Alberta's Electoral Map Overhaul: UCP & NDP Clash

0:00It's April 22nd. I'm Cory with the story, and this is Calgary News Today, local news powered by AI. Alberta's United Conservative Party just pushed through a motion to fast-track redrawing the province's electoral map and bump up the legislature too. 91 seats from 87. The opposition. New Democrats are jumping in two, naming two of their own to the special committee, despite slamming the whole thing a shady. This new committee packs four UCP members and two from the NDP, chaired by UCP MLA Brandon Luntie from Laducco, Beaumont. It skips public hearings entirely, and keeps rolling even if opposition folks bail. NDP leaders like Kathleen, Gayne Lee, and Christina Gray say they can't trust the government on this, but they're there for Albertans. Premier Danielle Smith backs it hard, pointing to a judge's take from the Electoral Boundaries Commission that calls for better balance in Calgary and Edmonton without ditching rural voices. The government's already added two seats earlier this year to hit 89, now tacking on two more outside the big cities.

1:07Critics like former Calgary mayor Nahid Nenshi warn it'll trigger a full map overhaul, and some commission members are pushing back, saying the. Premier's leaning on a solo judge opinion, not the group's call for 89. No word yet on when the committee kicks off, but this battle over seats and fairness is heating up Alberta's political scene.