Traditionally, municipal politics in Ontario has been considered to be a relatively non-partisan affair. Voters, the legend says, expect a local grass-roots activist, beholden only to the community to act independently in their best interest, separate from provincial or national pressures and above the spectre of political patronage.
But if that’s true, then why did only one-third of Ottawa residents vote in the last civic election? What about the marginal 47 per cent turnout in the first post-amalgamated city-wide plebiscite in 2000?
This paltry voter response indicates that changes are needed and other models of municipal government should be put in place. One way might be to bring locally based party politics into the fold.
True, municipal affairs, epitomized by local complaints about garbage pickup and street paving do not make for sexy political discourse. However, municipal government is more important than ever before. It has a wide-ranging impact on our water, transportation, schools, recreation, public health and housing. It is time that the public gets ideologically excited about these issues.
One theory as to why voters don’t get excited about municipal politics is because of the indistinguishable nature of the various one-trick ponies running for city council.
How, for example, do the various candidates in Somerset Ward differ in their policies? By and large, very little. As a result it becomes a popularity contest, with many voters probably flipping a coin and ending up with Diane Holmes. Perhaps that is why the ward had the lowest voter turnout in the last election at only 25 per cent.
However, if these candidates were running on a slate for a municipal party, voters would be able to identify their platforms much more easily. As such, party affiliation would help to level the political playing field by breaking down the incombustible advantages of incumbency.
Besides, it would be naïve to think that the current talking heads at city hall don’t have political leanings anyway. For example, Alex Cullen calls himself a card-carrying member of the NDP and Bob Chiarelli was once an Ontario Liberal MPP.
It’s time to change the long-standing notion of having independent and grass-roots candidates who work “in the interest of the community” as nothing more than the glorified window dressing of a political façade. The hypocrisy surrounding political affiliation at city hall must be discarded. Why not just once call a spade a spade?
What can be said of councillors can just as easily apply to the mayoralty. Currently, the mayor is reduced to little more than a figurehead of city government, with marginal fringe benefits, including an array of photo-ops and ribbon cuttings. Because the mayor is only one of 24 elected decision makers, he or she is somewhat restricted in achieving a vision for the city. Party politics can help break down the ideological disjoint in council and increase cohesion to get things done.
Party politics could be just the right antidote to cure the malaise towards civic government. It would be a conduit for political socialization by encouraging citizens to be as informed as possible and exercise their democratic rights. That should be enough reason for change.
–Brent T. Jolly