Dear Neighbours,
As a member of the provincial legislature, my job is to focus on provincial issues. Zoning, policing, snow removal, and garbage removal all fall under municipal jurisdiction. Voters elect the mayors and members of council to run the city. As your provincial MLA, I recognize the value in having different levels of government, be it federal, provincial, or municipal, and that each has their own area which they oversee. I also realize that these different levels of government may not always agree with each other. But I think there is value in these disagreements, as this is how compromise is achieved – in essence, this is democracy.
With the government’s passage of Bill 20, the provincial cabinet now has the power to invalidate municipal laws and overturn municipal elections. This is a huge overreach, as I believe that Calgary’s municipal government should exercise the power given to it by Calgary’s voters. This bill also introduced political parties into municipal politics, something a large majority of Albertans are strongly against.
Bill 20 is not only an affront to our basic democracy, but it is an affront to you, the voter, who elected a municipal government to represent you at City Hall with the expectation that they serve out their full terms. Today we face the threat that elected representatives can be dismissed if they displease the provincial government. It’s fundamentally undemocratic. As someone who hopes to be part of a future NDP government, this is not a power I want nor is it a power that I believe I should have.
As your provincial representative in the legislature, I will fight to ensure that municipal governments operate free of the provincial government’s interference and to ensure that your vote matters.
Should you have any other questions or concerns, my office is located at 205, 5005 Elbow Drive SW. You can also reach me at [email protected] or by phone at 403-252-0346. My door is always open.
MLA – Calgary Elbow Samir Kayande proudly serves the following Communities: Altadore, Bel-Aire , Britannia, Elbow Park, Elboya, Erlton, Garrison Green, Garrison Woods, Glamorgan, Lincoln Park, Lower Mount Royal, Marda Loop, Mayfair, Meadowlark Park, Mount Royal, North Glenmore Park, Parkhill, Rideau Park, River Park, Roxboro, South Calgary, Upper Mount Royal, Windsor Park
