When then municipal affairs minister Danielle Larivee fired three Thorhild County councillors in 2016, the county’s reeve accused the Alberta NDP of “Soviet-style government.”
Under the circumstances, this hardly seems fair.
Still, Reeve Dan Buryn’s anger can be understood, if not sympathized with. He was one of the trio of councillors who had been sacked by Ms. Larivee for what an inquiry report termed “irregular, improper and improvident” actions and inappropriate behaviour.
Ms. Larivee’s predecessor in the portfolio, Deron Bilous, had followed provincial law when he ordered the third-party inspection inquiry under the Municipal Government Act after hearing complaints about the council from people living in the county 100 kilometres north of Edmonton, including a petition signed by about 800 of the county’s 3,250 or so residents.
Minister Larivee dismissed Mr. Buryn along with councillors Wayne Croswell and Larry Sisson on March 10 for breaching directives mandated by the inquiry’s 62-page report, which had been released in the fall of 2015.
In the words of a Global News report at the time, the inquiry “found the council was not following laws, had bad spending practises and biased decision making.”
More recently, late last year, the UCP Government fired the mayor, three councillors, and some city officials in Chestermere, a community of 22,000 just east of Calgary.
In the news clips, UCP Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver sounded like he was speaking from the same playbook as Ms. Larivee – as in fact, he was. The Municipal Government Act, that is.
“The city of Chestermere has continued to be managed in an irregular, improper and improvident manner,” he said. “Every municipality in Alberta must comply with their legal obligations, and those who choose not to will be held accountable.”
Fast-forward to last week, though, and readers who weren’t paying attention could be forgiven for wondering how such things could even have happened.
Hadn’t the UCP just introduced legislation including provisions allowing the provincial cabinet to arbitrarily fire municipal councillors that Mr. McIver claimed were necessary to “ensure local councils and elected officials continue to remain accountable to the citizens who elected them”?
In fact, as the earlier council firings illustrate, the Municipal Government Act already provided the minister with the ability to fire councillors for cause.
So why did the UCP need to introduce legislation allowing councillors to be fired when the current law already grants the minister that power? As folk wisdom has it, if it ain’t broke, why fix it?
The explanation is in the difference between due process and arbitrary power.
The Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendments Act will eliminate the guardrails that ensure due process is observed and no one is fired unfairly or improperly.
As University of Alberta political science professor Jared Wesley put it on social media Saturday, Bill 20 is politically targeted legislation, “all about making moderates and progressives accountable to provincial cabinet on pain of removal.”
Section 574(1) of the Municipal Government Act says that, “If, because of an inspection under section 571, a report of an official administrator under section 575.1, an inquiry under section 572 or an investigation by the Ombudsman, the Minister considers that a municipality is managed in an irregular, improper or improvident manner, the Minister may by order direct the council, the chief administrative officer or a designated officer of the municipality to take any action that the Minister considers proper in the circumstances.”
Section 574(2) sets out the measures the minister is permitted to employ to remedy the situation. These include, “(h) an order dismissing the council or any member of it or the chief administrative officer.”
These are, I think most readers would agree, both broad and appropriate powers.
The new approach to be implemented by the UCP, though, will make it possible for cabinet to replace councillors or councils based on whim, animus, ideology, or cynical political opportunity – all shielded from public scrutiny by cabinet secrecy.
Can we be said to even have local democracy in such circumstances?
Not really, when it is dependent on the whim of cabinet, by definition a highly politicized body and by Parliamentary convention a secretive one.
On the rare occasions Alberta governments fired councillors in the past, it was done according to written rules, enshrined in law, subject to the oversight of the courts.
Indeed, when the Thorhild councillors went to court to fight their firing, they were able to get a temporary injunction blocking their removal, and after a judicial review succeeded in the fall of 2017 in having the minister’s order quashed by a Court of Queen’s Bench justice.
Four days after the judgment came down, the municipal election took place and only one of the three, Mr. Crosswell, was re-elected. Mr. Buryn lost, and Mr. Sisson had already thrown in the towel and not sought re-election.
But the point is that due process was observed.
Now the UCP proposes to throw the democratic baby thrown out with the bathwater.
The Soviet Union has been gone for nearly 33 years, but it wouldn’t be unfair to call what the UCP is up to now reminiscent of “Soviet-style government.”
What’s next in Alberta political discourse? Shooting puppies?
Since the UCP government reflexively adopts all the worst ideas idea of American Republicans as soon as they emerge south of the 49th Parallel, how long can it be before we see right-wing Alberta politicians shooting puppies to prove their MAGA chops?
After all, South Dakota Governor and rumoured Trump ticket vice-presidential pick Kristi Noem is reported by The Guardian to have boasted that she shot and killed an unfortunate wire-haired pointer puppy named Cricket. “I hated that dog,” she wrote.
