The provincial government continues to meddle in municipal governance and is doing so, in part, through the introduction of municipal political parties. Here's why this is a bad thing for Calgarians!
Originally published as an Op-Ed in The Gauntlet:
As the municipal election ramps up, Calgarians will get to see the new municipal party system, thrusted upon us by a provincial government focused on centralizing control, in action. Unfortunately, we’re already getting a glimpse into how parties will worsen political deadlock and polarization at the municipal level.
Just last week, we saw the first signs of partisan groupthink at work at city hall..
Council members belonging to the newly formed Communities First Party decided to take a party stance - this time, it was against a much-needed $20 million investment into community amenities, including aging recreation centres.
Remember, these are the same councillors that led the charge on subsidizing a billionaire to the tune of $853 million through the new arena ‘deal’.
As their mayoral candidate admits, one of their chief concerns with the investment was that it was proposed by Mayor Gondek to improve her re-election chances in October’s municipal election. Whether they are right or not, they have to square that with their own voting records: last year voting for a similar motion.
What certainly wasn’t top of mind for these councillors is that last week’s $20 million investment will help to rejuvenate the crumbling recreation facilities in their own wards. If voting against that isn’t putting partisan politics above the needs of Calgarians, I don’t know what is.
This wasn’t one or two individual councillors voting against urgently needed infrastructure maintenance. It was a bloc of five councillors, politicizing an issue, united by a party banner. Playing political games with recreation facilities that, especially in inner–city communities, are in dire need of investment.
This one party already commands one-third of Council. Give a few more seats to them or another party and Calgarians could see political theatre like last week’s start to happen more often, with real consequences. That’s something the current provincial government is keen to see in the October election. It’s something that ultimately costs Calgarians and is far from the good governance we require at city hall.
Defenders of this party politicization of city hall will argue that it all comes down to what the party line actually is, and the election is when voters choose which parties’ values they most prefer. But who gets to decide what the party line is?
A party membership system and annual conventions are the only accountability tools in a party system, yet most of Calgary’s new parties don’t offer membership and haven’t held any sort of convention. So far it appears that decision-making now rests with either established councillors or unelected political consultants who handpick candidates to serve their broader purposes and further their own personal careers.
To make matters worse, these politicos could be paid for with your donations. While in an independent campaign, your hard-earned donations go directly to the candidate and engagement with ward- and campaign-specific issues, it’s unclear where your money goes once fed into the party’s machinery. You may donate $50 to your preferred candidate in Ward 7, but that money could end up in a Ward 13 race.
That lack of financial transparency also enables provincial interference. You can expect the same partisan mega-donors on the provincial stage to be courted by Calgary’s parties. At a time when the province is eroding municipal autonomy and outside influence has been reintroduced into our city’s elections, we need city councillors that stand up to the province, not bow to them. Don’t expect candidates paid for by the same provincial financiers to bite the hand that feeds them.
The introduction of municipal parties serves nobody but the political establishment and their friends. But Calgarians can still send these parties packing by supporting and electing independent councillors capable of standing up for their neighbours and communities, standing against a provincial government set on eroding municipal autonomy, and pushing back against big donor influence in our city’s elections.
In October, we need strong, principled, independent councillors who are committed and beholden to their constituents, not a party line.
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