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Alberta UCP faces more opposition to municipalities bill: 'I'm really
concerned'
(HTM) Source
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It was a long time ago, but Jan Novotny still remembers the tanks
rumbling through his hometown of Prague in 1968 when the Soviet Union
enforced its will on the people of what was then Czechoslovakia.
On Monday, he stood outside the Alberta legislature in a gentle rain,
holding a sign aimed at the province's United Conservative Party
government saying, "Stalin Would Be Proud."
"I'm really concerned," Novotny said on the first day of his protest.
"Democracy is a slippery slope. It can slip into autocracy quite
easily. I just find the current government very autocratic in nature."
Novotny is specifically concerned about a proposed law that would
grant Premier Danielle Smith's cabinet sweeping power to fire local
councillors, toss out bylaws, and allow political parties to run in
Edmonton and Calgary.
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The office of Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver did not respond to
a question about how much feedback it has received on its proposed
legislation, which was introduced April 25.
McIver has promised to amend the bill and discuss the proposed changes
with municipal leaders, who say they should have been consulted before
the bill was even introduced.
But on Monday, when asked by reporters on the state of consultations,
McIver pointed to the fact he already spoke with multiple leaders
"over the last few days" about the impending changes.
When asked if he considered those discussions to be the promised
consultation, McIver declined to clarify.
"It's one form of consultation, it's certainly not the only form," he
replied.
6:55 Calgary Mayor on marathon rezoning session at City Hall and her
thoughts on the UCP's Bill 20
Like other bills and policy balloons Albertans have seen since the
2023 provincial election, it wasn't part of the UCP's campaign
platform and hasn't gone before a public comment process.
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Novotny is one of an undetermined but increasingly vocal number of
Albertans who are concerned about what they call the government's
bossiness.
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"I just woke up and said enough is enough," said Glenda Tailfeathers
of Lethbridge, who's helping organize "Enough Is Enough" protests in
several Alberta communities for May 25.
"There's a lot of interest in people taking a stand," said Peter
Oliver of Project Alberta, an offshoot of a group called Project
Calgary.
In one day, the group collected 800 signatures against the proposed
legislation.
"The more power they take away from our councils, the more power they
put in the hands of corporations and unions," Oliver said. "It could
reach a point where it's hard to get control back."
Last week, University of Alberta political science professor Jared
Wesley posted an essay warning of a growing authoritarian streak in
the UCP government.
"In my two decades of research, I haven't seen this sort of reaction
to anything I've written," Wesley said in an email.
"It's not just the volume, but the variety of people reaching out.
From the left and the right. CEOs to retirees, rural folks and city
folks. All of them upset at what a growing number of Albertans are
seeing: a government bent on consolidating power.
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"You can feel the groundswell, and MLAs are hearing it, too."
This weekend, Craig Snodgrass, the mayor of High River - Premier
Danielle Smith's hometown — said the only reason the bill is on the
table is because the UCP has failed to get "their people" into the
mayor's seat in Edmonton and Calgary.
"This is about control. It won't end with the big cities. Scrap it,"
Snodgrass wrote on social media.
McIver said last week the amendments will address those concerns but
has not provided specifics.
Alberta Municipalities — the organization that speaks for towns,
cities, and villages — has also objected.
"Albertans have been clear: they do not want political parties in
their local elections," the organization said in a statement last
week. "The provincial government has ignored them, too, deaf to the
voices of Albertans."
2:06 Alberta Municipalities speaks out over province's Bill 20 to have
more control over local politics
Tyler Gandam, president of Alberta Municipalities confirmed that
McIver called him last week to say changes were coming, but said that
has been it.
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"Minister McIver committed to consulting with Alberta Municipalities
in advance of the announcement of the forthcoming amendments, but
nothing has been arranged yet," Gandam said in a statement.
"I trust we will have the opportunity to address our concerns on all
parts of the bill," he said.
Paul McLauchlin, head of Rural Municipalities of Alberta, told CHED
radio Monday he has had "discussions" with McIver.
While McLauchlin said he's hopeful McIver has heard the organization's
concerns and will make necessary changes, he said nobody was asking
for a bill making it easier for cabinet to remove local councillors or
mayors.
It's not clear when the amendments will be brought to the floor of the
legislature.
Asked Monday about the timeline, McIver said, "When amendments are
ready, we will introduce them in the house."
McIver said time is a factor. He said the government aims to ensure
the bill passes debate in the legislature in the current sitting,
which is scheduled to rise at the end of the month.
Critics say the Smith government has a way of springing controversial
legislation on Albertans.
In the last year, the government has: re-introduced the idea of a
provincial pension; imposed a moratorium on approvals for renewable
power; promised to restrict gender-affirming care for young people;
and introduced legislation that would require provincially regulated
organizations, including universities, to obtain provincial approvals
on federal funding.
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Smith has pushed back on criticisms, saying her government is simply
responding to concerns from stakeholders and is committed to ensuring
other levels of government don't overstep their authority.
_— with files from Lisa Johnson, The Canadian Press_
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