NDP injects sanity into Olympic boosterism
Upcoming plebiscite would never have been called without Notley regime
A possible 2026 Calgary Winter Olympic bid is either a sporting dream come true or a fiscal nightmare, depending who you ask. But for Alberta’s NDP government, it has been an ongoing source of considerable political angst.
Calgary is clearly going to be a key battleground in the next provincial election, and the NDP don’t want to go down in history as the ones who stood in the way of Calgary’s Olympic dreams. However, if Calgarians see the Games as a waste of time and money and a distraction from other priorities, the NDP don’t want to be attached to that political dud.
Moreover, the NDP are acutely aware of the importance of coming across as prudent when it comes to the public purse. The accumulating provincial debt and wobbly credit ratings clearly tell another story, but there are political pitfalls in throwing money we don’t have on an expensive party we don’t need.
So in their awkward attempt to navigate this political minefield, the NDP have inadvertently brought some much-needed sanity to Calgary’s Olympic madness. However this ends up playing out in the end, the NDP has made some important contributions.
The fact that Calgarians are having a direct say on the Olympic bid at all is due to the province’s intervention. While a few city councillors had pushed for a plebiscite, the majority on council wanted nothing to do with the idea. It was only when the province made its contribution contingent on a plebiscite that it became unavoidable for council’s otherwise intransigent majority.
That’s not the say that the NDP is a sudden champion of direct democracy. The plebiscite gives it cover and shields it from either scuttling a popular bid or funding a political flop. But the benefits go deeper than that. Because the plebiscite is nonbinding, Calgary city council could theoretically ignore a No vote, but that’s not an option if the provincial funding vanishes. The vote will be respected.
The actual details released late last week of the provincial contribution may prove to be the ultimate curveball. In fact, it may be what scuttles the Olympic bid altogether. It may well be that this idea deserves to be scuttled. But if that’s the outcome, it would be unfair to blame the NDP.
Provincial Finance Minister Joe Ceci announced on Friday that the Alberta government would be prepared to contribute $700 million to a potential Calgary Olympic bid. It’s a large amount of money, but it is $300 million less than bid proponents were expecting and it’s unclear where that money is going to come from.
It could mean that the bid has to be dramatically scaled back. Or, it could mean that the International Olympic Committee — no doubt reeling after the apparent demise last week of Stockholm’s bid — would step up with some additional funds for the host city. If we’re going to be stuck with this bid, either of those scenarios would be helpful.
The province has also advanced the cause of transparency and accountability. Two months ago, city council decided that the bid corporation would remain exempt from Alberta’s transparency and freedom of information laws. But this provincial money is contingent on Calgary 2026 being subject to those very laws. That is a welcome development indeed.
There is also a cold, hard dose of reality for Calgarians. In the all-too-plausible event of cost overruns and revenue shortfalls, Calgary could be left holding the bag. The Alberta government has made it clear that this offer is firm and final and they won’t be there to bail Calgary out. Voters need to keep that in mind. How much risk are we prepared to bear?
I have no doubt that the NDP would have much rather the idea of hosting the 2026 Winter Olympics never came about in the first place. Many would surely agree. But their clumsy apprehension has brought a welcome and needed counterbalance to Calgary’s fanciful Olympic boosterism.
“Afternoons with Rob Breakenridge” airs weekdays 12:30-3:30 p.m. on 770 CHQR rob.breakenridge@corusent.com Twitter: @RobBreakenridge