Danielle Smith Assures Albertans New Map Will Still Look Like Democracy From a Distance

In a bold stand for democracy, specifically, the kind best handled privately, Danielle Smith’s government has rejected an independent commission’s electoral map, citing the age-old principle that neutral processes are great until they become inconvenient.

The commission, after a year of hearings and compromise, suggested shifting seats toward booming cities like Calgary and Edmonton. Unfortunately, these areas contain voters, which complicated matters.

Instead, the government will form a new committee, staffed by itself, to ensure the map better reflects Alberta’s values, geography, and preferred election outcomes. Critics, including Naheed Nenshi, called the move “gerrymandering,” a harsh term the government prefers to rebrand as “proactive cartography.”

Officials insist the change protects rural voices, many of whom live several hours, and occasionally decades, away from population growth. As one insider put it, “Democracy works best when it’s carefully guided, ideally by those already winning it.”

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