NDP Leadership Contestant Q&A

Questions: Do you believe there is a fiscal imbalance between municipalities and the provincial government, and if so, how do you plan to rectify it? What tax reforms do you favour? Are there additional fiscal and legislative measures you’d implement to create a lasting, long-term solution to municipal funding?

What are your views on increasing the LGFF? What actions would you take to reverse the nine-year trend of downloading and passing the cost of public service onto municipal governments?

What steps will you take to resolve inter-municipal and regional conflict
and how will you encourage and support collaboration?

Kathleen Ganley: I support a fiscal review of the province’s needs and sources of funding. We cannot continue to cut healthcare and education and take out who those have the least every time oil prices drop. I also believe the provincial government should invest in our people — not just in healthcare and education but in local economic development, regional transit, housing and local infrastructure that supports communities. I would be open to working with municipalities and everyday Albertans to review what revenue powers municipalities currently have.

Naheed Nenshi: As a three-term Mayor of Calgary, I am deeply aware of the fiscal challenges that all of Alberta’s municipalities are facing. I am incredibly familiar with the fiscal imbalance, which, for Calgary, was nearly the entire size of the municipal operating budget.

If I become Premier, my job will be to represent all Albertans. We need an infrastructure funding framework that works for each community’s unique needs. The current funding structure under the Local Government Fiscal Framework (LGFF) is not delivering what our municipalities need to address maintenance, renewal and growth, and it fails to properly measure relevant infrastructure costs. The LGFF’s base funding level is set far too low -- particularly in times of extraordinary population growth. We know forcing municipal governments to be dependent on inconsistent provincial transfers is not the best approach to funding important municipal infrastructure on which citizens rely. As Mayor of Calgary, I saw the challenges that municipalities face when other orders of government do not provide necessary infrastructure funding while also making it challenging for municipalities to raise the funds themselves. We have cases where municipalities are losing out from accessing grant funding and revenue sources by provincial government action and inaction. I will reverse Danielle Smith’s disastrous policies that are driving away billions in investment in renewable energy, and I will open up opportunities for municipalities to collect property tax revenues from productive renewable energy investments. Furthermore, I will help small municipalities recover unpaid taxes from resource companies who have not met their obligations.

Should I be elected Premier, I will review policies with an eye to empowering municipalities to raise funding for needed projects as well as revisit the funding formula for the LGFF so that it is calculated in a way that its base funding meets municipalities’ infrastructure needs. As Premier, I will be committed to working with municipalities to reform the property tax system to achieve healthy, long-term fiscal outlooks and appropriate infrastructure funding for all municipalities. An appropriate level of funding for the LGFF would be one of the outcomes of a broader discussion about the tax and transfer system. This approach addresses concerns around downloading as well. Services with spillover effects for all Albertans should not be downloaded onto municipalities. Additionally, services to address social issues that are the responsibility of all Albertans -- such as homelessness -- should be supported with robust provincial funding.

Addressing poorly thought out funding formulas and ensuring adequate funding for areas of provincial responsibility will go a long way to resolving inter-municipal and regional conflict. Policy approaches that invest in Alberta and support ongoing province-wide economic growth will make all municipalities better off and reduce the incentive for conflict. This will also support and encourage regional cooperative efforts with grants and programing. Furthermore, by aligning funding so that municipalities pay for services that benefit their own residents and receive adequate funding for services and infrastructure with spillover effects, concerns about cross-subsidization and unfair funding formulas can be substantially addressed.

Questions: Do you support the inclusion and appropriate funding of harm reduction services, including supervised consumption sites and supportive housing, in the provincial mental health and addictions strategy?

How will you ensure that all Albertans in communities throughout Alberta have equitable access to the supports and services they require to support mental wellness?

Kathleen Ganley: Everyday people die in this province because of UCP inaction on this issue. Albertans are losing our children, siblings, parents, partners and friends. We know the UCP’s abstinence-only model is not working. In Calgary, we do currently have supervised consumption — it’s the middle car of the C-Train. That isn’t fair to citizens or transit workers and it is the choice the UCP made in refusing to acknowledge reality. We absolutely must invest in our people and our public safety, which means housing and a real mental health and addictions strategy.

