Federal byelection called for Aug. 18 in Alberta’s Battle River–Crowfoot riding
A federal byelection has been scheduled for the Alberta riding of Battle River–Crowfoot on August 18, as announced by Prime Minister Mark Carney. This sets the stage for Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre’s potential return to the House of Commons.
The announcement comes shortly after Conservative MP Damien Kurek officially stepped down from his seat. Kurek had signaled his intention to resign last month to make way for Poilievre to run in the riding, which is considered one of the safest Conservative seats in the country. However, House rules dictated that Kurek needed to wait 30 days after his election was posted in the Canada Gazette before he could formally step down.
In a surprising turn of events, voters in Poilievre’s former Ottawa-area riding of Carleton elected Liberal MP Bruce Fanjoy in the previous election. Poilievre had held the seat for seven consecutive terms since 2004.
According to Elections Canada, Carney had the option to call the byelection anytime between June 29 and December 15. Following his victory in the 2025 federal election, Carney made it clear that he would not delay Poilievre’s opportunity to return to Parliament and promised to call the byelection promptly.
Without a seat in the House of Commons, Poilievre is unable to act as the Opposition leader during question period or participate in debates. The Conservative caucus has appointed former party leader Andrew Scheer to temporarily lead the Opposition in the House of Commons.
Furthermore, Poilievre is facing a leadership review within the Conservative Party scheduled for January. This review comes after the Tories failed to form government in the previous federal election. According to the party’s constitution, if a leader does not voluntarily resign, Conservative Party members must vote on whether that leader should continue in their role at the next national convention.
As the political landscape continues to evolve, all eyes will be on the upcoming byelection in Battle River–Crowfoot and the potential implications for Pierre Poilievre’s return to the political arena.
