Lobbyist, former Conservative MP to help draw Alberta electoral boundaries

Conservative Party leader Stephen Harper (left) is congratulated by fellow MP Peter Mackay as Monte Solberg (right) applauds after the Conservative amendments to the throne speech past with unnanimous consent, in the House of Commons in Ottawa Monday Oct 18, 2004. (CP PHOTO/Tom Hanson)

EDMONTON — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s United Conservatives have tapped a former federal conservative cabinet minister and lobbyist to help redraw the map marking electoral ridings across the province.

Monte Solberg is one of four panel members appointed Tuesday by a legislature committee overseeing the new map-making process.

But the Opposition NDP says that process to re-do the work of a previous electoral boundaries commission -- but with a mandate to create more ridings -- is illegitimate and can’t be trusted.

Also handpicked by Smith’s UCP was Darwin Durnie, who co-authored a submission to the previous commission recommending a map that includes multiple mixed rural-urban Calgary ridings.

Opposition NDP member Christina Gray says Durnie’s appointment shows the fix is in and the UCP is trying to silence voters in Calgary.

The NDP put forward law professor Gerard Kennedy and former Okotoks town councillor Brent Robinson to serve on the panel.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 9, 2026.

The Canadian Press