UCP redraws Alberta ridings, NDP cries foul

0:00Alberta's United Conservative Party is gearing up to redraw the province's electoral writing boundaries again just ahead of the October 20th, 27th General Election. The opposition new Democrats are slamming it as a sneaky power grab to stack the deck in the UCP's favor. This push follows a deadlock bipartisan commission last month, made up of five civilians including two UCP picks and two NDP ones. The UCP side push for over a dozen urban row hybrid writings to match population shifts, but the majority rejected it as lopsided and illogical. NDP leader Nahid Nenshi blasted premier Danielle Smith for desperation in the legislature, while Smith hit back, accusing him of ignoring rural. Voters and likening his gripes to wild election claims down south. Experts like Calgary Proffs say the whole redo smells off and risks tanking public trust. Smith backs bumping the total writings to 91 as the commission chair suggested to better amp up rural voices without short-changing cities.

1:03A new UCP heavy MLA committee would oversee a fresh panel's tweaks. If the motion sails through, expect a report by fall, drawing on past public input, though the NDP's mulling a boycott and court battles loom large, keeping Alberta's political maven heated flux. That's the story for today. Calgary News Today, driven by AI.