Municipal politicians baffled by UCP resolution they should register as lobbyists

United Conservative Party members want all municipal politicians and employees to register as lobbyists if they have any dealings with provincial officials.

Members passed a resolution at the party's annual convention this past weekend that says civic employees, councillors and mayors should be subject to the Lobbyists Act if they have contact with the government or provincial civil servants.

"It should require [municipalities]to be held to the highest standards of accountability and transparency in all areas of their activities/operations and exercise of their judgment and authority" reads the rationale behind the resolution passed byUCPmembers.

The resolution says municipalities not only regulate many aspects of citizens' lives, but also set costs and rates Albertans must pay.

Municipal representatives are among several currentlyexempt from the lobbyist registry when communicating with the province. Federal and Indigenous politicians and bureaucrats and those with Crown corporations are also exempt.

Lobbyists are required to indicate who is doing the lobbying, what ministries they are contacting and what topics they are communicating about. Civic employees can sometimes end up in contact with provincial counterparts daily, across multiple ministries.

The UCP resolution baffled some civic politicians.

"What is the problem they're trying to solve?" said Okotoks Mayor Tanya Thorn in an interview on Sunday.

Red tape would be a problem, she said, particularly for smaller municipalities. They'd have to anticipate and register anyone who is likely to have contact with a provincial representative.

Andrew Knack, anEdmonton city councillor, said such requirements could guzzle civil servants' time when they should be responding to citizens' needs.

He said there'sa distinction between councillors advocating forcitizens' needs and corporations seeking access to politicians to score government contracts.

"There's no profit that we make on any funding that is received by the provincial government," he said.

Incoming minister will consult with municipalities

The governmentisn't obligated to act upon all party policies or resolutions adopted by members.

Rebecca Schulz, who will be sworn in as Alberta's municipal affairs minister on Monday, tweeted on Sunday that she will consult with municipal leaders about the lobbying resolution.

She didn't say if the government has an appetite to amend the Lobbyists Act.

A government spokesperson said Sunday that Schulz was unavailable for an interview.

Should such legislation take effect, the civic politicians who spoke with CBC said it blurs the lines about informal conversations that frequently take place between councillors and MLAs, as well as civil servants at both levels.

Thorn questioned whether she could approach an MLA at a networkingevent, like the CalgaryStampede, to chat about local concerns if she hadn't registered as a lobbyist.

Thorn said she worries it would prevent provincial politicians from attending public events to avoid potential conflicts of interest.

Calgary city councillor Kourtney Penner said that if every interaction becomes a scheduled meeting, it could be a huge drain on everyone's time.

"We have each other's phone numbers," she said. "Now I can't text? I can't call? What are the rules?"

There are further implications for municipalities simply trying to get work done efficiently, like building an LRT project or inking a deal on supportive housing,Knack said.

Thorn said citizens expect different levels of government to work together to achieve common goals.

Penner is disappointed no provincial leaders chimed into the policy debate at the UCP's meeting to explain to members why the proposal is problematic.

"It leaves me with a lot of questions about, how do we respond to crisis, or urgent or emergent issues?" she said. "It seems short-sighted and shallow."