Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi poses for a photo outside the Medicine Hat Curling Club on July 25.--News Photo Anna Smith
asmith@medicinehatnews.com
While visiting Medicine Hat last week as part of the “Better Together Summer” initiative, Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi offered perspective on current city affairs.
Medicine Hat city council and the city’s manager – who was put on temporary leave Tuesday – were given until Oct. 1 to review and decide on the 207-page report given at the July 21 council meeting, as part of the municipal inspection, including its 70 recommendations.
As someone with a background in municipal politics himself, Nenshi commented to the News that part of the issue lies not in the city itself, but in the current state of municipal governments as a whole within the province.
“I think the real challenge we have is that the changes that the government has made to the municipal government act, and in particular, getting rid of the ability of councils to even have a code of conduct is just going to make things much worse,” said Nenshi.
While he did not express where he stands on the current circumstances in Medicine Hat, he did note a divide in beliefs on who should have more power in situations like this.
“I’ll get very professorial about it. We have what’s called a weak mayor system, which means the mayor is just one vote on council,” said Nenshi. “In reality, the mayor needs the opportunity, especially in a place where the mayor is the only full-time member of council, to be able to get stuff done. Most times, we kind of figure it out.”
While he is unsure if stronger mayoral powers are the answer, he says he would consider it to possibly be part of the solution if elected, but not go there immediately.
“I think the real problem is in the municipal government act and in the UCP’s rescinding of the city charters for Calgary and Edmonton and in the lack of real financial control that municipalities have,” said Nenshi. “What we need is for the city to have a little more authority, and for the province to butt out and only get involved when there’s a real crisis. I think that would go a long way towards solving the problem and forcing the mayors and councils to work together.”
“And at the end of the day, like everybody, you have an election in October, and that is the opportunity for citizens of Medicine Hat to say whether they’re satisfied or not with their council,” said Nenshi.
