New bill would give Alberta power to fire city councillors, reverse bylaws
Posted April 25, 2024 3:00 pm.
The Alberta government has introduced a bill that would grant it sweeping powers over municipalities, including the right to fire councillors, overturn bylaws and postpone elections.
The proposed law would also allow political parties to run on municipal ballots in Edmonton and Calgary.
Municipal Affairs Minster Ric McIver says the new powers outline in Bill 20 are justified to ensure fair elections and accountability from municipal leaders.
“We are doing this in order to protect the provincial interests, by ensuring municipalities are governing affairs that are within their jurisdiction,” he says.
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The provincial government’s authority over local bylaws was previously limited to land-use and, more recently, public masking and vaccinations.
“It is our intention that such interventions will only be considered at last resort,” says McIver. “My most fervent wish is that this authority is never ever used.”
The province is pointing to the instance of dropping masking regulations during the pandemic, only to have the City of Edmonton institute a bylaw requiring masks. In order to overturn the bylaw, a piece of legislation had to be tabled.
McIver says if that happened when the house was not sitting it could have meant recalling the legislature.
When asked about how the power of cabinet to make changes would be checked in the future, McIver said voters would hold politicians accountable, and if mistakes are made it will come up in future elections.
“If it’s an unreasonable partisan, selfish decision than cabinet would be at great risk being held accountable,” he says.
Two weeks ago, Premier Danielle Smith’s government introduced a bill that would give it the power to veto any deal between the federal government and provincial entities, including municipalities and post-secondary schools.
