita of the Alberta Party was third.

Bob Blayone of the Independence Party and Jeevan Mangat of the Wildrose Independence Party were fourth and fifth respectively.

Smith called the byelection shortly after she won the race to replace Jason Kenney as United Conservative Party leader and premier on Oct. 6.

With all polls reporting, Smith had about 54.5 per cent of the vote.

Smith met with supporters following her victory and also released a statement in which she said, “I’m humbled and will work my hardest to represent you in the Legislature… The people of Brooks-Medicine Hat have made their choice, and next year it will be the turn for the people of Alberta to make their choice.”

Smith pledged “unprecedented and substantial action” to help with the affordability crisis and said her government will bring forward solutions to help bring costs of living down.

She also promised action on healthcare and to move quickly to assert Alberta’s sovereignty over provincial jurisdiction.

“The paternalistic approach of the Trudeau government has been corrosive to national unity; our country has never been more divided,” she said. “The Alberta Sovereignty Act works to restore the ultimate purpose of Confederation. This Act will renew Alberta’s place as an equal partner of Confederation, not a child of the federal government.”

More to come…

— with files from The Canadian Press