With deep divisions and discord all too common in federal and provincial politics these days, any move towards bringing party politics into municipal elections in Alberta should only be considered after widespread public consultation.
While the current system of non-partisan politics at the local level is not without its challenges, turning it into a party-driven arrangement would likely create challenges and concerns of its own.
At their recent annual convention in Edmonton, members of the Alberta Municipalities Association passed a resolution calling for the maintenance of non-partisan municipal elections in the province.
Specifically, the resolution calls on the provincial government to amend the Local Authorities Elections Act to prohibit partisanship infiltrating local elections or politics in any way, including political party endorsement of local candidates, donations directly or indirectly to local candidates, or by way of any other influence.
“Partisanship in local politics would be a disappointment,” the resolution states. “No longer could our local elected officials vote on what they believe is best for the community, but instead, they would be beholden to vote based on the ideology of the political party they represent.
“For our municipalities to remain efficient, effective and accountable, it is critical that we leave no room for partisan politics. This is critical in local government and plays a big part in why local government is the most accountable and efficient form of government.”
In passing the resolution, the association has not only made its position on partisan politics clear for everyone to see, it has also placed the issue squarely in the provincial government’s court.
Whether the government will act on the association’s request to keep partisan politics out of municipal politics by enacting changes to the Local Authorities Elections Act remains an open question.
What is known is that should the Danielle Smith UCP government move to introduce party politics into the municipal government system during its current term, it would likely face strong and province-wide opposition to any such move.
- Dan Singleton is an editor with the Albertan
