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Alberta’s justice minister is the latest member of Premier Danielle Smith’s caucus to face a citizen recall petition.
Elections Alberta announced Wednesday petitions against Mickey Amery and United Conservative Party backbencher Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk.
That means 22 UCP legislature members are currently facing recall petitions — a number approaching half of the 47-member caucus.
One of the petitions is against Smith in her Brooks-Medicine Hat constituency.
One member of the Opposition NDP, education critic Amanda Chapman, also faces a petition.
The petitioner against Amery in Calgary-Cross says the minister needs to go because he has been unresponsive to constituent concerns and supports harmful policies.
“Amery has been unresponsive to his constituents as a representative, and as the minister of justice, he should defend rights, not eradicate them,” petitioner Sead Tokalic wrote in his reasons to Elections Alberta for a recall.
Tokalic wasn’t specific on which rights Amery was eradicating and couldn’t be immediately reached for comment.
In response, Amery told Elections Alberta that he listens to and works for his constituents and, like other UCP members, argues the recall process is being abused.
“The Recall Act is in place to address serious misconduct or ethical violations — not to be misused by partisan activists trying to undermine democracy,” Amery wrote.
Armstong-Homeniuk represents the constituency of Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville.
Petitioner Edwin Laarz says the politician ignores constituents and was silent when the province recently used the Charter’s notwithstanding clause.
Smith’s government used the clause to override teachers’ rights to end a recent strike. It has also used the clause on three laws affecting transgender citizens.
Armstong-Homeniuk, in response, says she works hard for her constituents and has a mandate to represent them based on winning her seat in the 2023 provincial election.