This was written in a soon-to-be published autobiography presumably intended to show she has what it takes to be president of the United States in the event The Donald strokes out from one Big Mac too many.
Mr. Trump might want to reconsider his choice of Governor Noem as VP seeing as she also admitted that the same day she shot what The Guardian described as “an unruly … un-castrated goat.”
But if Mr. Trump gives in to the governor’s charms and puts her on the ticket, we should probably brace ourselves for Canadian conservatives promising that if elected they’ll kill a puppy too, or at least flush a goldfish down a toilet.
Before long, Alberta might have secret trials, or no trials at all, with the guilty sent to gulags. Crimes punishable with time in lockup in the barrens will include telling a joke about the UCP or any social media commentary. I’m told that Alberta looks like Siberia, anyways, so we might as well embrace it. Just think of all the abandoned oil camps that could be repurposed, not to mention disused motels.
Needless to say, I will not say a word the next time I see Ric McIver at a Cruisin’ the Dub show and shine. Not a word. I certainly won’t ask him how his good friend Art Pawlowski is doing.
Undoubtedly so, the UCP is running a dictatorship, and wants full power and control. They are afraid of facing defeat, so they have to work around that. What’s very disturbing is how people can still defend the UCP and Bill 20. These comments on Postmedia newspapers show that quite well. It’s evident here. What do others who comment on this blog think about this?
https://calgaryherald.com/news/groups-react-to-bill-20
Those prone to conspiracy theories also tend to be prone to paranoia. Power and paranoia are not a good combination, as Soviets experienced with Stalin. Unfortunately, some in the UCP see enemies everywhere and seem very focused on those in who hold office in Alberta who are not as conservative or right wing as they would like them to be.
Yes, the Alberta government already has the power to get rid of councillors or school trustees if there are real problems, not just differences of political views. In fact the current Premier was part of a dysfunctional school board the province got rid of years ago.
So there is no need for another law to do this, unless the province wants to try abuse its power in an arbitrary way. Unfortunately, our Premier who used to claim to be a Libertarian now sees enemies everywhere and has the power to do something about it.
“…unless the province wants to try abuse its power in an arbitrary way…”
I think that’s more or less a given.
Overreach and Over reaction are key words for me in this series of “laws” we are seeing from the UCP . Is cabinet involved in these discussions or just Smith and her advsiors? McIver seems like deer in the headlights to justify these undemocratic moves. Municipal government represents an important part of being responsive to local issues and I can call my councillor without any agenda or bias. I am sick of the Republican authoritarian perspective and agenda being forced on our province. Is this in preparation of wanting to Wexit and becoming the 51st state ? VERY FRUSTRATED
Dominionism has a significant place in far right ideology. It gives adherents permission to do anything, no matter how harmful, to the animal or natural world.
Stephen Harper and Stockwell Day both belong to a dominionist sect. Maybe Noem does too and is courting their votes.
Of course she is, she’s a republican. They got that maga Jesus. Maybe she’s signalling to Sean Moons church, the AR15 worshippers
Killing puppies…
“I hated that dog,” she wrote.
Kristi Noem
The kind of people attracted to Trump.
The kind of people attracted to the UCP!
Enough said.
Governor Noem is an attractive woman, which is probably the only qualification she needs to serve under Donald Trump. David, I love your goat implication!
Horses, puppies, babies with food poisoning, dead kids in care… oh they have what it takes alright.
I can’t believe we live in a world that is falling apart so completely. One where brutality and murder of thousands is supported and protected and where politicians stack the deck right in front of our eyes! It’s not only looking more and more like the end of democracy, but the end of decency, kindness and justice itself. I feel like once upon a time, humanity was on the verge of greatness and now all we have left is the imminent free fall into the crisis of the ‘worst of humanity’. A mashing together of the movies, Elysium and The Purge! Our children’s future.
Geez Debrah, I had to look those movies up. You’ve got to cut back on this dystopian stuff and add some positivity to your viewing schedule. Try “Dani Smith: the Musical” or “TBA Mission Critical”, or my fave “Midnight Diner, High Level Stories”. These all score over 8 out of 10 on Rotten Carbon. Enjoy!
Some of the US Supreme Court crew seem amenable to letting Trump kill political opponents. Noem , falls right in goosestep with them.
Like the federal conservative government, the Smith&Parker UCPTBA takes the applause they get from the choir they preach to as licence to do anything they want: the louder the choir cheers, the better S&P’s political prospects, they confidently conclude.
But wishful thinking through Wildrose-coloured glasses rather indicates self-delusion: the din of approval is coming from fewer and fewer supporters who are simply cheering more loudly and fanatically.
