Want to recall a Canadian politician? It’s not easy — if it’s even allowed where you live

It’s not so easy to remove a politician from office between elections in Canada.

That’s due, in part, to the fact there are few jurisdictions in the country where laws to recall an elected representative are in place. And even where recalls are an option, the requirements to trigger one are challenging, some political observers say.

But the process is currently being played out in a major way in Alberta, where, thanks to citizen-led petition drives, 21 members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) who belong to the governing United Conservative Party (UCP) — including Premier Danielle Smith — are facing recall petitions from constituents. One Alberta NDP MLA is also facing a recall.

Those behind the campaigns have accused their elected representatives of failing to address the concerns and viewpoints of constituents.

Meanwhile, in British Columbia, there have been calls for MLA Dallas Brodie to resign or be recalled over her comments about residential schools.

Yet with the bar set so high for recalls, these politicians’ seats are likely not in jeopardy.

“The people that are behind these recall petitions are very sincere and they they don’t quite understand, I think, the challenge they face,” said Keith Brownsey, a retired political science professor at Mount Royal University in Calgary.

Here’s a closer look at recall legislation in Canada, its history, arguments for and against, and the chances of a recall succeeding.

So far, only Alberta and B.C. have legislation that allows for the recall of politicians.

Private members’ bills have been initiated to introduce the law in other jurisdictions, including Ontario and Quebec, along with initiatives to recall federal politicians, but all have failed to pass.

Can Alberta recall campaigns keep momentum?

In B.C., since 1995, when the Recall and Initiative Act was brought into effect, the B.C. Chief Electoral Officer has approved 30 recall petitions.

However, only six of those petitions were returned to Elections B.C. for verification, and five of those did not have enough valid signatures.

One of those six petitions was related to then MLA Paul Reitsma, who in 1999 was expected to be recalled over a series of letters he had written to newspaper editors and political opponents under phoney names. But he resigned before a recall could take place.

So, no MLA has yet been recalled in B.C.

In Alberta, recall legislation was passed in 1936 by the government led by then premier William Aberhart, leader of the Social Credit Party.

But when disgruntled voters gathered enough signatures to potentially recall Aberhart from office, his government repealed the recall law.

In 2019, the UCP under Jason Kenney ran on introducing the Recall Act once again. His government passed the law in 2021.

Earlier this year, under Smith, the UCP changed the law to make it easier for citizens to collect enough signatures to trigger a recall. But so far, no MLA in Alberta has been recalled.

A history of recalling politicians in Alberta

Both Alberta and B.C. have set the bar pretty high to enable a successful recall.

In B.C., the recall process begins with the proponent paying a $50 fee and having to fill out a 200-word statement stating why they think the MLA should be removed. 

For the petition, the proponent must collect signatures from 40 per cent of registered voters in the MLA’s riding within 60 days.

If the petition goes through, the MLA seat for that riding becomes vacant, triggering a byelection.

Recall petition applications cannot be made until 18 months after a general election, meaning any recall applications for current MLAs in B.C. won’t be accepted until April 20, 2026.  

In Alberta, the recall process can only begin 18 months after an election and no later than six months before the next election. An applicant must pay a $500 fee and provide a statement of 100 words or less on why the MLA should be recalled.

The applicant must then collect the signatures of at least 60 per cent of the people who cast votes in the riding in the most recent election, and submit them within 90 days.

Danielle Smith asked why her government faces so many recall petitions

If the applicant does so, a vote to recall the MLA is held.

If a simple majority votes to recall, the MLA no longer holds office and a byelection is held.

But Gage Haubrich, Prairie director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said the number of signatures required is a pretty high threshold to meet — particularly when factoring in day jobs and other commitments that might prevent applicants from collecting thousands of signatures in a short time. 

“That makes it difficult to successfully recall a politician,” Haubrich said.

He pointed to other jurisdictions where that threshold is much lower.

In the United Kingdom, for example, a politician can be recalled if a petition is signed by at least 10 per cent of the registered voters in their constituency. In some states in the U.S., 25 per cent of voters’ signatures are needed.

Brownsey said he doesn’t believe recalls are needed, and instead voters just need to be more engaged.

“This is my view of democracy — you go out and you elect your representative every four years,” he said. “And you better pay attention and know what you’re getting.”

“So read and find out what’s going on. That’s the key to democratic participation. Not recalls because you made a mistake.”

But Haubrich, whose organization has called for recall legislation, said taxpayers should always be able to hold their politicians accountable — and that also means in between elections.

“We have an election and then politicians can essentially do almost whatever they want for the next four years, with no recourse [for] their local voters,” Haurbrich said.

“And that’s something that needs to be changed. And recall is one of the best ways to do that.”