Federal, provincial parties on municipal ballots?

Dave Lueneberg,
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Although they could be perceived as a trial balloon by Alberta’s UCP government, Premier Danielle Smith’s recent comments in support of party involvement in municipal politics will be discussed at a town council meeting March 25 in Pincher Creek, Alberta.

At its March 11 session, Coun. David Green said council should have a unified voice on any potential proposal that may come forward and recommended adding the topic to the next agenda.

Council has reserved comment until then.

Alberta Municipalities, an association that represents close to 350 cities, towns and villages, including the Town of Pincher Creek, has repeatedly opposed the idea.

“I think it might change the dynamics of how people run, period,” president Tyler Gandam stated March 15 when the subject was again broached during the group’s spring municipal leaders caucus in Edmonton.

Gandam said he strongly believes there’s no place for party politics on the local level.

“Which colour pyjamas I wear at night for a political party I might align with, I don’t feel is relevant to why we’re spending more money on infrastructure, or the parks, or the roads and sidewalks that we’re going to repair or replace,” he said in an interview with Global News.

Alberta Municipalities has completed two separate surveys, one independent, asking its membership for their opinion. In both cases, the answer was a resounding no, with 70 and 94 per cent opposed.

In a speech to the Alberta Municipalities caucus, Premier Smith said the idea is “still under debate, it’s under consultation. We’re still going through the process on that.”

“May not apply to everyone,” she said. “May just be a pilot project. May just be targeted to the larger cities.”

Current rules don’t allow for party representation for candidates running for mayor or councillor in Alberta.

“It may be that dynamic has not developed in most of the municipalities, but it is clearly developing in Calgary and Edmonton, and we just think there does need to be some transparency and governance around that,” the premier said.

In December, worried over the ramifications, Alberta Municipalities passed a resolution that, in part, asked that the Local Authorities Election and Municipal Government Act be amended “to prohibit partisanship infiltrating local elections or politics in any way including political party endorsements of local candidates.”

However, If the province does move ahead with a plan, Alberta Municipalities president Gandam and his members hope local government will be consulted and involved in the process.

Dave Lueneberg,
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Shootin’ the Breeze