Article – The recent wave of recall petitions targeting UCP MLAs isn’t happening by accident. That’s according to Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan, who claims Premier Danielle Smith’s leadership style has directly triggered this grassroots movement.
Having covered Alberta politics for nearly a decade, I’ve watched the tension between this government and labour organizations intensify to levels not seen since the Klein era. The current situation feels different though – more widespread discontent rather than isolated opposition.
“People are fed up,” McGowan told me during a phone interview yesterday. “Smith promised Albertans one thing during the election and has delivered something entirely different.“
According to Elections Alberta data, at least 15 recall petition applications have been filed against UCP MLAs since January. That’s an unprecedented number in the short history of our recall legislation, which only came into effect in 2022.
The petitions target various UCP members including Health Minister Adriana LaGrange and Finance Minister Nate Horner. Organizers have 60 days to gather signatures from 40% of eligible voters in each constituency – a high bar that many political analysts doubt can be reached.
McGowan points to several Smith government policies as catalysts: pension changes, healthcare restructuring, and what he describes as “an increasingly combative approach to governing.“
“This government has stopped listening,” he said. “When you ignore people’s concerns repeatedly, they’ll find other ways to be heard.”
The UCP’s response has been dismissive. Government spokesperson Sam Blackett called the petitions “a coordinated political stunt” in an emailed statement, suggesting they’re orchestrated by opposition groups rather than reflecting genuine public concern.
Having spoken with petition organizers in three constituencies last week, I found ordinary Albertans from various backgrounds – not just union members or NDP supporters. Many described themselves as former conservative voters feeling abandoned by the current UCP direction.
Carol Winters, a retired nurse helping collect signatures in Calgary-North, told me she voted UCP in 2019 but feels the party has changed. “This isn’t about left versus right anymore. It’s about listening to Albertans versus ignoring us.“
Political scientist Duane Bratt from Mount Royal University believes the petitions likely won’t succeed in triggering by-elections but serve another purpose. “They’re creating visibility for issues and demonstrating public discontent in a way that’s harder for the government to ignore than social media complaints or letters to MLAs.”
The numbers support his assessment. Recent polling from Janet Brown Opinion Research shows UCP support dropping to 38%, down from 52% during last year’s election.
What makes this situation particularly interesting is how it’s unfolding outside traditional political channels. These aren’t opposition party initiatives but citizen-driven efforts – something Alberta hasn’t seen at this scale before.
Whether any petition succeeds in collecting enough signatures remains uncertain, but the message being sent is clear: Albertans expect their government to consult before making major changes, not after.
As I’ve observed covering Calgary’s political landscape, Smith’s governing style has consistently prioritized ideological goals over consensus-building. This approach works when public opinion aligns with those goals but creates significant vulnerability when it doesn’t.
The real question isn’t whether these petitions will force by-elections – they probably won’t. The question is whether the UCP will recognize this as a warning sign requiring course correction before the next election.
For Calgarians watching this unfold, it represents something more fundamental: a test of how responsive our democratic system remains when conventional channels for public input appear closed.
