Alberta MP officially resigns to pave way for Poilievre's by-election
Pierre Poilievre's effort to regain a seat in the House of Commons is set to begin in earnest with the formal resignation of the Alberta MP who offered to give up his riding for the Conservative Leader.
Damien Kurek officially resigned Tuesday as the MP for Battle River—Crowfoot, after announcing he intended to step down last month.
Mr. Kurek won the riding in the April 28 vote with nearly 83 per cent of the vote, his third victory in a seat the party has held for decades.
But after Mr. Poilievre lost his own seat in the election, Mr. Kurek announced he'd resign to give the party leader a place to run.
Mr. Poilievre held an Ottawa-area riding for nearly 20 years but lost it to Liberal Bruce Fanjoy in a major upset for the Conservatives.
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His loss means, among other things, he can't serve as Opposition Leader in the House of Commons, a role being filled temporarily by former party leader Andrew Scheer.
Though Mr. Kurek is stepping back, he said in a statement it is a temporary move.
'Pierre Poilievre is a man of principle, character, and is the hardest working MP I have ever met. His energy, passion, and drive will have a huge benefit in East Central Alberta,' he said.
'I will continue to work with our incredible local team to do everything I can to remain the strong voice for you as I support Pierre in this process, and then run again here in Battle River—Crowfoot in the next general election.'
It's unclear which riding Mr. Poilievre would run in during the next general election campaign.
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Mr. Kurek was unable to resign sooner due to rules in the Elections Act and the Parliament of Canada Act.
Now that he has, the Speaker will inform Elections Canada of a vacancy. Once that procedure is complete, Prime Minister Mark Carney must wait at least 11 days, but no more than 180 days, to call a by-election.
Mr. Carney has previously said he would call one as soon as he's able to.
In addition to securing the support of voters in the riding, Mr. Poilievre will also have to face members of his own party for a leadership review.
The Conservative Party's constitution states that at the first national convention after an election the party doesn't win – if the leader hasn't resigned – 'the delegates will vote by secret ballot if they wish to engage the leadership selection process.'
The Globe and Mail reported Monday that will happen in January.
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