EXCLUSIVE: Carney set to call mid-August Alberta byelection, clearing Poilievre's path to a new seat

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to call a byelection on Monday in the Alberta riding of Battle River—Crowfoot, where Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre will be looking to regain a seat, the National Post has learned. Voters will be called to elect their new MP on either August 11 or 18, according to a source familiar with the prime minister’s thinking who was speaking on background because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. “The prime minister will be honouring his commitment of calling it quickly with ‘no games’ so that the byelection is complete well ahead of the House of Commons coming back in mid-September, rather than drawing it out in any way until December or January,” said the source. The source added that the election dates in August will ensure that the byelection happens “as soon as possible” without interfering with Alberta Heritage Day, which is the first Monday of the month. Poilievre has been without a seat in the House of Commons since he was defeated in the Ottawa-area riding of Carleton during the federal election on April 28. The member of Parliament for Battle River—Crowfoot, Damien Kurek, stepped down earlier this month to pave the way for his leader in a byelection. Kurek was re-elected in April with more than 82 per cent of the vote, making the Alberta riding one of the safest Conservative seats in the country. In his first press conference after the election, Carney said he would ensure that the byelection happens “as soon as possible… no games, nothing, straight.” He said he conveyed his decision to Poilievre directly during a conversation. The Liberal Party did not respond immediately when asked if the party would be presenting a candidate in the riding. National Post calevesque@postmedia.com Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our politics newsletter, First Reading, here.