MEDICINE HAT, AB — The electoral map in Alberta could be shaken up ahead of the 2019 provincial election if a new bill passes in the Alberta legislature.
However, one local MLA is hoping the province will go back to the drawing board.
The Electoral Divisions Act was tabled late Monday. The proposed changes would consolidate 16 rural ridings into 13, and add three new ridings to Calgary, Edmonton and the Airdrie-Cochrane area. The province would still be left with 87 ridings.
The proposed ridings and boundaries were designed by the Alberta Electoral Boundaries Commission, an independent agency, to address population shifts in the province. Therural riding changes was a result of slower growth in those areas compared to other parts of the province, according to 2016 census data. The final report was submitted to the legislature in October.
Cypress-Medicine Hat MLA Drew Barnes, whose current riding would be redrawn if the legislation passed, is not happy with the proposed changes, saying they will have an impact on rural Albertans and their concerns going forward. He cites committee member Gwen Day’s feedback in the report, noting she was also concerned about the impact the changes would have on rural ridings.
“My biggest concern is losing three seats in rural Alberta, where wealth is first created, where people are the furthest from the capital, and people have the biggest constituency,” he said over the phone from Edmonton.
“For non-metro Alberta to lose more say in the legislature, it could have serious consequences on the creation of wealth, and that’s my biggest concern.”
In southeast Alberta, Medicine Hat would be split in two under the proposed changes. The northern half of the city, along with Redcliff and Suffield, would join with Brooks, Bassano and the County of Newell to create the riding Brooks-Medicine Hat, while the southern part of the city would become the new Cypress-Medicine Hat riding.
The reason for the decision, according to the report, is a result of Brooks residents surveyed during the consultations saying they have more in common with Medicine Hat than Strathmore.
Strathmore would become part of a new Drumheller-Strathmore riding.
Bow Island, Manyberries and Foremost would move out the Cypress-Medicine Hat riding under the proposed changes, joining the proposed new riding of Taber-Warner.
Barnes adds he was disappointed with the multiple changes to the proposed ridings during the consultation process.
“After they came out with their final report, the boundaries have been changed so much from the time before, I think they should refer this to committee, or better still, go talk to Albertans again,” he said.
If passed, the new boundaries would take effect during the next election when the writ is dropped.
The full report can be viewed here.
