A total of 14 members of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s United Conservative caucus are now facing recall petitions, including Athabasca-Barrhead-Westlock MLA Glenn van Dijken.
Elections Alberta has issued the approval for an additional five members today, Nov. 25, more than enough to potentially tip the balance of power in the legislature.
The agency issued approvals for six United Conservative Party members yesterday, and while the reasons vary, many of the newly approved petitioners say they’re upset the government used the Charter’s notwithstanding clause to end a provincewide teachers strike last month.
In a statement in response to the petition, van Dijken says it’s been an honour to represent a region built by hardworking farmers, families and businesses. He says those values have guided his work as an MLA.
“My focus remains on delivering results for my constituency, including $35 million for Barrhead Composite High School, $16.4 million for Holy Family Catholic School and $8.6 million for École Mallaig, as well as $15.8 million for water system infrastructure in Athabasca County and $70 million for the Athabasca River Bridge,” van Dijken states. “I will never stop fighting for rural Albertans.”
He also referred to those instigating the petitions as “partisan activists” who are improperly utilizing the recall legislation.
The long approval process allows citizens who launched the petition to collect signatures over a period of months and if they collect enough, a constituency wide vote is held on whether to recall the legislature member.
In van Dijken’s electoral district, 21,199 votes were cast in the 2023 provincial election. As such, the individual who filed the petition has until Feb. 23, 2026 to collect the 12,719 signatures required to initiate a recall vote.
The full list of approved recall petitions is available online.
With files from the Canadian Press.
