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Danielle Smith’s decision to form an Edmonton council made up of the 20 losing UCP candidates who gathered about one-third of the votes cast by Edmontonians in the May 29 election would astonish me if it weren’t so consistent with her past authoritarian stances. If Smith wants to know what Edmontonians want, she can listen to the 20 NDP MLAs who were elected by the majority of the voters in our city. There is also a city council that wants to work with her government. But perhaps she is only interested in the views of the minority of Edmontonians who want private health care, who oppose fair treatment for trans people, and who rely on conspiracy theories in the face of pandemics.
Ian Kellogg, Edmonton
Listening to losing candidates alarming
Danielle Smith said on election night that it is time to put partisanship behind, that her oath is to serve all Albertans. She requested that, regardless of how they voted, to reach out with ideas, concerns and questions.
I was alarmed then to hear her say Tuesday that she intends to create a council of unsuccessful Edmonton UCP candidates to ensure Edmonton’s concerns are heard. Will she pay them? Respectfully, Edmonton voted and elected representatives. To truly respect the wishes of voters, a sign of goodwill would be to create a council of actual elected representatives, Edmonton MLAs, to do the job they were elected to do, which is bring forward concerns. For all elected representatives to work together.
Imagine if the federal government created a council of unsuccessful Liberal candidates to represent Alberta concerns in Ottawa. Need I say more?
S.M. Hogan, Edmonton
Double standard for Alberta’s ‘rural elites’
So, another election done and dusted. Oddly, it has me thinking about those guys in big cowboy hats and boots: the Western Canada Concept crowd. Always harping on about Western alienation and the tyranny of Eastern elites.
Now the election postmortems will be underway, but it’s sort of obvious why Albertans always have conservative governments. It’s the few in the countryside that hold the balance of power disproportionately to their numbers. So to “alienated” Albertans who hate the East, I say reap what you sow and learn how to get along with the rest of Canada, just like we city slickers accept the votes of the countryside “elites” in every Alberta election.
City’s input on Alberta affairs unwanted
Did I read that right? Our super-Liberal mayor demands that “Edmonton elected officials are involved in provincial politics? That would be so great. We can look forward to provincial projects that are over budget and late? Highway medians that never get mowed and are overgrown with weeds? How about converting the right lane of the QE2 into a bike lane?
James Goddard, Edmonton
No UCP cash for city, so spend wisely
With the NDP scoring a shutout in all of Edmonton’s provincial ridings, it seems pretty evident that our city will be shut out of UCP decision-making as well, with no voice at the caucus table. Mayor Sohi and his progressive councillors have taken the approach of always trying to find someone else to put up the money for housing the homeless, policing, street addictions, and LRT construction, while at the same time allocating $100 million for bike lanes in their misguided pursuit of a vehicle-free Edmonton.
It’s time for the mayor and his band of council supporters to face reality and put our hard-earned tax dollars that pour into city coffers into the issues that they constantly crow about, but expect the provincial or federal government to pay for. No more excuses. A $100 million would build a lot of homeless housing and hire the policing we need to help make Edmonton a great place to live.
Bruce Wilson, Edmonton
Election signs are ineffective eyesores
Now that the election is over can we re-think our position on littering the city with the eyesores that are election signs on public places? In my neighbourhood, people knocked down the signs from their mounts, which blew in the wind and created litter. As a city and country, we are passing various laws to reduce our environmental impact.
As far as I know, no one is touring the province counting the various signs and making their decisions based on who has the most number of signs up. Signs on public property also do not signify support. Can we eliminate this garbage from our future elections? Surely, campaign money can be used in a more useful way.
Sara Hewko, Edmonton
Unelected advisers don’t speak for city
Premier-elect Smith says, “It is time to put partisanship … in the rearview mirror,” and then she says that she will appoint defeated UCP candidates from Edmonton to “a good strong team of advisers making sure that nothing gets missed in Edmonton.” I am not able to see how looking past our elected New Democrats and creating an accountability group from the defeated UCP candidates is putting partisanship behind us. In fact, it feels a lot like taxation without de facto representation.
Clearly, Premier-elect Smith wants to get away from this election as quickly as she can, but the rearview mirror is not the way to the reconciliation that she says she wants. I am the first to agree with her that reconciliation is in order for the people of Alberta. But surely we in Canada know by now that truth and reconciliation take more than a rearview mirror and our foot down on the gas as though the past was chasing us.
Lloyd Lovatt, Edmonton
Albertans will get what they voted for
You reap what you sow. That is the message to all those who voted for the UCP. Here is just some of what we have to look forward to: minimal provincial support for Edmonton; maximum provincial support for Calgary (the new Alberta capital) beginning with monies for their new hockey arena; the RCMP is ousted from the province to be replaced by the APP (Alberta provincial police); your Canada Pension Plan (CPP) is ousted and segues over to the Alberta pension plan (APP); more radical “conservative” changes to our education system and, quite possibly, women’s rights (i.e. abortion); constant fighting and chaos between UCP and: the provincial NDP; the federal government; Alberta doctors/medical personnel and Alberta teachers.
Last but not least, we will have a government that caters to far-right radicals. Think your taxes, insurance and utility costs are high now? Just wait until the UCP gets on track. It’s a depressing future, especially for our children and grandchildren. The news media wins though; just think of the constant drama.
B.W. Kirkwood, Edmonton
Alberta doctors welcome in Saskatchewan
If you are an Alberta physician, and tired of being dismissed, unheard, undermined and practising in a political jurisdiction which does not value evidence-based medicine, please consider coming to Saskatchewan.
Here in North Battleford, we offer a spectacular river valley (the North Saskatchewan), excellent highways, lower costs of living and a patient base that values medical skills and training. We have a good hospital, and a great transportation route (Hwy 16) to Saskatoon and its two large hospitals and children’s hospital. Moreover, we offer appreciation for evidence-based medicine, a slower pace of life, and excellent outdoor recreation activities.
If you are tired of being maligned and dismissed by policy creators who are determined to undermine Alberta’s public health-care system, please consider North Battleford, Sask. We are waiting to welcome you.
Keltie Paul, North Battleford, S
