UCP recalls are the stink bomb no one wanted
By Lethbridge Herald on November 28, 2025.
Scott Sakatch
Herald Editor
In Thursday’s Herald, the daily poll question asked readers if they thought Albertans should ignore the current recall effort against 14 (for now) UCP MLAs and just wait until the next provincial election to have their say. As you can see on Page A6 today, a slim majority of respondents (57 percent) said no, we shouldn’t ignore the recalls, while the other 43 percent said wait until the election.
Personally, I’m in the majority here and I believe that we should definitely not ignore the recall petitions that have been popping up this fall. But the reasoning behind my choice might be surprising to readers, given my history of going after the UCP government in my columns.
First off, I believe in elections. They are a sacred right and responsibility to choose who makes decisions on our behalf in government. As the saying goes, elections have consequences, and I firmly believe that we need to accept those consequences as a responsibility that comes with our right to vote (or not vote, as the case may be). Our cousins south of the border are learning that lesson the hard way right now, but I won’t get into that here.
Secondly, I believe the recall petitions are, for lack of a better term, a Mickey Mouse attempt to overturn the results of a free and fair election. Most of them have very little depth and don’t offer anything even remotely close to a compelling case to recall the politicians at which they’re aimed. Simply disagreeing with an elected representative’s decision is not a reason to recall them and force a by-election to replace them. If it were, we’d have recalls everywhere, all the time, for just about everything because, as history has shown, none of us can agree on anything anymore. We’re also drowning in single-issue hot button activists who think their beliefs are the only ones that matter and God help you if you believe otherwise. It would be chaotic, not to mention insanely expensive, to have a constant series of by-elections based on such flimsy reasoning.
But as I said, I don’t believe we should ignore these recall efforts. In fact, I believe the opposite: we should be making a very big deal about them and highlighting every single new petition that crosses the desk of Elections Alberta. Why? Simple: because to me, this isn’t about recalls at all. It’s about reaping what you sow, and taking responsibility for your actions.
Remember, these recalls are only possible because of legislation brought in six years ago by the UCP itself under former Premier Jason Kenney. They themselves were the ones who felt the need to make it easier to overturn the results of an election. Why? I have no clue, just like I have no clue why they felt the need to rescind their own moratorium on coal mining, which has resulted in lawsuits from coal companies that cost the taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. And yet they did that, too. But I digress.
Let me make an analogy: say you’re an employee and you’ve been asked by your management team to pick up lunch for their meeting. But instead of food, you show up with a stink bomb and tell everyone at the party that they should be focusing on that instead of on the meal they were expecting. Not only have you not doen what was expected of you by your bosses (ie: your voters), you’re also practically begging those people to angrily yank that stink bomb out of your hands and throw it back at you. At the very least, you can expect to be hauled into the office and reprimanded, with a letter placed in your file for being incredibly bad at your job.
These recalls are that stink bomb being lobbed back at the UCP, and they had best take note. Elections have consequences, and so do pointless laws that no one asked for or wants.
If they want to keep their government, they need to start putting a great deal more serious thought into their jobs before the next performance review.
11-10
First, the tribal mob that regularly comments dissing anything UCP and DS are not going to be happy with you. Second to declare that the recalls on one hand are basically frivolous (with good reason) and then declare on the other hand “you reap what you sow” is double speak.
making it a true daily double double at your friendly neighbourhood Tim Hortons
Speaking of stink bombs, found one this am when opening the online edition of the Herald this am.
Four articles all indicating the resignation of GeeBow.
None on the Carney/Smith also know as Canada and Alberta’s MOU on future development of our resources. YOu can do better. As of 930am there are still no articles appearing on the front page of the on line regarding this MOU>.
And if the recalls were against the marxist socialist NDP there would be riots in the streets, outrage in all social media sectors, and angry attacks against the mainstream electorate!
The cancel culture is alive and well! We now see where the NDP is clearly going, their true colours have been exposed!
They will make every desperate attempt to gain power so they can destroy our province as they did when last in power . . . look what they did to BC!
The NDP jumped all over the UCP for their attempt to better lab services by using Dynlife lab services, bring up the over $1million lost in the transaction, and I would note that Lethbridge services were fine, it was other centers, because I was in and out many times within 10-15 minutes, after blood work and other tests.
Now, the recall will cost at least $15 million and the byelections another $20 million at least . . . $35 million blown so the NDP can gain power!
When a party is that desperate for power, we all should be very, very concerned!
This is an attack on free and fair elections and on democracy itself!
A reminder of how communists/socialists take over power:
Socialist factions, particularly those advocating for revolutionary change, have historically used a range of actions to challenge and, in some cases, attempt to bring down governments. These actions can be nonviolent or violent, depending on the specific ideology and context.
Common actions include:
Nonviolent & Disruptive Actions
–Organizing workers and unions: Socialists have long advocated for collective action by the working class to exert economic and political pressure. This often involves forming and leveraging trade unions.
–Strikes: General strikes or specific workplace strikes are a primary form of direct action to obstruct normal economic activity and pressure the state or employers to meet demands.
-Mass protests and demonstrations: Mobilizing large numbers of people in the streets is used to show public outcry and put pressure on the government.
–Civil disobedience: This involves the nonviolent, intentional breaking of laws deemed unjust, such as refusing to pay specific taxes or participating in sit-ins or occupations.-
-Information campaigns: This can involve educational efforts to raise class consciousness among workers and the general population and to promote socialist ideas as an alternative to the existing system.
This is not just an attack on democracy, but on a way of life that made Canada great . . . one that people around the world wanted to emigrate to.
You now see our country slowly being torn apart, causing division and unrest and the cancel culture of today is quickly destroying the values that made us one of the most sought after countries in the world to live!
It is shameful and it is sad that this new cancel culture . . . a minority . . . only cares about themselves, no matter the costs to the rest of us!
It is also sad that the Lethbridge Herald has now taken up this same thought and is no longer a professional, ethical media purveyor, but one that has chosen to biased reporting in support of these groups!
I would remind the Editor that you are supported a minority in this city and have already lost many clients! But I know you won’t listen . . . Sad to see Al Beeber retire!
Thank God Scott Sakatch is not a leader who makes decisions for our province! The biggest stink bombs come from his pro-NDP letters!
They stink very bad, but this recent one is a nuclear stink bomb!
Do you actually believe that your daily polls are an accurate sampling of the people in the region? Really? The daily polls are far from a good sampling and often never meet the benchmark of 1,000 people along with many other variables!
I can see why you have such a different mindset now!
The Lethbridge Herald needs to recognize who their readers are in the area! They tend to have traditional, conservative values!
Are the UCP really Conservatives? What do actual Conservatives have to say about that? Here’s an example.
Former Red Deer PC Attorney General Jim Foster takes issue with Smith’s ethics violation | Red Deer Advocate https://share.google/JXtD7fjgWB6cV1kze