Naheed Nenshi: I have been crystal clear that harm reduction strategies save lives, and I will continue to support them as a tool to protect Alberta communities from the opioid epidemic. Despite Premier Smith’s statements to the contrary, her government’s own report acknowledges the importance of harm reduction strategies. You cannot treat people who are dead.

Danielle Smith’s approach has another deficiency: it silos addictions treatment outside of the broader treatment system when we know that substance use disorders are frequently comorbid with other medical issues. Increasing treatment beds is a step in the right direction, and the abstinence-based approach works for many people. Alberta needs a system that works for everyone.

As Mayor of Calgary I championed development of Canada’s first community-based action plan on Mental Health and Addiction Strategy, and I am very proud of the result: a Community of Connections.1 Using The City’s role as convener, we brought our community together to create a plan that has three parts: Being Well (at home, at school, in the workplace and in the community), Getting Help (where, when and how you need it) and Staying Safe (both for those experiencing mental illness and addiction and those encountering them). I am particularly pleased with the new Mental Health First Responders system, which has saved many lives at a remarkably low cost.

Equitable access to these services for all members of our community is essential. This includes appropriate programs for Indigenous Albertans who are affected by the opioid epidemic. Technology is an important component of this -- as is increasing local capacity and service delivery. If I’m elected Premier, I will ensure that Alberta’s mental health and addictions strategy is designed to meet everyone’s needs and is adequately funded so that all of us can access mental health and addictions treatment when and where we need it.

Question: What specific policies or strategies do you propose to enhance public safety in our community, and how do you plan to collaborate with law enforcement, community organizations, and other stakeholders to implement these measures effectively?

Kathleen Ganley: Five years ago, the UCP cut provincial funding to affordable housing — we see the results in our communities on our streets every day. I would address public safety in three ways:
a. Investment in affordable housing - this is the most cost-effective way to reduce social disorder.
b. Intelligence-based targeted policing - in government, I invested in a specific rural crime strategy based on intelligence-led policing — it was effective in reducing property crime and could be used again.
c. Police & social worker pairings - Investing in both officers and mental health or community workers means that
people can be paired with services they need to reduce social disorder and reoffending.

Naheed Nenshi: Alberta, like many jurisdictions, experienced an increase in crime during the COVID pandemic. Since then, crime rates have declined overall, but have not returned to pre-pandemic levels in all cases, and we have localized issues with crime across the province.

Albertans need an RCMP and local police services that are focused on the work. That requires these services be properly resourced and receive timely input and advice from the communities they serve -- not starved of funds and distracted by uncertainty and chaos of replicating a new police service.

One of the first things I will do if elected Premier is cancel Danielle Smith’s and the UCP’s expensive experiment with a provincial police service and properly fund the RCMP and our existing Indigenous and municipal police services. There is also room for innovation in the delivery of policing services -- something we proved in Calgary. This includes diversion of calls (including mental health first responders), leveraging technology, and a deep focus on community-based policing.

Question: Do you support the formal introduction of partisan political parties at the municipal level?

Kathleen Ganley: No. 

Regional collaboration is critical for economic and community development. When in government, we created a model to allow for regional collaboration — we did this in consultation with municipalities. I think empowering local collaboration and working with local leaders on the appropriate model is the right approach and I would use it going forward.
 

Naheed Nenshi: No.

I have heard from municipal leaders across Alberta that they do not see a need for political parties and want to keep municipal politics non-partisan. The provincial government has an important role in municipal governance to ensure that cities have the tools and funding they need to operate effectively. What they do not need is partisan politics in local government.

One of the first things I will do if elected Premier is repeal Bill 18 and 20, keep council politics nonpartisan, and ensure that any changes to Alberta municipal elections are made in consultation with all municipalities. I’ve been a champion of campaign finance reform at the municipal level, and, if I become Premier, I will ensure that rules are fair, non-discriminatory, and designed to ensure that elections are decided by the people -- not by the deepest pockets.

Question: What are your plans to deal with the current housing shortage in Alberta, both with
respect to market and non-market housing?

