The Alberta Senate Election
The Order in Council and Writ of Election for the 2021 Alberta Senate Election was issued on June 23, 2021, to hold an election to select three Senate nominees who may be summoned to the Senate of Canada, to fill a vacancy or vacancies relating to Alberta. The Senate Election will take place on October 18, 2021, in conjunction with the 2021 Alberta Municipal Elections. The three Senate candidates who receive the highest number of votes will become Senate nominees. Candidates must collect 500 signatures from eligible electors in Alberta.
Who are the Senate Candidates?
¹ Candidates will be listed on the ballot with their federal political party affiliation or status as an independent shown.
² Senate candidates can also be endorsed by provincial political parties, but will not have this endorsement shown on the ballot.
You may vote for up to 3 Senate candidates on the ballot.
More financial information is available here. Learn more about the process for becoming a senate candidate here.
When will the Senate election results be announced?
Following the vote on October 18, 2021, all local jurisdictions will complete the count of local ballots cast in the Senate election. These results will be sent to Elections Alberta. Elections Alberta will compile the results received from all municipalities and announce the official results on October 26.
The Referendum Vote
Equalization
Referendum Question 1 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?
You may vote “Yes” or “No”
- A “YES” vote means that you support the removal of Section 36(2) from the Constitution Act, 1982, ending the practice of equalization payments.
- A “NO” vote means that you support keeping Section 36(2) in the Constitution Act, 1982, continuing the practice of equalization payments.
What is Section 36(2) of the Constitution Act, 1982?
The Constitution Act, 1982 applies to all of Canada. It contains sections such as the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and outlines the jurisdiction of federal, provincial and territorial governments. Section 36(2) of the Constitution Act, 1982 states:
(2) Parliament and the government of Canada are committed to the principle of making equalization payments to ensure that provincial governments have sufficient revenues to provide reasonably comparable levels of public services at reasonably comparable levels of taxation.
What are equalization payments and who receives them?
Section 36(2) of the Constitution Act, 1982, commits the federal government to providing equalization payments. Equalization payments make sure each province can provide a reasonably comparable level of public services to its residents. To determine which provinces receive an equalization payment, the federal government measures each province’s ability to raise tax revenues and compares that ability to other provinces. If a province’s ability to raise tax revenues does not allow it to provide a reasonably comparable level of public service to other provinces, the provincial government will receive an equalization payment from the federal government.
What about the equalization formula?
The referendum question does not ask about the specific formula used to determine equalization payments. It asks whether Canada’s commitment in the Constitution Act, 1982 to make equalization payments should be removed.
For those interested in learning more about this topic, there are many online and textbook sources that provide information about the equalization formula used in Canada and how it has changed over time. The federal government publishes a brief explanation of the equalization formula at https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/programs/federal-transfers/equalization.html
What happens following the vote on this question?
The referendum question about equalization is a constitutional question asked under the authority of Section 1 of Alberta’s Referendum Act. As amending the Constitution Act, 1982 is federal jurisdiction, the result of this vote is binding only on the provincial government to pursue the action directed by the majority vote, not on the federal government to amend the Constitution Act, 1982. To remove or amend the Constitution, the federal government and the other provinces and territories would need to enter into discussions about the proposed change.
Daylight Saving Time
Referendum Question 2 states:
Do you want Alberta to adopt year-round Daylight Saving Time, which is summer hours, eliminating the need to change our clocks twice a year?
You may vote “Yes” or “No”
- A “YES” vote means you support a permanent change to summer hours and no longer turning clocks forward in March and backward in November.
- A “NO” vote means you support continuing the current practice of turning the clocks forward in March and backward in November.
What do we do now?
Currently, Alberta changes clocks twice a year. We “spring forward” one hour on the second Sunday in March and “fall back” one hour on the first Sunday in November. This changes the time we experience sunrise and sunset.
What change is being proposed?
The referendum question asks if you would like to remain on “summer hours”, no longer changing our clocks in March and November. This will change the time we experience sunrise and sunset in fall and winter. Our summer hours will stay the same.
Can you give me an example?
The following table provides examples of sunrise and sunset times for different areas of Alberta. It shows the current practice of changing clocks twice a year and the proposed practice of remaining on summer hours.
1 July 1, 2021, is the reference date for the summer hours.
2 December 1, 2021, is the reference date for the winter hours.
What happens following the vote on this question?
The referendum question about daylight saving time is a non-constitutional question asked under the authority of section 5.1 of the Referendum Act. The result of the vote on this question is binding on the provincial government.
Due to the time needed to implement a change, should the majority vote “YES” on this referendum question, that change will not happen before Fall 2022. Albertans will continue to change their clocks in the fall of 2021 and the spring of 2022.