Political parties at City Hall will get things done

Teams succeed where individual politics fail, Jeffrey Hansen-Carlson says.

We have been led to believe City Hall is absent partisan politics, offering something more sacred. Think again.

The conversation about parties in municipal politics in Alberta is hijacked by those who feel threatened by it. Their reaction is not based on fact or practical consideration because some may have to find new jobs.

Of course, the mayor and every city councillor don't like the idea. They deflect their concern toward the UCP and provincial overreach conspiracies. What they should be afraid of is everyday Edmontonians — like you and I — getting very organized. They can't say they don't like that, can they?

The real political party discussion underway in Edmonton has nothing to do with the UCP or the NDP. It has everything to do with pragmatic accountability that has been disregarded in Edmonton for too long.

You will not convince me that 13 political “parties” — as exist today — are in any way more productive than a transparent, teambased, organized, accountable, and predictable alternate. We can decide to do this overtly as I advocate for, or we can be flippant and let it be done covertly as seems to be in the best interests of those elected today.

Look down the corridors of City Hall and think long and hard about political affiliation. Now, let's get honest about how we lead and govern this city.

Teams get things done. Individual politics don't. Too much of the political discourse today is lost in reactions to the ebbs and flows of values distant from the core job of an elected municipal governor. Edmontonians lack a mechanism to benefit from real and dependable accountability predicated on getting things done.

Politics on a whim is what city builders face today. A party will provide a vision, a plan, and a team committed to both.

This all boils down to the conversation at the doorstep during a campaign. The status quo encourages a conversation about issues and how one candidate is better or worse than another at representing those issues at City Hall. The system is set up to reinforce the designated complainer.

The dynamic of a party, and the prospect of a consolidated capability to get things done, changes that doorstep conversation fundamentally. From issues and the role of the designated complainer, to ideas, vision, actionable confidence, and leadership.

I don't accept the status quo because factually it's no good. Voter turnout out is pathetic. Maybe the energy and provocative nature of Edmonton's first party will increase voter turnout. That's our shared goal, isn't it?

The best opportunity Edmonton has to bring renewed courage to every aspect of what makes this city great is committing to not remaining stuck in a paradigm of fragmented indifference and petty politicking.

What we deserve is a singular and exciting vision, a clear and concise roadmap, and a genuine demonstration of trust from within the institution. Until the executive leaders in the administration are empowered to do their job by governors that understand theirs, Edmonton will just boop-a-doop around the galaxy. The vision of a party embedded in good governance and smart policy would set free the experts within the administration to do professional work with greater efficiency while simultaneously supporting coherent and innovative governance that's demonstrably absent today.

People are hard-wired to want to be a part of something greater. It's why we join sports teams, share our faiths, or are members of a club. Pretending that this primal aspect of humanity is irrelevant around that big table at City Hall is reckless and naive.

Now is the right time for ambitious Edmontonians to form a political party on our own terms. I, too, have no interest in pandering to the hyper-partisan and frankly embarrassing politics that exists provincially and federally today.

We can all agree Albertans are not afraid of being pioneers. We have a chance to do something very innovative here. And, I think we must.

Let's party. Jeffrey Hansen-Carlson is the co-founder of TAPyeg and acts as its president. TAPyeg is an incorporated society founded with the purpose to become Edmonton's modern municipal political party. He is a past Top 40 Under 40, founder of various industry and non-profit organizations, and president and CEO of Prairie Sky Gondola. He is a working professional currently doing a doctorate on infrastructure development in Africa.