Kathleen Ganley: Housing is central to public safety and our communities. Currently, Alberta has about 2.9 per cent social housing and then Canadian average is 3.5 per cent, but the target for OECD countries is seven per cent — it’s clear we must invest. We also need to look at ways to enable more co-op housing and mixed-market models to address varying housing needs. While development and zoning are municipal areas, I do think we need to look at density differently and address the missing middle problem.

Naheed Nenshi: Our housing crisis in Alberta is years in the making, and there will be no quick or easy solutions. I am committed to protecting and expanding housing affordability as one of Alberta’s key advantages. This will be done by leveraging market and non-market solutions to build the right homes, at the right price and in the right places. It will also include protecting renters.

Market Supply Solutions:
● Relax Zoning Rules: Calgary, Edmonton and many other Albertan municipalities have taken critical steps to improve the long-term housing supply by implementing more permissive zoning bylaws that will enable the construction of more missing middle of housing. We need to work with municipalities to ensure they have all the legislative tools they need to build more housing: both market and affordable.
● Improve the Building Code: The provincial building code needs to be reviewed in cooperation with municipalities to make sure that it is not imposing unnecessary delays or constraints on the construction of new houses. Specifically: opening more options for the safe construction of wood frame structures, which are less expensive to build, could reduce the cost of building new homes.
● Municipal Infrastructure Funding forAffordable Housing: Through the review of the LGFF funding and the education property tax, I will ensure that municipalities have the funding and revenue tools needed to support housing supply growth.
● Labour Mobility: Increasing labour mobility within Canada and our access to skilled trades is good for everyone. I will initiate a review of the rules around mobility for tradespersons in the construction industry to ensure Alberta has access to the workforce needed to build new homes quickly.
● Training and Apprenticeships: Skilled labour to build more homes is one of the biggest bottlenecks right now. Restoring funding to post-secondary education, including trades and apprenticeships, would help ensure that
Albertans have the skills to build the houses we need.
 

Demand Solutions:
● Federal Responsibilities: Demand factors such as interest rates and federal mortgage subsidies are federal responsibilities. Nonetheless, I will work with other Premiers and the federal government to ensure that housing affordability is taken into account by the federal government when considering these issues. And I won’t give the back of my hand -- or a closed fist -- to a federal government that wants to fund more housing. Instead, I would be focused on making deals that will help us all.

Non-Market Solutions:
● Non-Market Housing: Many Albertans are not in a position to pay market rate rents. To support Albertans in need, I will explore options to increase the supply of provincially funded housing through non-profit housing providers, including making provincial land available, and support for housing co-operatives.
● Rental Subsidies: We need to continue to provide and expand rent subsidies to those Albertans in need.
● Proactive Maintenance: We need to ensure that provincial housing assets are properly maintained so that they provide a source of quality housing to Albertans in need and that we do not lose units to neglect.
● Landlord Tenant Board: Bad actors in the rental market, whether they are tenants or landlords, reduce trust and make it harder for Albertans to supply or find housing to rent. When the board is slow to resolve cases, bad actors are able to skate by for longer. By increasing the number of board members able to hear cases and providing resources to enhance case efficiency, we can ensure that landlords and tenants have access to speedy and fair conflict resolution.
● Rent Caps: I believe temporary rent increase caps can be helpful when there is too much froth in the rental market and rents are increasing faster than their economic justification. If this is done in conjunction with a significant investment in increasing housing supply, rent increase caps can be part of a broader toolbox.

Addressing The Needs of Specific Groups:
● Seniors: Removing restrictive zoning and building code rules will expand appropriate housing options for seniors who want to downsize. Seniors on fixed incomes can be supported through rent geared to income housing and, as market supply increases, demand subsidies. Government support for new housing cooperatives can also expand options for some seniors looking at 55+ housing cooperatives.
● Indigenous Persons: While on-reserve housing is the responsibility of Indigenous communities and the federal government, Alberta has an important role to play in providing affordable and accessible housing for everyone across Alberta. By increasing the supply of market housing and reducing the cost of housing across the province, access to housing for Indigenous groups will improve. In a better-supplied market with normal rental vacancy rates, we will be better able to identify housing discrimination and address it. I also believe that the overrepresentation of Indigenous peoples experiencing homelessness in our urban centers is best tackled through a housing-first approach emphasizing increased investment in non-market housing and permanent supportive housing.