If S&P are too blinkered to do the math, it follows they will not respect democratic arithmetic —at least not without loosing their essential blinkers and self-delusion.
Indeed, the farther right and more radical they get, the less likely they will maintain the majority they now abuse. Voters have feelings, too, y’know…
I’ve been reading Alberta Politics for few years, but have never commented. First, let me say, thanks for the keeping AB voters informed. It’s a thankless job, I am sure, but I am here to say, I appreciate you. Second, Alberta has lost many political journalists that once held gov’t to account, so again, thank you for keeping me informed. Third, since Twitter turned to shite–sorry X, I rely on political blogs to keep informed. So, again, thank you. Cheers. S
Thank you, Suzanne, for your kind words. You’re right about Twitter. DJC
I can’t access twitter usefully anymore, but I find many journalists are profiled at Muck Rack, and perhaps half of them have included their twitter feeds. Also article links.
And today Crazy Dani pitched high speed rail to distract fake journos from the real issues around Bills 18 and 20. So you zoom between cities but still need a truck to drive the last 20k to your house in the burbs.
Who’s up for a little conspiracy theory? (Echoing silence, broken by one cricket….) OK, then! Let’s go!!!
Danielle Smith and her BFF David Parker are talking about the next election. One of ‘em starts bitching about those commie politicians who’re polluting Calgary’s city hall. “And don’t even get me started on Edmonchuck! That Libtard mayor….” “Yeah, I wish we could clean out the whole crowd. It’d be so much easier if we had some friends in City Hall. Both of ‘em. Is that so much to ask?” “…Maybe we can. Didn’t Notley fire those guys from Thorhild?” “Not sure…but Ric had to fire some bozos in Chestermere, they were more trouble than they were worth. Made us look bad….” “So maybe there’s a way. Oh, wait, they gotta get a complaint, then they gotta investigate. That takes too long.” “What’s the law say? Maybe we can speed that up.”
And the rest will soon be history. If there’s any justice in this boneheaded province, Smith and her autocratic-wannabe party will shortly follow
As loony as Smith and her MAGA-sympathizing, QAnon-adjacent followers are, it pains me to say that they’re only a symptom of a much wider problem. Yes, wider than Trump’s manbaby petulance and vindictive stupidity.
Sometimes it helps to get the view from beyond the local horizon. Here’s an op-ed piece by Gordon Brown, just published in The Guardian:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/apr/29/hard-right-tidal-wave-europe-economic-crisis-worse
Brown emphasizes that stagnant growth in the EU have made people bitter, even desperate. Far-right politicians have become expert at blaming anyone who’s poorer than their acolytes; or visibly different; or a perceived threat to “our way of life.” When there’s only so much to go around, you gotta get more by taking it from those weaker than you. So goes the nationalist story. (Funny how those far-right populists never mention “equality” and that billionaires now own most of the wealth in the world. How’z about making the richest guys share some?)
Is that part of our problem? Have we fallen into the “zero-sum” mindset that says I can’t win unless you lose? Are we fighting among ourselves while rich guys egg us on—and laugh all the way to the investment bank?
There must be more to it. Our province, formerly Oilberduh, now Qberduhstan, is dominated by a minority who reject science, embody selfishness, and embrace their self-declared victimhood. What the hell happened to Peter Lougheed’s legacy?
One thing I find concerning is the provision that if a winning candidate is found to have accepted one illegal donation their election is nullified. So there is a possibility that a candidate who is popular with the voters but is viewed by the UCP/tba as a problem (as in that 2019 Kerry Diotte statement) they could be given a donation that seems legitimate, but in the post-election accounting is ‘suddenly’ determined to be illegal, and is removed without appeal.
Seems bizarre, but that seems to be the way it’s worded.
Of course none of that applied when Kenney was running for leadership, but that was not a municipal election, and Kenney certainly was not seen as one of Diotte’s problems.
So new appointees to the AER include David Yager:
https://twitter.com/NdbYyc1305/status/1784667266031792554
After reading all the posts here I thought I should chime in to provide some balance. At the municipal and institutional levels, and at universities there has been a stacking of the Leftist and Woke ideologies for some time. The crime is that this influence has been unchecked. More specifically stated, this control has been from the nepharoius elements of the WEF, the UN, the CCP and the Who. This has recently materialized in the mainstream news in the form of announcements of several USA States passing laws to prevent influence or contracts to be made directly between a municipality or institution and the WEF, UN, WHO or CCP. Any body failing to comply with this law would likely have their staff terminated without recourse or defense. This is being viewed as a matter of State security.
This has become a prevalent issue and threat through North America. One might be more accurate to assume Danielle Smith is looking after the security of our Democracy and everything we hold dear.