SPECIAL: YES MINISTER!

Welcome to a special episode of the Cross Border Interviews. My name is Chris Brown and I’ll be your host for this exciting episode.

Today we are diving into the critical relationship between the Minister of Municipal Affairs and municipalities in Alberta.

As we all know, municipalities are the backbone of our communities, providing essential services, infrastructure, and programs to residents.

The Ministry of Municipal Affairs plays a crucial role in supporting and partnering with municipalities to ensure that they can provide the best possible services and programs to their residents.

In our conversations with Mayors, Councillors, and Reeves from across Alberta one issue has been spoken about time and time again – municipalities are being felt unheard.

Since January 1st, 2000 Alberta has had 8 Premiers, and 16 Ministers of Municipal Affairs, the highest number of ministers in that time frame.

In comparison, there have been 14 ministers of Finance, 13 ministers of Energy, 15 Ministers of Infrastructure, and 11 ministers of Health.

In the last 8 years, there have been 8 Ministers of Municipal Affairs.

It begs the question, how do municipalities work with the province when the Minister in charge of Municipal Affairs is always changing?

The last Minister of Municipal Affairs to survive a full term without being shuffled was the Hon. Guy Boutilier who served as Minister of Municipal Affairs for the entirety of the 25th Alberta Legislature from 2001 to 2004.

So with a coming election and a potential change in Minister, we have asked three people who have held the position to come talk with us about the role and the partnership between the province and municipalities.

In today's special episode, we have the privilege of speaking the Hon. Doug Griffiths, the Hon. Shaye Anderson, and the Hon. Guy Boutilier

The Hon. Doug Griffiths was first elected to the Alberta Legislative Assembly in 2001 as the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Battle River-Wainwright.

In 2011, Griffiths was appointed as the Minister of Municipal Affairs, a position he held until 2013. As Minister, he oversaw the development of the Municipal Government Act, which aimed to modernize Alberta's municipal government system and strengthen the relationship between municipalities and the provincial government.

Since retiring from politics, Griffiths became a public speaker and consultant, focusing on rural economic development and community building. He authored "13 Ways to Kill Your Community"

The Hon. Shaye Anderson was elected to the Alberta Legislative Assembly in 2015 as the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Leduc-Beaumont.

Anderson served as the Minister of Municipal Affairs from 2017 to 2019, overseeing a range of important initiatives related to municipal governance, disaster management, and community building. During his time in office, he worked closely with municipalities across Alberta to address issues related to affordable housing, transportation, and economic development.

and The Hon. Guy Boutilier served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1997 to 2012.

Boutilier was first elected to the Alberta Legislative Assembly in 1997 as the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Fort McMurray.

During his time in office, he held various positions, including Minister of Municipal Affairs, Minister of International and Intergovernmental Relations, and Minister of Alberta Environment.

Boutilier was known for his strong advocacy on behalf of the people of Fort McMurray and the surrounding region. He worked tirelessly to promote economic development and job creation in the area, particularly in the oil and gas industry.

In todays episode we will discuss insights into the Ministry's role in supporting municipalities across Alberta.

We will examine how municipalities can work with a new incoming Minister, and what some of the best practices are when dealing with the province, but also how some smaller communities can be heard when larger cities can be seen to get the majority of the limelight.

In short, today's episode will provide us with valuable insights into the critical issue of the relationship between the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and municipalities. So, stay tuned, and let's get started.

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