Achi news desk-
The umbrella organization for Alberta municipalities says the province has not contacted it despite a promise to consult before amending a bill that gives Premier Danielle Smith’s government sweeping authority to fire councilors and cancel bylaws.
The turnaround time for consultation appears to be tight.
Urban Affairs Minister Ric McIver promised consultations on Thursday, and on Friday morning Smith said the amendments will be introduced as early as next week.
Tyler Gandam, head of Alberta Municipalities, said in a statement Friday, “We are not aware of any broad consultation between municipal leaders and the provincial government.”
Alberta’s Municipalities represent towns, cities and villages that contain approximately 85 percent of the province’s population.
McIver’s office did not immediately return a request for comment Friday on the state of the consultations.
The measure, proposed last week, has met with a barrage of criticism from municipal leaders. They call it a dramatic and undemocratic excess of power.
The legislation gives the cabinet the right to fire a councilor if it considers it in the public interest.”
Alberta Municipalities said the government’s acknowledgment that the measure needs to be fixed is a good start, but much more needs to be done.
The Rural Municipalities of Alberta organization says if those new powers remain in the bill, strict limits are needed on how and when they are employed.
McIver announced on Thursday that improvements were coming while also promising that the new powers would only be used as a last resort.
“We will work with municipalities to propose amendments to the legislation and clarify that this would only be used in very limited circumstances,” McIver said at the time.
Speaking to reporters at an unrelated announcement in Calgary on Friday, Smith said changes to the bill will be brought before the legislature as early as next week.
When asked why reforms were needed at all, Smith replied, “We were asked by the various civic associations if we could be more clear about what those terms would be.”
Kyle Kasawski, the opposition Alberta New Democrat’s critic for municipal affairs, said the bill must be withdrawn.
“There is no credible way that they can come back to the legislature next week and say that they have consulted and they have the amendments needed to make this bill better and acceptable,” said Kasawski.
“I don’t know how you’re going to talk to (over) 300 municipalities over the weekend and get everyone’s perspective that needs to be heard.”
He said that even in areas where rural residents traditionally vote conservative, he has heard backlash against the idea of ​​the cabinet being able to unilaterally fire local councillors.
“It’s scary for people,” he said.
Those same concerns were raised when the bill was first introduced, but McIver rejected them then, saying that the cabinet would ultimately be accountable to voters at the ballot box.
“I think the public would be very unforgiving of us if we made a decision to dismiss a duly elected councilor without good reason,” he said.
The bill is also facing criticism for provisions that allow political parties to run in Calgary and Edmonton and allow corporate and union donations in municipal elections.
This report was first published by The Canadian Press on May 3, 2024
