OLDS - There are 13 candidates in the Alberta Senate nominee election race being held in conjunction with the 2021 municipal election, officials said.
Three candidates will be elected on Oct. 18. Those elected may have their names put forward for possible future appoint to the upper chamber.
Candidates had until Sept. 20 to register their names and official papers. There are several candidates from central Alberta in the running:
• Jeff Nielsen, an Olds-area farmer and former chairman of the Grain Growers of Canada. He is running as an independent.
• Kelly Lorencz from the Innisfail area. He recently ran in the federal election in the Red Deer-Mountain View riding. He is running under the People’s Party of Canada banner.
• Nadine R. Wellwood from Cochrane. She recently ran in the federal election in Banff-Airdrie. She is running under the People’s Party of Canada banner.
The other registered candidates are Erika Barootes, Rick Bonnett, Pam Davidson, Doug A. Horner, Duncan Kinney, Mykhailo Martyniouk, Ann McCormack, Karina Pillay, Chad Jett Thunder Saunders, and Sunil Sookram.
Candidates elected on Oct. 18 are not binding on the Queen’s Privy Council of Canada, which appoints senators in Canada.
Equalization referendum
Meanwhile, the Oct. 18 election will include two referendum questions, on equalization and on daylight savings.
The equalization questions states: “Should Section 36(2) of the Constitution Act, 1982 - Parliament and the government of Canada’s commitment to the principle of making equalization payments - be removed from the constitution?”
If Albertans vote ‘yes’ to the question, the provincial government would approach the federal government to initiate such discussions, the government of Alberta says.
The daylight saving questions states: “Do you want Alberta to adopt year-year-round Daylight Saving time, which is summer hours, eliminating the need to change our clocks twice a year?”
If a majority of voters in the referendum vote ‘yes’, the government of Alberta must take steps to implement the results of the referendum.
