Bell: Danielle Smith slams Calgary bag bylaw, calls out city council

Article content material

She’s again!

For Premier Danielle Smith the hen wing mutiny was the final straw.

Article content material

Plastic straw somewhat than mushy paper straw, little question.

Sure, on Thursday, Smith was more than pleased to weigh in on what’s come to be often known as the bag bylaw.

Formally, it’s referred to as the single-use gadgets bylaw.

Edmonton has one. Calgary’s look-alike regulation got here into impact final week.

And boy, individuals are sad.

Article content material

Smith is amongst them.

Right here’s the place the hen wings are available, with lots of scorching sauce.

“I can inform you I’ve heard there was a close to mutiny on wing night time in some eating places as a result of they do need to ask whether or not or not individuals need napkins,” says the premier.

“Some issues are simply so apparent.

“I believe there’s a little bit little bit of ideology getting forward of widespread sense right here.”

Come to think about it, that will be an amazing motto for the 2 Alberta huge metropolis councils.

Ideology getting forward of widespread sense.

Rings true for nearly each single factor they get their political mitts on.

“I believe now we have to have insurance policies that put individuals first. A few of these insurance policies are actually simply placing ideology forward of widespread sense.”

The brand new bylaw fees $1 for a reusable bag, the price heading for $2.

It’s 15 cents for a paper bag, the price heading to 25 cents.

And in terms of meals it’s towards the bylaw to supply any “foodware accent” when the client has not requested one.

We’re speaking single-use spoons, forks, knives, chopsticks, utensils, straws, stir sticks, splash sticks, cocktail sticks, toothpicks, pre-packaged condiments and napkins.

Article content material

Article content material

Was something not noted?

If any of the above isn’t adopted there’s a $250 fantastic.

On at the present time Smith shouldn’t be completed. She takes us a step additional.

When native governments get too huge for his or her britches the province can step in and decrease the increase.

The premier reminds us of that straightforward reality.

“Effectively, I can inform you now we have needed to step in once we suppose that municipalities are going a step too far,” says Smith.

As for the bag bylaw, Smith reveals she’s handed off this scorching potato to her level man coping with native governments.

And who’s that?

That’s Ric McIver, nicknamed Dr. No by yours actually for voting No to reducing cheques on the taxpayer dime until you gave him a great motive for a Sure.

McIver is a former member of Calgary metropolis council the place he was a perennial ache within the butt to huge spenders and people floating their wonky brainwaves.

So until McIver has misplaced a few of his mojo in his years hanging out within the capital he’ll inform us if this bylaw is even one thing cities are legally allowed to do.

Article content material

Smith is against the bylaw. That a lot is crystal clear.

“I can inform you I’m not supportive of the selections in each Calgary and Edmonton however I put it to my minister of municipal affairs to see in the event that they’ve gone exterior the realm of the MGA.”

The MGA is the province’s Municipal Authorities Act, a regulation native governments need to comply with.

If the town shouldn’t be offside, it’s not over but.

Some metropolis council members in Calgary are engaged on a strategy to deep-six or, at a minimal, redo this regulation.

One thought is to scrap the entire thing.

One thought is to scrap something to do with meals service, like at a drive-thru or the eating places Smith tells us about Thursday.

They may additionally get metropolis corridor brass to determine a strategy to get better this new bag cash for the town.

Proper now, the dough from the bag charges go to the companies and that’s one thing taxpayers are questioning, to place it mildly.

We’ll preserve you posted.

Within the meantime, Smith has some recommendation.

Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek and her think-alike majority on metropolis council will nearly definitely not prefer it and that can be simply too dangerous.

Right here’s the premier.

“Name your councillor and name your mayor and inform them what you suppose.”

We’re dialing.

Smith provides if there’s a “rubbish administration downside” then determine the best way to handle the rubbish with “higher waste assortment and incineration.”

Then there’s yet one more reminder of how huge metropolis governments are a type of Bermuda Triangle the place rational thought too typically mysteriously disappears.

“I can inform you it’s not taking place in each municipality. It simply appears it’s taking place in Calgary and Edmonton,” says Smith, of the bylaw.

rbell@postmedia.com

Article content material