3 minute read
Viewpoint: OP-ED: DO WHAT I SAY; NOT WHAT I DO
Apparently, we live in an age where it is perfectly fine to judge other people’s actions, wave condescending fingers and virtue-signal when others do things we find objectionable or not in line with our view of what life should be. But heaven help us if anyone else should point out our own inconsistencies and call us out for actions we criticize in others.
It’s bad enough when we do it on a personal level, but when governments make it a daily activity it’s time to draw a line.
I am in full support of provincial premiers calling out Ottawa’s overreach into provincial jurisdiction. Sections 91 and 92 of the Constitution are in clear and simple language and easily understood. It seems to boil down to a basic lack of respect for the inherent differences between the various regions in terms of heritage, culture and practice which are viewed as needing correction and direction by an all-knowing, superior “Eastern Elite.”
However, when our own provincial government decides to pull the same unilateral, uninvited, arbitrary intrusion into municipal affairs under the guise of protecting us from federal overreach it’s incredibly hard to swallow. Talk about changing lanes without signalling!
Sadly and unfortunately, they have the constitutional authority to do just that.
While Premier Danielle Smith and minister of municipal affairs
Ric McIver claim to know what is best for the dramatically diverse municipal circumstances and situations within the province, their proposed Bill 20 gives the UCP cabinet powers that are potentially draconian in their application to municipalities, such as ours.
If one of our councillors were to have the temerity to criticize a government member, or potentially their own UCP MLA, the cabinet could potentially remove that councillor.
The rationale provided by Smith and McIver as reported in a number of news articles is convoluted at best. At a recent news conference, Smith was quoted as saying, “We want to make sure that
municipalities are not creeping into provincial jurisdiction, and that they are not enacting policy and then are upset with the kind of policies that we’re trying to implement at the provincial level. What we’ve observed is that the federal government is attempting to do a variety of workarounds to get their agenda passed, which may be in conflict with what it is that we want to do as a province.”
While I agree the feds are playing games with the strings they attach to their funding to municipal governments, and that needs to stop, my question is: If the province blocks grant funding from the feds, are they prepared to fund the shortfall?
