Premier Stelmach worried, puts off Senate elections

Premier Ed Stelmach announced today that Alberta will not hold a new round of Senate nominee elections, and will instead extend the terms for the province's three remaining senators-in-waiting; Betty Unger, Cliff Breitkreuz, and Link Byfield who were elected to 6 year terms. Those those six-year terms expire in November and the provincial government has already moved to have new senators-in-waiting appointed, passing a bill extending to 2016 the expiry date of legislation governing senatorial elections in Alberta. This all coming just two days after the federal Conservative government introduced legislation urging the provinces to follow Alberta’s lead and hold Senate nominee elections. ( Update: the actual legislation passed in May extended the term to 3 years and not 6 as was stated at the time of writing)

I have mixed thoughts on this.

First, these Senators in waiting (SiW) were elected for 6 year terms; that is what we voted for and now the Premier wants to change the rules of the game. They were not elected for life, although if appointed to the Senate that WAS what would have happened, which is not really fair to all of us who did vote in the election and for those out there that may want to run for the positions. Let these 3 run again for another 6 year 'term' if this is a problem. (btw Unger and Byfield have said that they'll likely run again in any election)

Now that all being said there is a case to be made that by extending the terms of the current 3 senators in waiting and not holding a new election it could save us some money. Saving taxpayers dollars is almost always a good thing, but since these elections would be tied in with already planned fall municipal elections, those cost savings would be minimal at best.

Not one to get upset over saving the taxpayer a buck or 2 I might be applauding the Premier for this decision except for one thing.

That is not why he did it.

This is.

Wildrose Alliance Leader Danielle Smith announced plans for the WRA to run candidates in any upcoming SiW election, and the Premier is running scared because he knows what the results would be. It is the ugly truth and Stelmach knows that he is in trouble with Albertans and most likely his own party if he keeps this nonsense up.



Another article on the leadership of Premier Stelmach.


Wiki: Alberta Senate elections.