It’s not often we see governments admit mistakes and change course, and we should certainly welcome it when it happens. However, that should not shield government from criticism over the original mistake, especially if their new-found flexibility is more strategic than heartfelt.

In the case of Alberta’s new Bill 20, (which, oddly enough, wasn’t the only government reversal last week) the sudden willingness to compromise and make nice only raises more questions as to why this legislation exists in the first place.

The bill, as it was initially presented, would overhaul both the Municipal Government Act and the Local Authorities Election Act. Most notable among the many changes would be an expansion of the province’s power to remove elected municipal officials and to rescind local bylaws.

Those changes definitely got the attention of municipal governments across the province. While the Alberta government might relish the disapproval of their political foes in the two biggest cities, there was clearly a greater sensitivity to the broader........

© Calgary Herald