Achi news desk-
The Alberta government has introduced legislation that would move the scheduled election date in the province from May to October, citing spring natural disasters as the reason for the change.
Bill 21 — the Emergency Statutes Amendment Act 2024 – introduced in the Alberta legislature on Thursday afternoon. Apart from changing the election date, it also proposes changes to a number of emergency-related policies, which would allow the province to take control of local emergency response.
The changes are needed so that the province can respond better to emergencies, according to the government.
Changes to the Emergency Management Act
Changes to this act would allow the provincial government to control some or all of local emergency response. Although the province has said municipalities are critical in an emergency, their resources are often more limited than those available to the provincial government.
The government said it would only take over local response efforts in extreme circumstances, including when local resources have been exhausted, when mutual aid is not available or when local authorities ask for help.
Proposed changes would also require local officials to provide more information to the province during a local emergency. Among the things that would need to be communicated to the provincial government is the nature of the emergency, the powers that local authorities intend to use during the emergency and the status of evacuation orders or warnings.
“These improvements underline the government’s commitment to protecting lives and ensuring a quick and effective response to emergencies,” said Public Safety and Emergency Services Minister Mike Ellis.
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“By providing clearer mechanisms for government intervention and improving coordination efforts, we are strengthening our ability to keep Albertans and communities safe in times of crisis.”
Under the legislation, a municipality would not have to agree to the province taking over during an emergency. The province would also step in if the local decisions cross the purposes of provincial authorities.
Changing a specified election date
In Alberta, emergencies related to floods, droughts and wildfires are most likely to occur in May and June. The province highlighted the 2011 Slave Lake wildfires, which occurred in May, the 2013 Calgary floods, which occurred in June, and the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfires, which occurred in May.
Last year’s wildfire season also took place in May, which had ignited last year’s record, at the same time a provincial election campaign was underway.
Bill 21 would change the scheduled election date in Alberta from the last Monday in May to the third Monday in October, as a way to reduce the likelihood of a provincial election coinciding with a natural disaster.
If passed, the next provincial election date would be moved from May 31, 2027 to October 18, 2027.
Justice Minister Mickey Amery said the change “makes sense.”
“The change would also bring Alberta in line with other jurisdictions that already hold provincial elections in the fall,” Amery said.
Changes to the Forest and Prairie Protection Act
Proposed changes to this act include enhancing the authority that the province has to conduct and direct an emergency response to wildfires on all provincial lands, inside and outside the Forest Reserve and Métis Settlements .
This includes taking over firefighting efforts on wildfires on any provincial land, including Métis Settlements.
Municipalities would be required to report essential information to the province, and clarification would be made to Alberta’s authority to build fire guards and allow the evacuation of buildings in emergency situations.
The legislation would allow the province to step in and lead response efforts when large or multi-jurisdictional wildfires occur, the province added.
“Large, complex wildfires have become increasingly common in Alberta in recent years, and these events call for effective coordination between jurisdictions,” said Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen.
“The proposed amendments will ensure a robust response during wildfire emergencies by enabling the Alberta government to actively support local authorities when additional provincial assistance is required or to intervene if absolutely necessary.”
Changes to the Water Act
The province said that changes to this act would strengthen its ability to respond to emergencies such as drought or flooding.
If a water-related emergency is declared, the province would be able to determine the priority of water use in the emergency area. The province could instruct water license holders to change how, when or if they divert water use.
The change would also allow for the temporary transfer of water between water basins.
& copy 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
