With Bill 20, Danielle Smith sows fear and loathing (and confusion) in Alberta councils, big and small

This is why it's worth noting when the leader of Alberta Municipalities (ABmunis) doesn't mince words in reaction to the legislation that gives the provincial cabinet enhanced powers to unilaterally remove councillors and repeal or change local bylaws.

"Bill 20 is an attempt by the provincial government to grab more power and wield more control over how people choose to live in their own communities," ABmunis president Tyler Gandam told reporters this week.

This week's surprise yanking — and then backtracking — on provincial support for low-income transit passes for Calgary and Edmonton adds an intriguing wrinkle to the turf debate.

Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver has said the government didn't want to put limits or guardrails on their proposed new powers because they'd never know what circumstances would force them to overturn a local bylaw or eject a councillor.

But based on his stout defence of his government's ideas, he doesn't seem to have much interest in backing down on establishing political parties for the big cities, or banning vote-counting machines, or the other new cabinet powers to get rid of disagreeable elected members or their decisions.

After backlash in 2022, Smith permitted amendments to her keystone Sovereignty Act, to remove cabinet authority to privately alter provincial laws as ministers felt necessary.