With an NDP sweep in Edmonton, leaders look for dialogue with UCP
Premier says she'll create an advisory council made of candidates who didn't win
Mayor Amarjeet Sohi wants Premier Danielle Smith to remember that Edmonton has needs too.
The NDP won all 20 Edmonton ridings in Monday's provincial election, leaving the capital city without direct representation in the UCP-majority legislature.
"I hope that the provincial government would keep that in mind that a million people in our city will not have a voice, a direct voice in the cabinet," Sohi said during a news conference Tuesday.
"So how do we create opportunities for those voices to be included?"
Kaycee Madu, who had held the only UCP seat in the capital, lost in Edmonton-South West on Monday night. Madu had served as deputy premier and minister of skilled trades and professions.
Smith plans 'team of advisers'
In an interview Tuesday on CHED radio in Edmonton, Smith said she has already thought about how to address Edmonton's needs without any elected UCP representation in the city.
"I'm going to put together an Edmonton council of some of the candidates who I know are going to want to run again," Smith said. "There are a couple of fantastic candidates, many in fact in Edmonton, and some got a lot closer than I think anybody ever would have expected.
"And so I'm going to rely on them to continue giving me advice because our capital city is vitally important to the overall success of Alberta."
Smith acknowledged the province has "a lot of investment that we need to do" in Edmonton.
"We've got a lot of support that we need to give to the city of Edmonton in dealing with their public disorder and mental health and addictions crisis. And so I will have a good strong team of advisers making sure that nothing gets missed in Edmonton."
Sohi seeks renewed relationship
Sohi is looking to forge a fresh relationship with the UCP in the coming months on issues including housing, homelessness, mental health and addictions.
He plans to invite the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce and other organizations to help make the case for more funding and support.
"I'll be reaching out to other business leaders in Edmonton as well as other community leaders [on[ how we can work together to convince the provincial government that Edmonton deserves a fair deal."
Calgary-Edmonton divide
Sohi has repeatedly noted that Calgary gets more funding than Edmonton for housing, infrastructure and addressing social issues.
He highlighted Smith's recent funding pledge to help Calgary build a new arena to replace the Saddledome.
"I would love to have a conversation with the premier [about] how she and her government are going to provide us with $330 million to build our public amenities such as Commonwealth Stadium or a soccer stadium or a cricket field," Sohi said.
While the city will seek partners to lobby the province, Sohi put the ball back in Smith's court to address a dissatisfied electorate.
"This is an opportunity for the premier to reset that relationship and really look at why many Edmontonians remained dissatisfied with the provincial government," Sohi said.
Michael Walters, a former two-term city councillor, echoed the need for the city to think outside the box with a conservative government.
"I think there's going to be the typical friction between [the] municipal and provincial government," Walters said Tuesday.
"I think it just requires us to be creative as a community. We can't rely necessarily on our municipal leaders to advocate in a relationship that's proven to be not very effective."
Walters said the new approach should involve the business, arts and not-for-profit communities, as well as universities.
The ineffective relationship Walters referenced pre-dates Smith as premier.
When Jason Kenney was Alberta's UCP premier, Madu — Kenney's municipal affairs minister at the time — nixed the city charters Calgary and Edmonton had worked to create.
Former mayor Don Iveson had a scathing review of Madu's behaviour.
"He was a bilious creature to deal with," Iveson told CBC News Tuesday.
"He treated local elected officials like his subjects when he was minister of municipal affairs and when he tore up the city charter, you know, that was a devastating setback not just for Edmonton and Calgary, but for progress for municipalities."
Regional collaboration
St. Albert Mayor Cathy Heron, president of Alberta Municipalities, said she's going to keep an eye on three specific areas moving forward: the infrastructure gap, safety and police, and health care.
"When it comes to health care, I'm a strong believer that you should not have to pay to see a family doctor," Heron said. "She did seem to promise that during the debate so we're going to hold her to it."
Smith had made comments in the past about having Albertans pay for some medical services. She has since promised to support public health care.
Heron said it will be key for Smith to foster a healthier relationship with the federal government to leverage support for housing.
"So far, the signals haven't been that strong that she will," Heron said. "She's going to have to work with housing ministers to get that money into Alberta, to get it into the hands of mayors who want to build and take care of the residents."
Of the 12 municipalities that are part of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Board, Leduc-Beaumont, Strathcona-Sherwood Park, Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville, Morinville-St. Albert and Spruce Grove-Stony Plain elected UCP MLAs.
The riding of St. Albert remains orange, with Marie Renaud winning nearly 60 per cent of the vote.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
