Latest news with #LocalAuthoritiesElectionAct
Calgary Herald
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Calgary Herald
Your letters for May 27: Senate numbers a tricky thing
Senate representation in Canada doesn't matter much; our Senate has no real power. Suggesting we copy the American model is ludicrous. The U.S. Senate has real power, although allowing anti-science Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be in charge of health attests to its current impotence. Article content Article content The reality of U.S. representation is that less than 20 per cent of the population elects over half of the Senate. Wyoming, with half of Saskatchewan's population, has as much power in the Senate as California, with roughly the population of Canada. One of the principles of democracy is representation by population; each vote should have equal weight. Redistribution added three Alberta MPs for the 2025 election. Ontario has 3.3 times Alberta's population and 3.3 times the number of MPs. Albertans might appreciate having the same power as Ontario, but what about P.E.I. having the same power as Alberta, with less than four per cent of Alberta's population? Article content Article content Article content The public record initially had Magliocca adamantly proclaiming his innocence. Now he apologizes for his actions. If he had integrity, he could have taken responsibility for his actions several months ago and saved the cost of an expensive trial. Article content As a public servant with 37 years of service, I and countless others like me, had to work diligently to provide our services to the public in a trustworthy and ethical manner. The actions of Magliocca taint us all, and for that, I am deeply saddened. Article content Jerry Christensen, Calgary Article content Article content Lone Calgary MP should be in cabinet Article content Mark Carney is not my prime minister. He told me so. How, you might ask? When he did not appoint the only Calgary Liberal MP to his cabinet. But he did appoint Steven Guilbeault to cabinet. Then he did not immediately fire Guilbeault when he mouthed off, erroneously, about pipelines. Article content Article content Mr. Carney, your message has been received loud and clear. Nothing changes in political Laurentian Canada. Perhaps something will change in Alberta? I think the PM wants us to go away. Article content Terry Lauder, Calgary Article content Article content I have eagerly checked the Letters page daily, hoping someone had taken up Catherine Ford's idea of other, more relevant, referendum topics. No luck so far, but here are a few ideas: Article content The provincial government should stay out of municipal areas and repeal changes to the Local Authorities Election Act (paper ballots only, municipal parties, etc.). Article content The provincial government should support diversification of Alberta's economy, including renewable energy and battery storage options. Article content UCP MLAs who support Alberta separation should be required to resign from the caucus that promoted a 'united Canada' by introducing and passing Bill 1. Article content On the 'united Canada' front, how about suggesting our provincial government speak out against separation and work collaboratively with the federal government to resolve current issues, even look for areas of compromise? Article content
CBC
09-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Alberta government moves to eliminate municipal codes of conduct
Social Sharing Alberta Municipal Affairs minister Ric McIver introduced a new bill Tuesday that would automatically repeal all municipal codes of conduct as soon as it is proclaimed into law. Bill 50, the Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act, proposes changes to three existing laws: Local Authorities Election Act, the Municipal Government Act, and the New Home Buyer Protection Act. Amendments to the Municipal Government Act in early 2015 compelled municipal councils across Alberta to pass codes of conduct by 2018. But McIver said they have since become a tool for councillors to target other members of council. "Most municipalities get along just fine and behave well and serve their citizens without a whole bunch of interpersonal drama," he said at a news conference Tuesday. "But there's been more than enough instances of people using the bylaws as weapons, weaponizing them, if you will, and they're trying to silence people that disagree with them that are on council." McIver is proposing an external third party, like an ethics or integrity commissioner, become the arbiter of breaches but he wants to consult with municipalities first. Such a change would also relieve the chief administrative officers of municipalities of the responsibility of having to resolve disputes. McIver said the current situation puts these officials in an awkward position because they are hired, evaluated and can be fired by councillors. "It's not a fair position to put them in," he said. "So we're going to try to fix that too." Other measures in the bill include a change that would allow municipal political parties to share campaign funding with their candidates and compel them to disclose their donors before election day in October. The bill also proposes a temporary measure to allow Jasper residents to vote or run in the municipal election even while they are displaced by last summer's wildfire. The government plans to keep these amendments in place for the fall municipal election and through 2026 just in case there is a byelection. The provision is to expire by Dec. 31, 2026. Political donation disclosure The proposal to eliminate municipal codes of conduct follows some high-profile cases where councillors used the rules against another council member. Last year, Linnsie Clark, the mayor of Medicine Hat, was stripped of some of her powers and given a pay cut for failing to treat the city manager with "courtesy, dignity and respect" at a council meeting in 2023. A Court of King's Bench judge later ruled that the sanctions were not in proportion to her code of conduct breaches and reversed most of them. Last year, members of Alberta Municipalities passed a resolution moved by the Town of Rocky Mountain House to set up an independent office of integrity to investigate code of conduct breaches. Edmonton Coun. Andrew Knack is concerned that there will be a period of time between the repeal of the codes of conduct and the enactment of what replaces them. "I don't want to be closed-minded to it," he said. "If they have a good system that has clear standards across the province, then that might actually be a really good thing. I want to give him the benefit of the doubt on this particular issue." Knack is more concerned with the rules for candidate donation disclosures. While Bill 50 will require political parties to disclose their donations before the election, there isn't a similar provision for individual candidates or third-party advertisers. Knack said the new system imposed by the province hurts candidates who choose to run independently. He says political parties can still get more donations from corporations and numbered companies.
