So, Premier Heather Stefanson is “exceedingly concerned for Manitoba when it comes to the federal government imposing things in areas of provincial jurisdiction.”
She “hasn’t ruled out borrowing a page from the new Alberta premier to protect Manitoba’s jurisdiction and interests from interference by the federal government.” (Brandon Sun, Oct. 13)
However, she had no such concern when the Pallister government passed Bill 19 that permits the provincial government to impose things in areas of municipal jurisdiction.
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That bill stripped away the protection of democratically elected municipal councils’ jurisdiction over land use decisions, notably conditional use permits involving intensive livestock operations (ILOs).
Now, when a municipal council rejects an ILO application, or imposes conditions the applicant does not like, these decisions are subject to being trashed by an appeal to the provincially appointed, unelected municipal board.
How many ways can you spell hypocrisy?
John Fefchak,
Virden
