“The UCP Government has launched this process prematurely”-Gil McGowan
EDMONTON – Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) president Gil McGowan made the following statement today, the deadline for submissions to the Alberta Electoral Boundaries Commission:
“The UCP Government is proving once again that effective and responsible governance is not its strong suit. They could have waited until October 2026 to formally initiate the work of the Electoral Boundary Commission. Given the explosive population growth Alberta has experienced in recent years, this would have been the most prudent course of action, because then the Commission would have had access to up-to-date Canadian census data. The UCP Government has launched this process prematurely.
“While I have every confidence that the Commission will conduct its work responsibly and diligently, I am very concerned that the UCP Government made the task more difficult than it needed to be. It is vital that the Commission conduct its work with the most recent population data, even though they are just provincial estimates. The next Canadian census will be in May 2026.
“Alberta has been the fasting growing province in Canada for six quarters in a row, and has led the country in interprovincial migration for ten quarters in a row. This is a population surge that the government intentionally cultivated through its ‘Alberta is Calling’ campaign. It’s noteworthy that this is a surge for which the government was totally unprepared—there are not enough doctors, not enough schools, not enough teachers, and not enough affordable homes. These are becoming hot-button political issues and Albertans need to know that every effort will be made to ensure voter parity in the next election.
“This matters to every Albertan that will be of voting age in the next provincial election. It’s about fairness. Our electoral boundaries must reflect the vibrant, five-million-strong province that we have become and ensure equal representation for all voters.”
The Alberta Federation of Labour made an official submission to the Electoral Boundaries Commission today. Copies are available upon request.
-30-
MEDIA CONTACT:
Laurence Miall
Director of Communications and Campaigns, AFL
Phone: 780-977-8165
Email: lmiall@afl.org