Edmonton’s mayor blasts Wildrose leader
Smith calls for airport plebiscite
By Archie McLean, edmonton journal
"Most Edmontonians, and myself included, take offence when Calgarians tell us how we should run our city," Mandel said.
The mayor was livid that Smith held a press conference at the City Centre Airport on Friday morning, demanding the city have further debate on whether to keep the airport running.
Edmontonians should hold a plebiscite on the matter, Smith said.
"We do not believe that the case has been made for closure of the airport," Smith said. "And that's why we need to have the full debate. If there is good reason for the airport to be closed ... then I have no doubt they'll be able to make that case in a full and open referendum debate."
Smith, who has owned a condo in Edmonton since 2006 and pays municipal taxes, later signed a petition for non-Edmontonians supporting a plebiscite.
But Mandel called Smith ill-informed and said she lacked the "common courtesy" to contact his office to discuss the issue.
Mandel said city council voted 10-3 last July to redevelop the land, and Smith's position shows her lack of understanding of the Municipal Government Act.
"This is a municipal issue and she shouldn't be interfering in it," Mandel said. "If they don't like a municipal issue, are they now going to butt into it? Maybe that's their policy."
But airport proponents argue the airport's future is of provincial concern because it serves Alberta's north and because provincial departments will have to deal with the potential closure.
"The airport is governed under provincial legislation," Smith said. "If the 56-year leases are cancelled, there's going to have to be litigation that the province has to deal with. There are remediation issues that will involve Alberta Environment, there are also health issues that involve medevac and the treatment of patients."
"I don't think that you stay silent on issues of important public concern just because you are afraid of shaking up the political establishment," Smith said.
Charles Allard, chairman of a pro-airport group called Envision Edmonton, said the airport matters to people across the province and northern Canada.
"It's beyond me why our provincial MLAs have not spoken up on this issue to far," Allard said.
Earlier in the week, Calgarybased Enbridge Inc. sent a note to employees asking them to sign the petition.
In July 2009, city council voted to close the airport in stages over the next five to 10 years.
Envision Edmonton has recently resurrected the issue and is currently collecting signatures on a petition to get the plebiscite on the municipal ballot in the fall.
The group said it is just over halfway toward collecting the required 78,000 signatures by the Aug. 24 deadline.
Smith is not the first provincial politician to enter the airport debate. Others, including NDP Leader Brian Mason, Liberal Hugh MacDonald and Conservative Doug Elniski have also signed the petition.
Mandel said he has no problem with local MLAs speaking their minds, but said it's different when a Calgarian and her entire party take such a strong stand.
So far, the provincial government has remained on the sidelines. A spokesman for Premier Ed Stelmach said it's not their role to dictate policy to the city and its people.
"It's a City of Edmonton matter that will be resolved by duly elected officials from the city, and residents as well," Cam Hantiuk said.
City Centre Airport is set to begin closing one of the runways today.
