It was newsworthy last week when a Liberal MP from Newfoundland and Labrador broke ranks with his government and supported a Conservative motion to repeal the carbon tax. Ken McDonald was the only member of the Liberal, NDP or Bloc Québécois caucuses to vote in favour of the non-binding motion.
Might other representatives within those three parties feel the same way as McDonald? Quite possibly, but are they willing to endure the almighty wrath that comes with straying from strict party discipline? Not if they want to stay in their leader’s good books.
The situation that played out in Ottawa is noteworthy because it underscores the partisan nature of politics at certain levels in this country, something local politicians don’t want to see infiltrate the municipal level.
One of the resolutions passed at the recent Alberta Municipalities (ABmunis) Convention & Trade Show in Edmonton was to advocate to the provincial government to refrain from introducing partisan politics in local government elections. Put forward by the City of Brooks, the resolution expressed concern about opening the door to political parties at the local level, worried that party ideology would restrict elected officials from looking after the best interests of the municipality they were elected to represent.
Mayors and councillors were right to support the motion, ensuring that local government is a place where a politician can speak their mind and vote their conscience, rather than having to stay in step with party policy.
If a mayor or councillor thinks a tax hike is too high or a development is too dense, they are free to make their opposition known. At any given meeting, a council member might agree with a colleague on one agenda item but be at odds with that same council member on the next.
That's the beauty of the municipal level: politicians have the ability to act as they see fit. It’s important they never lose that freedom.
