UCP to amend parts of Bill 20 – Morinville News – Morinville Online

by MorinvilleNews.com Staff

Through Bill 20, Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act, 2024, the Alberta government is proposing measures that it says will increase transparency and fairness in local elections and governance.

The bill aims to ban electronic voting machines, allow political parties to participate in pilot projects for municipal elections in Edmonton and Calgary, allow municipalities to mandate criminal record checks for candidates and introduce orientation training for councillors. In addition, the bill would give the cabinet the ability to remove mayors and councilors from office. Critics argue against the introduction of political parties and the dismissal of cabinet-level councilors at the municipal level, emphasizing the importance of local autonomy and financing for community needs.

On May 2, Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver released a statement outlining the government’s intention to change the law, reiterating that the Municipal Affairs Amendment Act 2024 would make local election processes more transparent and that local elected officials would be more accountable to the people they represent. stand for.

“Albertans deserve to have confidence in the local officials elected to represent them. When a councilor has betrayed the public trust and it is in the public interest to remove him, swift action must be taken to remove him,” McIver said. “Since councilors and mayors are locally elected by their constituents, the Government of Alberta recognizes that this authority should only be used as a last resort, which was always the intent of this legislation.”

To that end, McIver said the government will work with municipalities to propose changes to the legislation and clarify that the removal of an elected official would only be used in very limited circumstances.

Another controversial aspect of the proposed legislation is the ability for the government to amend municipal statutes.

“This is quite serious and we would not do this lightly,” McIver added. “We will also work with municipalities to propose changes to the legislation and clarify that this would only be used in very limited circumstances related to areas primarily under the province’s control, such as healthcare, education, the provincial economy or public safety. ”

“The role of an elected official is one of enormous responsibility and expectations. The Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act will strengthen the accountability of locally elected officials and councils while balancing the need to support local autonomy in areas under municipal control,” said McIver.

But Alberta NDP critic Kyle Kasawski says the law and its changes are less than transparent.

“After two days of backtracking, Danielle Smith and the UCP are feeling the heat from Albertans fed up with their ideological agenda,” Kasawski said. “Yesterday they backtracked on the cruel elimination of transit pass support for low-income Albertans, and today they backtracked on Bill 20.

“The UCP gatekeeper still wants the ability to fire municipal officials elected by Albertans and revoke municipal bylaws if they do not receive her approval. Bill 20 is a threat to our democracy. The UCP must recognize that it is too flawed to fully amend and repeal.”

Kasawski called the bill another example of Alberta’s “authoritarian approach to governing.”

“The UCP wants to control everything, whether it be our universities, schools, health care, police, pensions and now city councils,” Kasawski said.