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2023 UCP Alberta election

Things look bad now, but I think if a government can focus the mind on this issue like Australia did, we can turn things around. Unfortunately, politicians of all stripes would rather play silly bugger and beat each other rhetorically rather than fix large existential problems. I mean, look at healthcare. That has been a raging dumpster fire for decades that has only been getting worse, while everyone acknowledges it’s broken and needs to be fixed. But everyone would rather use it as a cudgel on their political opponents. That’s where the incentives are.

If Poilievre is serious about fixing this, I’ll be pleasantly surprised.

The problem every politician has is that of first getting elected. How much bad news are people willing to hear? How many oxen can be gored?
 
Because local governments are legally subordinate to provincial governments, I fail to see this as a major issue. The usual inflated screech from CBC.


I'll consider this another check in the W column.
Presumably you’re good with the federal power of disallowance then, should federal cabinet decide to prevent this provincial law from being enacted?

Or should we maybe leave each level of government to attend to its own affairs and not unduly thwart the wills of voters within that jurisdiction?
 
Because local governments are legally subordinate to provincial governments, I fail to see this as a major issue. The usual inflated screech from CBC.


I'll consider this another check in the W column.
Really? A win?

When literally every municipal government in Alberta, from Acme to Calgary, to Czar and Edmonton, to Red Deer and Wetaskiwin are united against it (it is a remarkably difficult feat to get Alberta Municipalities to agree on the weather or time of day), you should know this is a major error.

The UCP screwed up.
 
Or should we maybe leave each level of government to attend to its own affairs and not unduly thwart the wills of voters within that jurisdiction?
Pfft nahh. Short-sighted partisan schadenfreude is way more important than democratic principles, conservative principles, or simple good governance.

Gotta put those urban NDP voters in their place- that's the important thing. No irony in a "freedom" espousing supposedly conservative government expanding their reach to run rough shod over citizens, and no chance that Q would be incredibly opposed to an NDP government doing the same to impose their will on rural municipalities.
 
Presumably you’re good with the federal power of disallowance then, should federal cabinet decide to prevent this provincial law from being enacted?

Or should we maybe leave each level of government to attend to its own affairs and not unduly thwart the wills of voters within that jurisdiction?

Is the UCP move constitutional? If it's not, then I'll revise my stance and not be for it.

Here is a good examination of disallowance:

 
The problem I see is that "If" the federal government wanted to undermine the provincial governments then one way to do that would be to approach the cities, which the constitution identifies as provincial responsibilities, and convert them into clients of the federal government or third levels of government.

Given that most people in the provinces live in cities that would tend to delegitimize the provinces by reducing their popular support and legitimize the federal and municipal governments.

American echoes - The Electoral College, the Senate and the State Houses are in constant tension with the Federal Government who appeals to the cities and the popular vote.

Our Prime Minister has made no secret of his disdain for the Provinces and has explicitly courted the cities to make an end run around the provinces.

In my view Danielle Smith has just made it clear that she accepts responsibility for the operations of the cities as characterized by the constitution.

If Trudeau wants the relationship with the cities that he seems to want then the correct response would be to change the constitution and raise some or all of the cities to the status of additional provinces.

...

As noted the federal government claims the ability to govern the governments of the provinces. Smith is merely claiming the same ground for her province. She would be remiss in her duties if she allowed a criminal enterprise to operate as the government of one of her cities. This makes explicit that she has the tools to manage that situation.

The Chestermere case is top of mind.


And the problem is not unique to Alberta

 
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The Chestermere case is top of mind.


And the problem is not unique to Alberta


What goes around, comes around.

Your example of a dysfunctional municipal council reminds me of the elected Calgary Board of Education that was so dysfunctional that the Learning Minister dissolved it in 1999 and appointed an official trustee to run the Calgary public schools. One of the members of that board most identified as being at the centre of the conflict, though not solely responsible for the problem, was a newly elected, first term school trustee called Danielle Smith.
 
The problem I see is that "If" the federal government wanted to undermine the provincial governments then one way to do that would be to approach the cities, which the constitution identifies as provincial responsibilities, and convert them into clients of the federal government or third levels of government.

Given that most people in the provinces live in cities that would tend to delegitimize the provinces by reducing their popular support and legitimize the federal and municipal governments.

American echoes - The Electoral College, the Senate and the State Houses are in constant tension with the Federal Government who appeals to the cities and the popular vote.

Our Prime Minister has made no secret of his disdain for the Provinces and has explicitly courted the cities to make an end run around the provinces.

In my view Danielle Smith has just made it clear that she accepts responsibility for the operations of the cities as characterized by the constitution.

If Trudeau wants the relationship with the cities that he seems to want then the correct response would be to change the constitution and raise some or all of the cities to the status of additional provinces.

...

As noted the federal government claims the ability to govern the governments of the provinces. Smith is merely claiming the same ground for her province. She would be remiss in her duties if she allowed a criminal enterprise to operate as the government of one of her cities. This makes explicit that she has the tools to manage that situation.

The Chestermere case is top of mind.


And the problem is not unique to Alberta

And how exactly do you suggest that Trudeau would accomplish this wizardry when changing the Constitution requires the consent of the majority of the Provinces?
 
Sounds to me like Trudeau knows he couldn't change the constitution and knows he shouldn't be doing what he is doing by courting cities to end run provinces.

And the UCP is taking steps to make damn sure he can't meddle in their areas of authority.

So yeah, a UCP win to me. Opinions may vary.
 
And how exactly do you suggest that Trudeau would accomplish this wizardry when changing the Constitution requires the consent of the majority of the Provinces?

With any luck he wouldn't . That is my point. I am quite comfy with the constitutional arrangements as they exist which means that the Federal government needs Provincial involvement if it wants to get involved with Municipal affairs. Equally it means that the Provincial governments have a Federal check. The Municipal has a Provincial check.

If all things balanced properly the Federal government would also be held in check. The Provinces?
 
Sounds to me like Trudeau knows he couldn't change the constitution and knows he shouldn't be doing what he is doing by courting cities to end run provinces.
PP's housing platform is to do the exact same thing- Carrot and stick monies directly to municipalities. Is that also courting cities to end run provinces?
And the UCP is taking steps to make damn sure he can't meddle in their areas of authority.
Alternatively- the UCP is acting to thwart the duly elected municipal governments from enacting policies that are within the jurisdiction of said governments as previously determined by the government of Alberta.
 
PP's housing platform is to do the exact same thing- Carrot and stick monies directly to municipalities. Is that also courting cities to end run provinces? The obvious answer seems to be yes.

Alternatively- the UCP is acting to thwart the duly elected municipal governments from enacting policies that are within the jurisdiction of said governments as previously determined by the government of Alberta. Within limits, set and changed, by the Province.
 
Question: Is a province subordinate to the federal government in the same way a municipality is to a province?
 
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