"I think it's abhorrent, I think it's sickening, I think it's irresponsible. I can't give you enough adjectives."
That's former mayor Stephen Mandel sharing his thoughts on partisanship and provincial politics potentially drifting into the upcoming municipal election.
Mandel has experience in both orders of government. In addition to serving as Edmonton's mayor for three terms from 2004 to 2013, Mandel served as an Alberta MLA and cabinet minister from 2014 to 2015 and as leader of the Alberta Party from 2018 to 2019.
"What makes municipal government great is that we work together. There's no alignment on party lines, there's only alignment on getting things done," Mandel said.
The upcoming municipal election was just one of the topics Mandel spoke about in Episode 129 of Speaking Municipally. He also discussed his involvement in finding a new use for the Edmonton Coliseum, his take on the progress of the Blatchford development, and lessons learned from his run as leader of the Alberta Party.
Photo: Stephen Mandel in 2011 at the grand opening of the EPCOR Tower. (Mack Male/Flickr)