Opinion: Recall petitions give false sense of direct democracy I received an Alberta Federation of Labour email asking me to sign a petition for the recall of Rebecca Schulz, MLA for Calgary-Shaw. In addition to discussing logistics, the note argued such petitions were an important participatory tool to demonstrate — among other things — opposition to using the notwithstanding clause to override constitutional checks and balances. |
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I received an Alberta Federation of Labour email asking me to sign a petition for the recall of Rebecca Schulz, MLA for Calgary-Shaw. In addition to discussing logistics, the note argued such petitions were an important participatory tool to demonstrate — among other things — opposition to using the notwithstanding clause to override constitutional checks and balances.
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Schulz recently announced her resignation, so the point of her recall is moot. But I am not so sure about the process more generally. To me, the specifics of recall and resorting to an easy populism are problematic.
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