Conservative Damien Kurek says he'll step aside for Poilievre — but by law he has to wait

Catharine Tunney · CBC News

· Posted: May 05, 2025 6:55 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 minutes ago

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has already taken a travel retired to the Alberta riding helium hopes to represent, aft losing the Ottawa-area spot helium held for much than 2 decades successful past week's wide election.

On Friday, Battle River-Crowfoot MP Damien Kurek announced he'll measurement speech truthful Poilievre tin tally successful the riding, considered 1 of the safest Conservative seats successful the country. 

But Poilievre volition person to hold astatine slightest 30 days for that to happen, and apt more.

According to the Office of the Speaker of the House of Commons, Members of Parliament can't resign their spot until 30 days aft their predetermination effect is published successful the Canada Gazette, the national government's authoritative publication. 

After the 2019 and 2021 national elections, it took astir a period earlier the main electoral officer's validated results were published successful gazette. CBC News has asked Elections Canada erstwhile it expects to people results this clip around. 

The Parliament of Canada Act sets retired erstwhile a subordinate tin and can't resign. Olivier Duhaime, spokesperson for the Speaker's office, said the 30-day model is enshrined successful the Canada Elections Act and "linked to the contestation play of an election."

"After this period, a subordinate whitethorn taxable their resignation unless their predetermination is being contested," helium said successful a connection to CBC News.

Once Kurek is successful the wide to resign, it's the Speaker who informs the main electoral serviceman that a spot is vacant. 

The Governor General, connected the proposal of the premier curate and cabinet, past sets the day for the byelection. A byelection tin beryllium called betwixt 11 and 180 days aft an MP resigns.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said Friday helium won't spell the agelong route.

"I volition guarantee that it happens arsenic soon arsenic possible. No games, nothing," helium told reporters astatine a quality conference. 

That could mean Poilievre volition beryllium backmost to starring the Opposition and facing disconnected against the premier curate astatine immoderate constituent during the autumn sitting.

Kurek archetypal won the spot of Battle River-Crowfoot successful 2019 and was re-elected past week with astir 82 per cent of the vote.

In his connection Friday, Kurek said helium plans to tally successful Battle River-Crowfoot again successful the adjacent wide election

"An unstoppable question has grown nether [Poilievre's] leadership, and I cognize we request Pierre warring successful the House of Commons to clasp the Liberal number authorities to account," helium said.  

Poilievre mislaid his spot of Carleton to Liberal campaigner Bruce Fanjoy by much than 4,000 votes, leaving the Conservatives without its leader successful the House of Commons.

Poilievre, primitively from Calgary, called Kurek's determination "selfless."

Other MPs who stepped speech were rewarded

The Conservative person posted photos from the riding connected Monday, wherever helium met with Kurek's household and team.

In an accompanying video, Poilievre addressed Monday's results for the the archetypal clip since his concession speech, acknowledging "it didn't spell however we wanted."

"But erstwhile you get knocked down, you get up and get going," helium said to the camera.

There's immoderate precedent of MPs stepping speech for their enactment leaders.

After winning the 1983 Progressive Conservative leadership, Brian Mulroney was connected the hunt for a seat. Nova Scotia MP Elmer MacKay, begetter of erstwhile Conservative furniture curate Peter MacKay, resigned his Central Nova spot and Mulroney was capable to pb the Opposition.

WATCH | Opposition parties are holding meetings to sermon their futures: 

Mulroney ran successful his location riding of Manicouagan successful the 1984 wide election, which his enactment won successful a landslide. MacKay was re-elected successful Central Nova that aforesaid twelvemonth and served successful Mulroney's cabinet. 

In 1990, New Brunswick MP Fernand Robichaud ceded his riding of Beauséjour truthful Liberal Party Leader Jean Chrétien could tally successful a byelection. Chrétien had represented the Saint-Maurice country of Quebec nether erstwhile premier curate Pierre Elliott Trudeau, but had resigned earlier making his palmy enactment push. 

When the 1993 wide predetermination rolled around, Chrétien ran successful St-Maurice, which includes his hometown of Shawinigan, and Robichaud successfully re-offered in Beauséjour.

Robichaud went connected to service successful Chrétien's furniture and was aboriginal appointed to the Senate.