Cost of a by-election in Calgary-Foothills could cost as much as $250K

The Canadian Taxpayers’ Federation wants Former PC Leader Jim Prentice to pay for the by-election that will need to be held in his Calgary riding since the former premier announced he would resign.

The Federation says it is just another in a long list of “unnecessary” costs Albertans have been blindsided with.

The price tag of sending Calgary-Foothills residents back to the polls could be upwards of $250,000.

Paige MacPherson, CTF’s Alberta Director, said they can’t and shouldn’t force people to stay in the legislature, but this is a unique case.

“Jim Prentice, you know, decided that he was going to step down to the seat that he was just elected to, without having served his constituents for even an hour,” she said. “I think that people were definitely surprised, and certainly I’ve received some angry calls from constituents in that riding as well.”

MacPherson said, Albertans have already paid for a historic, expensive election at an estimated cost of $23.5-million.

She argues, Prentice needs to do the right thing; citing the former mayor of Penticton, B.C., Dan Ashton.

Ashton decided to run in provincial politics in 2013, and paid the full cost of the mayoral by-election when he won his seat as MLA.