Premier lays out plans to tackle rural issues

By COLLIN GALLANT on November 11, 2022.

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant

Premier and local MLA Danielle Smith outlined her plan to address rural concerns at a conference of leaders of Alberta’s counties and municipal districts in Edmonton on Thursday, stating improving health care, her proposals on well-abandonment and the relationship between local government as keys.

Separately, she sent a mandate letter to Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis directing him to move forward on the creation of a provincial police force, which rural leaders have lobbied against, citing cost uncertainty.

At the same event on Wednesday, Opposition Leader Rachel Notley blasted the UCP’s record and said an NDP government after the next election would reform the Alberta Energy Regulator and would shelve proposals to replace the RCMP.

Smith also backed away from a party policy proposal that would require local politicians to register as lobbyists and report any discussion they have with provincial politicians about local projects or issues.

Smith also told the Rural Municipalities conference she would like to reset the relationship with elected officials in rural areas and would expand the role of local MLAs.

“Maybe it felt like you had to go directly to the minister or the premier, or the premiers office, when important issues needed to get resolved, and the MLA would step in afterwards,” Smith told the group.

“(Municipal Affairs Minister) Rebecca Schulz and I have made it abundantly clear to our caucus that they are empowered and accountable for being the voice of their municipalities.”

At the UCP’s policy convention last month, party members approved a motion calling for a platform promise to require municipal leaders to register as lobbyists.

“It’s born out of a sense of frustration that (party) members had with how fractious the relationship had become with some councils,” she said. “It may not be the best way to address the issue … no decisions have been made until we consult on that.”

Smith, elected as the Brooks-Medicine Hat MLA on Tuesday, has promoted health-care reform and addressing rising cost of living in the month after becoming premier.

Speaking to the conference on Wednesday, Notley said the creation of a police force – which RMA members opposed by a vote of 144-34 last spring – would cause financial hardship for local governments.

“It’s not about community safety – it’s about flipping the bird to Ottawa,” she told delegates. “I’d hazard to guess that the prime minister isn’t losing a lot of sleep over this. Who is losing sleep? It’s you and municipal officials who are up late trying to figure out how to pay for it.”

Smith stated during her party’s leadership race she preferred an Alberta Provincial Police Force be created to initially deal with increased mental health and addictions issues, not initially to handle general policing.

Notley called on the province to lobby the federal government to intervene in the proposed merger of telecom giants Rogers and Shaw to ensure rural broadband initiatives in Alberta have access to the system.

Her government would bring in “genuine reforms” at the Alberta Energy Regulator on the issue of unpaid taxes and well abandonment, she said.

Smith also told reeves that ministries are proceeding on work to replace the province’s major local infrastructure grant program, the Municipal Sustainability Initiative, with the Local Government Fiscal Framework, announced two years ago.

It would provide a base amount in 2024, then increase in years out based on a three-year lag of increases in provincial revenue.

She also said she was open to consultation about her proposal to build a portion of local education taxes – collected by counties but remitted to the province – into the framework instead.

Of note, Smith said a program to forgive counties’ share of uncollected education taxes on unpaid oil lease taxes would be extended through 2023.

Cypress County received $135,000 from that program in 2019.

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