Declare Your Right to Vote - Legal Action Launched to Challenge Alberta Election Failures

Public Interest Alberta is supporting the launch of an important legal action to defend Albertans' right to vote. The action requests a court declaration that, if granted, would create clear and enforceable guidelines for the government to follow regarding election protocol and voter's rights. PIA is collecting your stories about any difficulties you may have experienced during the 2008 provincial elections, so please click below to contact us. View the December 21 Media Release Download the Originating Notice of Motion Click here for more information, and to share your election stories with Public Interest Alberta

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More Democracy!
Six Steps to a More Democratic Alberta

Public Interest Alberta’s work on issues related to democracy has resulted from a growing concern with Alberta’s “democratic deficit,” and a strong desire to promote the renewal and revitalization of democracy in our province.

PIA’s Task Force on Democracy has been working towards these ends since 2005, and has consulted extensively with Albertans across the province both to describe the breadth and depth of Alberta’s democratic deficit and to identify changes and actions that will help to make a difference.

The task force encountered a deep and growing frustration with the anemic state of democracy in our province. A Legislative Assembly that seemed rarely to meet, billions of dollars expended without prior approval of the assembly, marginalized MLAs and opposition parties in the assembly, too many years of an often-autocratic and dismissive premier who put government “on autopilot,” a politicized and powerful Public Affairs Bureau that dominated the news, an electoral system that has given a majority to a party with a minority of the vote, the overwhelming government secrecy, the utter lack of rules in the recent PC leadership contest, the under-representation of women, the disengagement of young citizens – the list is long, and our democratic deficit is broad and deep.

Public Interest Alberta has hosted a major conference and eight forums on the topic of democratic renewal in Alberta. Click here to read more.


PIA advocates six steps to promote democratic renewal in Alberta:

1. Institute comprehensive reform of electoral and political party financing

2. Abolish the Public Affairs Bureau and replace it with a system that is more open and non-partisan

3. Initiate a Citizens' Assembly to make recommendations on proportional representation

4. Strengthen the role of the Legislature and MLAs by further increasing the power of and support for legislative committees and officers

5. Create a high-profile Commission on Gender and Democracy to develop a comprehensive approach to achieving gender equity in our political system

6. Require a more open, thorough and effective approach to public consultation on issues of public policy development

Read PIA's full-length discussion paper, Democratic Renewal in Alberta.