The city of Edmonton is now without a seat in the government after the only United Conservative Party (UCP) MLA was voted out in the Alberta election Monday.
Edmonton usually looks like a dot of orange in the sea of blue, but with the governing party completely shut out of the capital, Mayor Amarjeet Sohi says he’s a little worried.
“Unfortunately Edmonton will not be represented in the cabinet, so I believe the provincial government has a fundamental responsibility to ensure that Edmonton voices are included and that Edmonton’s elected officials are involved,” said Sohi.
Sohi said it’s important for Premier Danielle Smith to take into account the needs of people living in the province’s two largest cities because they make up two-thirds of the population.
“Edmontonians’ aspirations and desires and what kind of city they want to build — it is absolutely important that those voices are heard by the provincial government,” he said.
“I will do what I can to build that relationship. It is so important that all of us — city council members and provincial representatives — work together.”
Bill Smith, mayor of Edmonton from 1995 to 2004, says he knows what it’s like to lack representation in the provincial government. For part of his tenure, Edmonton was mostly represented by Liberal MLAs while the Progressive Conservatives led by Ralph Klein held massive majority governments.
“To me, it’s a disaster. We have no representation here,” Smith said.
“The mayor has an obligation and he needs to park himself down at the legislature whenever (Danielle Smith is) there.”
He added the premier has to do her part, too.
“I think that Danielle has got to remember that the city of Edmonton is the capital of this province and she needs to spend more time in Edmonton. She needs to show the fact that she cares about Edmonton.”
Danielle Smith said she plans to form a committee made up of unsuccessful UCP candidates from Edmonton to advise on what the city needs.
“We’ve got a lot of investment that we need to do. 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,” Smith told 630 CHED’s Shaye Ganam in her first interview following the election.
LISTEN: Alberta Premier Danielle Smith talks to 630 CHED’s Shaye Ganam in her first interview after being re-elected.
Nathan Ip was the NDP MLA who knocked out the city’s last remaining conservative, former deputy premier Kaycee Madu.
“This isn’t really about Mr. Madu or myself in some ways, it really is about what people in Edmonton-Southwest are looking for,” said Ip.
“I’ve heard time and again at the doors that people are looking for real solutions, people were looking for change in tone.”
Ip said though the NDP didn’t form government, his party “received a very strong mandate.”
“We will hold this government accountable.”
Nate Glubish was re-elected as MLA for Strathcona-Sherwood Park for the UCP, and he’s the closest the party has to an Edmonton MLA.
He said though his riding is his priority, he will keep his hometown of Edmonton in mind when legislating.
“Edmonton is where I was born and I spend a ton of my life there and I am here to work with some of my colleagues outside the UCP to ensure that Edmonton still has a voice within the government,” Glubish said.
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