CBC
08-02-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Edmonton Elections details finance disclosure rules for this year's campaigns
Edmonton Elections has released more information about properly disclosing campaign finances, as political parties are introduced into this year's municipal election. Alberta's Local Authorities Election Act was altered last year to allow for the creation of political parties in civic elections. Municipal parties must be separate and distinct from federal and provincial parties, and they cannot receive campaign contributions from those parties. On Friday, Aileen Giesbrecht, Edmonton's city clerk and an officer with Edmonton Elections, outlined the timeline for those interested in running, as well as transparency rules around campaign finances. "Candidates are now able to campaign over a broader period of time, and one of the conditions within the Local Authorities Election Act is an annual disclosure," Giesbrecht said during a virtual information session. Edmonton Elections, a nonpartisan group within the office of the city clerk, organizes and carries out elections for the City of Edmonton, as well as trustee positions with the Edmonton Public School Board and Edmonton Catholic School Division. The official campaign period for this year's election started last October and will run through December. Edmontonians interested in becoming candidates must submit a written notice of intent before fundraising, accepting any campaign contributions or racking up any campaign expenses. This election's campaign period is longer, so mandidates will have to include a second campaign disclosure statement, Giesbrecht said. "Even if you didn't have any contributions, you didn't self finance anything, and you had no expenses, you still have an obligation as a candidate that submitted your notice of intent to run," she said. If a notice of intent was filed in 2024, candidates will be required to submit their first disclosure by March 3. The second disclosure will be expected in 2026 for campaign contributions. Politcal parties will have until March 2026 to submit disclosure. Chris Heywood, a strategist with Edmonton Elections, also noted various stipulations regarding what kinds of donations can be accepted. "Candidates must not ask for, or accept, contributions that were submitted anonymously," Heywood said. "The same goes for accepting contributions made by an ineligible contributor, or contributions that will cause that contributor to exceed their personal limit, or [that] are being made with funds not belonging to the contributor." Candidates must also maintain campaign finance accounts and records separately and issue receipts for every contribution received. People running can self-fiance their campaigns up to $10,000, but Edmontonians can only donate $5,000 to all candidates and registered parties in a municipality. Corporations, trade unions or employee organizations can donate $5,000 to candidates per campaign period, along with $5,000 donations to registered political parties. Donors cannot combine balances to increase contribution limits to political parties, a City of Edmonton spokesperson told CBC News. Expense limits for civic election candidates and political parties range from $40,000 to more than $1 million. There are no expense limits for school board trustee candidates or political parties in trustee elections. The municipal election is on Oct. 20.
CBC
29-01-2025
- Politics
- CBC
First political party approved to run in Edmonton civic election
Social Sharing Principled Accountable Coalition for Edmonton — also known as PACE — is the first municipal political party approved to run in an Edmonton civic election. The party's goal is "to unite common sense, practical, fiscally prudent, community-focused voices across Edmonton," according to its website. "We submitted to 1,257 [signatures on] December 19, and just received the news of our approval yesterday. It's been quite the process, that's for sure. Had to have our ducks in a row," PACE president Sheila Phimester told CBC in an interview. Elections Edmonton approved the application on Monday. The Alberta government announced last spring that formal parties will be allowed to run candidates in Edmonton and Calgary in the October 20 vote. For a party to register, they must collect more than 1,000 signatures of residents who support the party, provide a candidate list, a corporate registry search, and a statement of assets and liabilities. Listed candidates for PACE according to Elections Edmonton's website include: Phimester, Christine Haines, David Starko, Donald Grimble and Doug Main, a former broadcaster and Progressive Conservative MLA. "People are extremely frustrated with what's happening at city hall, and unfortunately, that's the fuel that we have behind this," Phimester said. The key issues PACE will focus on will include getting value for taxes, making the city more open for business and improving safety and security, Phimester said. She noted her transition into politics began when she previously spoke at zoning bylaw public hearings and took issue with plans to densify housing and build bike lanes. "How many people use bike lanes? We are a winter city. Does it give us value for our taxes to spend $100 million on a bike lane? This is an example of something that's based on ideology," Phimester said. "Even being fiscally responsible is an ideology, really, but our goal is to have a council, create a council that can run the city like a business." Under the Local Authorities Election Act, local political parties must be separate and distinct from federal and provincial political parties. Local political parties also cannot receive campaign contributions from provincial or federal political parties. WATCH | How political parties could change Edmonton's civic election: How political parties could change Edmonton's civic election 26 days ago Duration 4:32 As the party system enters Edmonton and Calgary's fall election, experts warn partisan politics could interfere with independent thought, change how candidates campaign, and create confusion for voters. Some political science experts and at least one councillor, have cautioned the move to introduce political parties in municipal elections will frustrate voters and erode public trust in the electoral system. Political watchers said they are confused by the province's decision, as the province's own public survey showed 70 per cent of respondents disagreed with introducing the party system. Alberta Municipalities, representing cities, towns and villages around the province, also opposed the move. Edmonton Elections told CBC at this point, there are no other party applications under review. Tim Cartmell, Ward pihêsiwin councillor and Edmonton mayoral hopeful, plans to form his own party, which he has previously said will not be partisan. Phimester said PACE aims to cover the centre of the political spectrum. "I would call us down the middle. We are small-c conservative thinkers for sure," Phimester said.
