Opinion: Local government political parties: the good and the bad.

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On Thursday, April 25, Alberta’s UCP government introduced Bill 20, the Municipal Bylaw Amendment Act. The legislation includes many items, but one of the most anticipated and discussed is a pilot program to introduce political parties to municipal government in Edmonton and Calgary.

If the bill passes, candidates in municipal elections in Alberta’s two largest cities will be able to run as members of local political parties, candidate lists (perhaps with looser affiliations than political parties), or as independents, as has been the case in the past. It will be permitted to do so.

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before interview, Premier Daniel Smith argued that having a political party would formalize the partisanship that already exists at the municipal level in Calgary and Edmonton and make it more transparent to voters. When speaking about Bill 20, City Council Minister Rick McIver said: “Official party affiliation at the local level is something that is already happening, especially in big cities.””

Municipalities in Alberta are pushed back. Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek said. “I think when you get mired in partisanship at the local level, it hinders your ability to move beyond government mandates.” Meanwhile, Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi has announced that Bill 20, which includes several major changes to city government, will beAttack on local democracy” There also appears to be little public appetite, as shown below. vote Implemented for Alberta municipalities and the provincial government itself consultation.

There are still many unanswered questions about how political parties are defined and formed and how candidates are selected, and as with most laws, the devil can be in the details. . The bill is being considered in the Legislative Assembly and, if passed, would require the government to: shown They will be consulted when drafting the ordinance, making it an ideal opportunity to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of introducing political parties into local politics.

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Political parties are a feature of democracy because they provide several benefits to the people.City policy researcher at Toronto Metropolitan University and University of Calgary highlight That is, political parties provide an efficient means for voters to judge candidates’ positions on various issues before they cast their votes.

At the local level, residents who elect elected officials or school board members are likely to better understand a candidate’s priorities and views if the candidate is affiliated with a political party. Researchers suggest that political parties also help the public hold elected officials accountable by clarifying who is responsible for policy and administrative decisions. In addition, the parties play the following roles: Vet candidates, because they hold an internal competition to decide who will run under that banner. In theory, this would provide the public with a better list of candidates to choose from.

Bill 20 excludes provincial and federal political parties from participating in local elections in Edmonton and Calgary, which is expected to result in the creation of a number of local parties and political parties. In Vancouver and Montreal, elections are well-established as the centerpiece of elections, but they are always in flux, with parties forming, reforming, rebranding, and changing candidates. Therefore, the benefits of providing information to voters may be reduced because the system is unlikely to have the stability that the public is accustomed to with parties at other levels of government.

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Despite their advantages, political parties least trusted Among Canadian political institutions. Part of this is due to the perception that party members are forced to toe the party line on most, if not all issues, and this is where independent thought disappears. Leaders often assume an outsized role, and the party becomes a cult of personality or fetish. brand It is not an engine of political debate or policy development.

This raises three problems. First, candidates who are members of political parties may be less willing or able to represent voters’ interests if those interests do not align with the party’s position. This turns the democratic process upside down as elected leaders spend less time representing the interests of their voters to their party and more time representing their party’s interests to their voters. .

Second, increased partisanship means that elected officials within and across government levels are more likely to work together to solve problems and for the public good in order to differentiate themselves from competing parties. means lower.

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Third, intraparty politics, often driven by leadership contests, can divert politicians’ focus from governance and the broader public interest. Albertans need only think back to the 2022 UCP leadership overhaul that ousted Jason Kenney and the subsequent leadership election won by Smith to see how internal party politics can take over the public agenda. I am reminded of this.

One could argue that the shortcomings of party politics are specific to the state and federal levels, where media attention and the size of government require strict discipline and concentration of power at the top. However, many local parties in Vancouver and Montreal Formed by mayoral candidates and branded around them. Leadership contests have been held from time to time controversyThis suggests that similar problems may occur at the local level.

In summary, political parties can help time- and resource-poor citizens participate meaningfully in the complexities of modern democracies. To this end, the introduction of political parties at the local government level can increase voter turnout. lower than at the federal or state level.

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However, trust in government taller than In Canada, the local level is larger than the federal or provincial level, and although there may be several factors, the lack of partisan politics and the ability of elected officials to represent their constituents are key differences. is.

The Alberta government, the province’s municipal leaders and residents will need to carefully consider the risks and benefits of introducing political parties at the local level as the details of the new system are worked out.

Brendan Boyd is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology, Economics and Political Science at MacEwan University.

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