MP Damien Kurek officially resigns, paving way for Poilievre's byelection

Darren Major · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 17, 2025 2:00 PM EDT | Last Updated: 6 hours ago

Alberta MP Damien Kurek officially stepped down connected Tuesday, paving the mode for a byelection successful which Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre intends to tally and regain a spot successful the House of Commons.

"Today I americium resigning my spot successful the House of Commons truthful that a byelection tin beryllium called arsenic soon arsenic possible," Kurek said successful a societal media post.

"I privation to convey my unthinkable constituents who gave maine the honour of being their typical successful Ottawa since 2019. It has been thing abbreviated of a privilege to service and beryllium a agrarian Alberta dependable successful Parliament."

Kurek signalled his volition to resign past period truthful that Poilievre could tally successful his riding of Battle River-Crowfoot — 1 of the safest Conservative seats successful the country.

But according to House rules, Kurek needed to hold 30 days aft his predetermination was posted successful the Canada Gazette earlier helium could really measurement down.

Now that Kurek has officially resigned, the Speaker of the House of Commons has to pass the main electoral serviceman of the vacancy, astatine which constituent the authorities would person 11 to 180 days to telephone a byelection.

The Governor General, connected the proposal of the premier curate and cabinet, volition acceptable the day for the byelection. Prime Minister Mark Carney has said helium volition not hold Poilievre's accidental to go an MP.

Byelection campaigns past astatine slightest 36 days — truthful the soonest Poilievre could beryllium elected is successful aboriginal August. 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.

Voters successful the Ottawa-area riding of Carleton, wherever Poilievre had been elected 7 consecutive times since 2004, chose a Liberal successful the April 28 election. Kurek won his riding with 82 per cent of the vote.

Without a spot successful the House of Commons, Poilievre cannot enactment arsenic the Opposition person successful question play oregon enactment successful debate.

The Conservative caucus chose erstwhile enactment person Andrew Scheer to pb the Opposition successful the House of Commons connected a impermanent basis.

Scheer told CBC's Power & Politics past period that the enactment expects Kurek to tally again successful Battle River-Crowfoot successful the adjacent wide predetermination — though it remains to beryllium seen wherever Poilievre would past question a seat.

Other MPs who stepped speech were rewarded

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.

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 and served successful Mulroney's cabinet.

In 1990, New Brunswick MP Fernand Robichaud ceded his riding of Beauséjour truthful Liberal 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 resigned earlier making his palmy enactment push.

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

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