The Countdown to Election 2023 is On

Leading up to the release of results for the UCP leadership review, there was heavy speculation that Premier Jason Kenney could trigger a snap election in an attempt to receive a renewed mandate from residents (although he had publicly denied this as a possibility). With the announcement of his resignation and the commencement of a leadership race, it is now unlikely that Albertans will go to the polls prior to May 29, 2023. Of course, the course of provincial politics is rarely smooth and easily predictable.

If we operate under the assumption that the next election will take place on its fixed date, we are officially less than one-year away. For those of you in pursuit of legislative change or other government relations objectives, there are some things of which you should be aware.

The Legislative Agenda

With one year to go until the next election, the provincial government will begin to shift its focus on tying up important loose ends, tabling an election-friendly budget, and putting forward voter-friendly legislation. By the time Halloween rolls around, there will only be 210 days to push forward the bills that remain in the queue. As a result, this makes it much more difficult for stakeholders to get new business on the Order paper.

During this part of the election cycle, much of the legislation that will be tabled before the Legislature dissolves is the process of being drafted or is ready to go. As a result, government will be less motivated to take on new legislative projects as to avoid overloading the Order Paper and to avoid allowing platform commitments to fall by the wayside. MLAs will absolutely continue taking meetings, but it is more likely than not they will be for information only. We are also getting very close to budget submission deadlines which further complicates things.

An unusual factor that will also be an important consideration for government relations stakeholders will be the outcome of the UCP leadership race. While the previously outlined factors are significant on their own, the variable of an unknown leadership commodity means that certain queued bills likely will never see the light of the day if the incumbent decides so.

Unfortunately, until we know exactly who will be occupying the Premier’s Office until May 29, 2023, it is incredibly difficult to predict what bills will be prioritized.

Advocacy at the End of a Legislative Term

Despite the obstacles of this period, it is not impossible to pursue desired government relations objectives. There are a multitude of options available to stakeholders that can be utilized depending on an organizations circumstances, but two of the most common ways to ensure your issue is not forgotten is to ensure that the conversation does not fade into memory.

First, continue to meet with government and the official opposition members and candidates. Campaign season is when politicians are most active when it comes to public and stakeholder engagement, so it is important to take advantage. Alberta’s political parties have begun to assemble their election platform (more on that later) and it is far easier to build and maintain relationships with decision makers before an election than after. This is especially true if you will be canvasing prospective rookie MLAs that will spend a good chunk of time learning the ropes post-election.

Most stakeholders would be wise to not “pick sides” when it comes to their advocacy; however, there are some circumstances and issues where proposed changes would become a non-starter with certain parties.

That brings us to the second strategy – get your issue in a party platform. While this is not the option of first resort, it can be effective if the advocacy conditions make it a necessity. Of course, continued communication and consultation with the party of your choice is paramount, getting your issue on a campaign platform effectively means that party promises to deliver on that commitment during their term in office.

With that said, there is considerable risk in pursuing this strategy. Namely, the party you choose to partner with does not form government. While some campaign issues can be found on multiple platforms, parties use their platform as a means to differentiate themselves from the rest of the field and to commit to partisan ideas.

While this period can be a complex and challenging time for stakeholders, you need not navigate the political maze on your own. Alberta Counsel would be happy to assist in helping your organization develop an election strategy to ensure your issues are present in the minds of tomorrow’s decision makers.

Feel free to send myself an email at a.singleton@albertacounsel.com anytime. I would be happy to learn about your advocacy needs and help you find an Alberta Counsel associate that will best fit your goals.