AUMA boycott puts PC arrogance on full display
Edmonton – The PCs are lashing out at Edmonton City Councillor and Alberta Urban Municipalities Association president Linda Sloan. The crime? Criticizing the budget. The punishment? A boycott of Thursday’s AUMA breakfast by all PC MLAs and Ministers.
“The PCs suffer from a sickness,” says Official Opposition leader Raj Sherman. “The sickness is arrogance, and the fact that an elected municipal official cannot speak without fear of reprisal shows that this is a very acute case.”
A letter was sent by Minister of Municipal Affairs Doug Griffiths to the AUMA president. In it, he reacted immediately to Ms Sloan’s criticism of the budget and announced the boycott.
“This is absolutely unacceptable behaviour for a government minister,” adds Sherman. “When you have a disagreement with someone, the mature thing to do is to sit down and talk things through. This kind of arrogance and bullying behaviour has no place in Alberta politics.”
According to Minister Griffiths’ letter, Ms Sloan’s criticism of the budget revolves around her assertions that there was no consultation with municipalities and no opportunity for input.
“The PCs forgot a long time ago that elected officials are servants – not masters. The PCs love to talk about listening, but they have no fondness for the actual act of listening. It’s their way or the highway, every day. It’s time for it to stop.”
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Jeff Melland, Director of Communications
(780) 862-5661
Earl J. Woods, Senior Communications Advisor
(780) 904-5430