Question: How would you work with municipalities to develop a provincial transportation strategy to support public transit within and between municipalities?

Kathleen Ganley:  I have committed to provincial investment to create a provincial transit system and restore rural busing in communities where it no longer exists. I think strong municipal and regional transportation is critical — public transit is public infrastructure.

Naheed Nenshi: The Government of Alberta needs to thoughtfully invest in a long-term transportation strategy that addresses our province's road, rail, air, marine and energy infrastructure needs. This will ensure our sustainable economic development and the effective movement of our goods, services, energy and people throughout Alberta and to Canada and the world.

As Mayor of Calgary I introduced the development of Route Ahead (a 30-year Calgary Transit capital plan) and worked with all orders of government to ensure the plan’s identified projects -- including Bus Rapid Transit (BRTs) and Light Rail Transit (LRTs) -- were partnered on, funded and built. I worked on building the Airport Tunnel and the two associated interchanges connecting the Calgary International Airport into Calgary and Alberta’s wider transportation network. I also ensured they were completed and integrated into long-term transportation plans so we can extend the LRT to Calgary’s airport. I also worked to ensure we had effective transit service to Calgary International Airport and between Calgary and neighbouring communities like Chestermere.

If elected Premier, I will ensure that Alberta plans thoughtfully and invests in intra-city transit and passenger rail with an eye on a wider transportation and economic development strategy. Too often, politicians at all three orders of government quarrel over project form and funding formulas and end up commissioning more studies instead of building needed infrastructure. We need to plan and implement together for our long-term growth and prosperity. Ultimately, the Province needs to trust and respect local decision makers in their choices about form and design instead of holding up projects because they think they somehow know better.

My commitment to all municipalities is this: I will work with all orders of government to deliver needed transportation and transit infrastructure investments that will connect Alberta’s communities and grow our economy.

Question: What specific actions would you take to enhance the relationship between the province and municipalities?

Kathleen Ganley: As stated previously, I am committed to a full review of our province’s finances and revenue sources. I would work on this review in consultation with Alberta Municipalities and many other impacted groups.
 

I believe in working with all levels of government to ensure the interests of the people we serve are being met. Right now, people I hear from are most concerned about rising costs, stagnant wages and a lack of healthcare. I think it is the responsibility of government to work together at all levels on this issues and so many others and that’s what I intend to do.

Naheed Nenshi: Danielle Smith has been too focused on picking fights with other orders of government rather than working constructively with municipalities for Albertans. Working together and serving Albertans should always be our focus. True partners in a relationship must respect and value one-another and always commit to taking the time to listen and have dialogue. I know what different orders of government, and associations like Alberta Municipalities, can achieve when we work together. The City Charters, the commitment to replace MSI with the LGFF, getting critical infrastructure and services improvements for our citizens -- we did it together.

If elected Premier in 2027, I will start by repealing Bill 18, Bill 20 and parts of Bill 21 and then move forward and work in partnership with municipalities to solve long-standing problems. No bill that affects municipalities should be introduced into the legislature without meaningful consultations with municipalities first. I would begin negotiations to change the LGFF terms to increase the program’s base funding to address the $30 billion infrastructure gap for Albertans. I would begin discussions to consider amendments to the Municipal Government Act that allow Alberta’s municipalities to pursue innovative funding solutions for local projects. Alberta needs an economic development strategy, and municipalities and their Regional Economic Development Specialists (REDS) need to be integrated into the strategy as partners -- working together with the province to support local growth and action local opportunities.

Emergency response is a team effort; I know this all too well from experience. Local knowledge and authority must be respected, trusted, well-resourced and managed in partnership by AEMA and the Alberta Government -- not overruled and dismissed. I will have the Minister of Municipal Affairs meet regularly with the Boards of Alberta Municipalities and Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) to hear concerns and work on issues. Maintaining that open channel of communication and using dialogue as an irritative process to develop and implement solutions. If elected Alberta NDP Leader and then Premier, municipalities will be valued partners of the Government of Alberta, working together to serve Albertans.