Achi news desk-
Alberta’s municipal affairs minister declined Monday to clarify whether towns and cities would still have a say before changes are made to a controversial bill that gives the province broad authority to fire local councillors.
Ric McIver announced the changes last Thursday and promised at that time that he would speak with municipal leaders about upcoming improvements to the measure.
But on Monday, when asked by reporters about the state of the consultations, McIver pointed out that he had already spoken to multiple leaders “over the last few days” about the upcoming changes.
When asked if he considered those discussions to be the promised consultation, McIver refused to explain.
“It is one form of consultation, certainly not the only form,” he replied.
The bill, introduced on April 25, has been widely condemned by municipal leaders as a broad overreach of their authority with a potential chilling effect on their decision-making.
The bill not only gives the cabinet broad power to fire councilors but also overturns any council bylaw.
This weekend, Craig Snodgrass, the mayor of High River – the hometown of Premier Danielle Smith – said the only reason the bill is on the table is because the UCP failed to get “their people” into the mayoral seat in Edmonton and Calgary.
“This is about management. It will not end with the big cities. Scrap it,” Snodgrass wrote on social media.
McIver said last week that the amendments will address those concerns but has not provided specifics.
Tyler Gandam, president of Alberta Municipalities – the organization that represents Alberta’s towns, cities and villages – confirmed that McIver called him last week to say changes were coming, but said that was it.
“Minister McIver committed to consulting with Alberta Municipalities before announcing the upcoming amendments, but nothing has been scheduled yet,” Gandam said in a statement.
“I trust that we will have the opportunity to address our concerns on all parts of the bill,” he said.
Paul McLauchlin, head of Alberta Rural Municipalities, told CHED radio on Monday that he had “discussions” with McIver.
While McLauchlin said he was hopeful McIver had heard the organization’s concerns and would make necessary changes, he said no one was asking for a bill that makes it easier for the cabinet to remove councilors or local mayors.
“What is the point? Is the point to assert authority? Or is the point to provide clarity to governance?” said McLauchlin.
It is also not clear when the amendments will be brought to the floor of the legislature.
Smith has said that improvements would come this week and that he would explain that the powers of the new cabinet would only be used sparingly.
Asked Monday about the timeline, McIver said, “When amendments are ready, we will introduce them in the house.”
But McIver said time was a factor. He said the government’s aim is to ensure that the bill passes debate in the legislature in the current sitting, which is due to take place at the end of the month.
The opposition New Democrats have said that the bill is so flawed that it needs to be removed entirely.
McIver said municipal officials will need time to prepare for the next elections in October 2025.
“Time is ticking, and it’s an important issue,” McIver said.
The bill also makes changes to local elections, including mandating hand-counted votes, and green-lighting political parties to run in Edmonton and Calgary.
This report was first published by The Canadian Press on May 6, 2024.
