Monday, April 28: Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal Party forms a federal minority government, winning 168 seats of the 172 required for a majority. In Alberta the opposition Conservative Party wins 34 of 37 seats and garners 64.7 per cent of the popular vote.
Tuesday, April 29: Premier Danielle Smith releases a statement congratulating Prime Minister Carney on his win and Pierre Poilievre for his campaign efforts. She says the Alberta–Ottawa relationship needs to change so as to better respect the province’s constitutional rights and to “facilitate rather than block the development and export of our abundant resources.”
April 29: Smith’s government introduces the Election Statutes Amendment Act. It would amend the Recall Act, lowering the signature threshold from 40 per cent of the total number of electors in a riding to 60 per cent of the total number of voters in the most recent election, and increases the timeframe to collect signatures from 60 to 90 days for citizen initiatives (including a potential referendum on separation) and recall of MLAs. The act would also allow corporations and unions to donate to provincial parties and leadership contests. Smith says the timing, just a day after the federal election, is coincidental.
Wednesday, April 30: A GoFundMe campaign is launched to raise funds for Athana Mentzelopoulos, the former president and CEO of Alberta Health Services, to support legal costs in her civil suit against AHS for wrongful termination. The campaign raised about $55,000 of its $100,000 goal as of Friday afternoon.
Thursday, May 1: Grand Chief Trevor Mercredi of the Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta, Chief Troy Known of Piikani Nation, Chief Jason Whiskeyjack of Saddle Lake Cree Nation, Billy-Joe Tuccaro of Mikisew Cree Nation, Chief Sheldon Sunshine of Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation and Chief Joey Pete of Sunchild First Nation release statements calling on Danielle Smith to abandon the proposed Election Statutes Amendment Act and asserting that Alberta separation would breach treaties and could not be undertaken without the consent of First Nations.
Friday, May 2: Conservative MP Damien Kurek announces he will resign his Battle River-Crowfoot seat so that Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre can run in a by-election. Kurek won the seat earlier this week with 82 per cent of the vote.
May 2: Alberta Legislative Assembly Speaker Nathan Cooper announces his collaboration with Smithbilt Hats to create a “new, and distinctly Albertan” hat that blends “the traditional tricorn with a cattleman’s crown and brim,” which Cooper says represents the people and culture of Alberta. He adds that the tricorn hat became popular well before the province was settled, “in the 17th and 18th centuries,” and was worn by members of the military in Europe.
