It’s generally understood politicians shouldn’t set their own pay.

It would be a conflict of interest if they did.

From local municipal councils to Parliament, elected officials have chosen to follow publicly available pay scales, with raises governed by such external factors as the rate of change in private sector remuneration.

It’s not a perfect system, but at least we have some confidence politicians aren’t arbitrarily writing their own paycheques and unfairly raiding the public purse in the process.

Equally sensitive is the topic of electoral boundaries.

Your weekday lunchtime roundup of curated links, news highlights, analysis and features.

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The drawing and redrawing of electoral maps is meant to ensure people receive fair representation in Parliament, provincial legislatures and local councils.

Boundaries don’t only consider population, but also attempt to group people together based on geography and matters of local interest. Until recently, electoral boundaries that mixed urban and rural jurisdictions were also discouraged — but no longer.

The Government of Alberta recently raised a........

© Calgary Herald