Alberta Municipalities calls on UCP to scrap ‘deeply flawed’ Bill 20
Posted May 9, 2024 7:08 pm.
Last Updated May 9, 2024 7:11 pm.
The group that represents cities and towns in Alberta says the province should scrap legislation that would give it sweeping powers over municipalities.
Alberta Municipalities has been critical of Bill 20 since it was introduced last month, but now believes it should be rescinded, citing a lack of consultation.
“This provincial government seems unaware of, or unconcerned, about the long-term ramifications of this hurriedly constructed bill,” reads a release from the group. “Bill 20 is rushed, deeply flawed, and full of half-baked changes that do not withstand scrutiny.”
The group says it has “repeatedly signaled its eagerness to sit down” with Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver to discuss the bill, adding they are still waiting to hear from him despite assurances that cities and towns would be consulted on amendments to the legislation.
McIver mentioned last week he intended to talk to municipalities about the amendments in the wake of backlash to the bill.
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Premier Danielle Smith was pressed on those amendments during question period on Thursday.
“We just came through constituency week, and I can tell you we heard from residents and municipalities,” she said. “As a result, we are making modifications to the two sections of the act that they have the most problems with.”
The two sections the premier referenced deal with cabinet’s power to remove politicians or repeal bylaws. The initial bill aimed to give the province the ability to get rid of mayors and councillors, or remove local bylaws passed by councils, if they deemed it in the best interest of the public.
“The UCP takes rural communities for granted and the premier has stopped listening completely,” says NDP opposition leader Rachel Notley. “Her minister claims random phone calls counts as consultation.”
Notley claims the people who received the calls from McIver still assert they were never consulted by the province on Bill 20.
Mount Royal University political science professor Duane Bratt calls the proposed bill dangerous and agrees it should be thrown out.
“You really are talking about a centralization of authority,” he says, asserting that under the law, all it would take is a cabinet meeting to turf a mayor or scrap a local bylaw.
“Why not just get rid of all local government and control things from Edmonton.”
With files from Lisa Grant
