`We need less politicization, not more'
Overwhelming majority opposes party politics at local level: survey
Thousands of Albertans indicated strong opposition to adding political party labels to municipal elections ballots, according to newly-obtained documents, while the organization that represents 265 municipalities across the province is now calling on the government to scrap the idea.
Postmedia obtained the results via a freedom of information request of the open-form answers to the government's online engagement survey on potential changes to the Local Authorities Election Act (LAEA) and Municipal Government Act that ran last year from Nov. 7 to Dec. 6.
It sought responses to the question, “could there be any issues or challenges with listing political parties on the electoral ballot for local elections?”
The results show more than 81 per cent of respondents, or 4,717 replies, responded to that question with some form of “yes,” according to Postmedia's analysis.
Just under 12 per cent of responses were some variant of “no,” indicating support for putting party labels on municipal election ballots.
The remaining seven per cent replies were categorized as neutral. Most of those answers either didn't indicate a preference, failed to answer the question or were indecipherable.
That level of objection exceeds the 70 per cent of respondents who indicated opposition to the idea in the survey's multiple choice section, as first revealed by Postmedia last month.
Both of those results reflect the results of an Abmunis-commissioned survey by respected pollster Janet Brown that found more than two-thirds of respondents were opposed to introducing local political parties.
`POLARIZATION AND DIVISION'
Among the most common concerns for those opposed to putting parties on the ballot included the potential for greater polarization, with some concerned about introducing “American-style” politics to the local level.
“Councillors should be free from the confines of political parties, adding nuance to the debate over civic issues beyond party lines. Adding parties would create more polarization and division, exactly the opposite of what municipal politics needs,” one reply states.
“This would undermine the purpose of municipalities and erode effective governance at the local level. We need less politicization, not more.”
Others feared that partisan councillors would be too focused or beholden to their party, rather than their municipality and its electorate.
“Representatives often have a range of opinions on issues, which is very valuable. Reducing their opinions to a party line would be harmful to good governance,” one reply states.
“We have recently seen how a small group of motivated people can take over a party. Exposing municipal elections to this kind of manipulation will weaken public trust in the electoral process,” states another.
Respondents also pointed out the potential for further strained relations with the provincial government if the “wrong” party has a majority on council.
Others expressed their opinions with the non-partisan status quo.
“Candidates should be judged by their policies and character, not the colour of their sign,” one reads.
“Affiliating political parties will add a layer of red tape and bureaucracy,” reads another.
Respondents in favour of adding party labels most commonly stressed how party labels could simplify voter choices and reflect the reality that many councillors have ties to parties.
“I cannot foresee any issues, the more information the electorate knows about a candidate the better informed a decision each voter can make,” states one such reply.
“It would be more reflective of what is happening informally now,” states another.
Other replies suggested parties would work better in Calgary and Edmonton, but not as well in municipalities with smaller population bases.
Many replies misunderstood the question, and indicated support for knowing and publishing the partisan background of a given candidate, but stopped short of suggesting that information should be put on the ballot.
On Thursday, Alberta Municipalities renewed its opposition to introducing parties and called on the province to scrap the idea.
The Abmunis president, Wetaskiwin Mayor Tyler Gandam, told reporters he had shared the group's concerns with Municipal Affairs Minister Ric Mciver.
“No one has clearly explained what real (or) perceived problems the introduction of political parties to municipal elections would fix,” he said. “Listen to regular Albertans who have repeatedly said they simply aren't interested.”
Mciver has yet to agree to an interview on the subject. Postmedia was told Wednesday he was again not being made available and received a statement indicating his ministry was reviewing the results of the engagement.
At the Abmunis convention in Edmonton last fall, Premier Danielle Smith discussed the introduction of parties as a way to boost turnout, which is typically lowest at the municipal level, and added that should parties be allowed, they would not be direct offshoots of provincial or federal parties.
At the convention, multiple municipal elected officials told Postmedia activist group Take Back Alberta was behind the push for parties, though Gandam declined to discuss TBA'S involvement.
The Government of Alberta has been rubbing many Albertans the wrong way with its efforts to promote political parties in local municipal government and school board elections over the past six months. These efforts have continued, despite most Albertans expressing their disapproval.
A survey conducted by pollster Janet Brown for Alberta Municipalities (Abmunis) in early September 2023, found that 68 per cent of Albertans are opposed to the introduction of partisan politics at the local level. A resolution expressing opposition to the notion received 95 per cent of the vote at Alberta Municipalities' annual convention later that month.
The provincial government conducted online surveys on potential changes to the Local Authorities Election Act (LAEA) and Municipal Government Act (MGA) in November 2023. The full results have not been shared with Albertans yet, but a few results were recently obtained through a reporter's Freedom of Information and Privacy (FOIP) request. Unsurprisingly, 70 per cent of Albertans are opposed to the introduction of political parties at the local level.
No one has clearly explained what real or perceived problems the introduction of political parties to municipal elections would fix.
While political parties serve a purpose at the national and provincial levels due to differences in regional needs, they are unnecessary at the community level. The current municipal government model ensures that local elected officials, selected by most voting residents, stand for the best interests of their residents and businesses.
Today's model enables mayors and councillors to debate and vote on issues from independent points of view, be open-minded, and freely collaborate with all council colleagues to find solutions to their community's complex problems. These norms would be lost in a party system, as shown by the politics practised at the provincial and federal levels.
To date, no one has clearly explained what real or perceived problems the introduction of political parties to municipal elections would fix.
Claims that introducing political parties would improve voter turnout in local elections seem unwarranted, based on preliminary research conducted into recent elections held in Vancouver and Montreal — cities where party politics now occur.
If political parties are introduced to municipal elections, it's reasonable to expect those candidates who are elected to council will need to balance the interests of the political parties they represent with those of their constituents. In some cases, local elected officials could be asked (or directed) to vote as a bloc — along party lines — regardless of what's in the best interests of their community. Alberta Municipalities' members are deeply troubled by the idea that local elected officials might put the interests of their political parties ahead of those of the group that matters most, their constituents.
Our association's message to the Government of Alberta and special interest groups that are eager to see partisan politics introduced at the local level is clear, unwavering, and unequivocal: Listen to regular Albertans who repeatedly have signalled they simply aren't interested. President Tyler Gandam, on behalf of the Alberta Municipalities board of directors.
From the smallest village to the largest city, across every region of the province, Alberta Municipalities (Abmunis) represents the communities where more than 85 per cent of Albertans live. Abmunis was founded in
1905 to provide a united voice for urban and rural-region communities. The association serves and represents more than 260 of Alberta's 334 municipalities.