Carter calls for apology from council (File image by Colton McKee)

By Brian Konrad

Former Alberta speaker says Medicine Hat council ‘an embarrassment to the whole province’

Mar 25, 2024 | 1:08 PM

A man who once had to keep order in a fractious Alberta legislature hailed council’s sanctions on Medicine Hat Mayor Linnsie Clark as an embarrassment to the province.

David Carter is a former speaker of the Alberta Legislature, and continues to follow British parliamentary tradition and practice.

Carter said the actions of city council in this matter are appalling and the council has shown themselves to be an embarrassment to the whole province.

He said council has forgotten the dual role played by a mayor in Alberta, where the position is both a speaker, and thereby impartial in debate, and, as a political representative responsible for the whole council.

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“Those who voted for this draconian, this excessive measure, should have someone there make a motion and apologize, apologize to the Mayor but more importantly apologize to Medicine Hat,” Carter said.

“It’s just a total disaster and I realize I’m not going to win any friends with this interview but I’m speaking from my heart as one who’s dedicated his life to defending parliamentary democracy and all of Canada,” Carter added.

The former speaker recalls the shock experienced by Premier Ralph Klein and Opposition Leader Lawrence Decore to realize the difference between being speaker and politician during their time in the Alberta Legislature.

Both Klein and Decore served as mayors of Calgary and Edmonton respectively before entering provincial politics.

Carter said city manager Ann Mitchell was wrong to start to engage in debate during a council meeting, and her references to Roberts Rules of Order are not appropriate.

He says said that booklet is “often misinterpreted and is really more for community meetings like a ladies social club or a curling rink.”

“Those rules do not totally apply to a legislative body such as city council.”