The Municipal Political Party

Published by Karim | Filed under Uncategorized

Last Saturday, Henry Aubin wrote an editorial about the municipal political party structure and once again the wheels in my head started spinning. Although Mr. Aubin commented more on the benefits that municipal parties receive in terms of fundraising and provincial subsidies, I had some other issues on my mind.

Responsible democratic governments tend to have a basic commonality, there is the side of the group in power, and then there is the opposition; this is the basis of party politics. It is a system that ensures that power never goes unopposed, and to ensure that no person or group maintains absolute power within a government.

While I feel political parties are important on a federal and provincial level because they represent underlying beliefs and values that guide the creation of laws and societal structures, I am less convinced of their effectiveness at the municipal level. Municipal politics isn’t supposed to be about party grudge matches, it’s supposed to be about providing services to citizens in the most efficient and effective way possible. I truly believe that the focal point of municipal politics should be the citizen, and the services that he/she deserves. This can only be achieved if every citizen is able to select THEIR representative, who would then work WITH all the other representatives to ensure a strong and well managed city.

Party politics (again, at the municipal level) distorts the way we evaluate what is “good” from what is “not-so-good” for our City. If a “good” idea is presented by the opposition, you will likely hear all that is “not-so-good” about that same idea – instead of evaluating it fairly. Case in point; we tried to offer 8 days of free parking in Ville Marie to attract more people to the City and give our merchants a hand during the difficult winter holiday season - everyone loved the idea, and appreciated the gesture. However, the current administration shot it down before it could even be properly evaluated. Which projects will get funding, what issues will be given priority over others, and which organizations will receive the most support; these are all decisions that tend to be decided based on political party strategy. Many decisions are made along party lines, and members of the party are expected to vote in agreement with their caucus (or face potential backlash). As an FYI, in Canada, only Quebec and B.C. have political parties at a municipal level.

I believe that municipal politicians need to be more independent. As municipal councillors, we should be there to fight for the interests of our constituents, and in that respect, we should not be making decisions based on party strategies but rather on strategies that lead to the improvement of our respective districts (and consequently, Montreal as a whole). That said, I do believe that it only makes sense to centralize certain services; waste collection, snow removal, public safety (police, fire departments, etc.) road repairs, to name a few. These responsibilities require more resources and greater coordination to ensure quality service to all Montrealers. However, local issues such as community development, managing green spaces, grassroots sustainability projects (like green alleys with composters, for example) are best implemented and managed locally; it is up to each councillor to lobby on behalf of his/her constituents. In the end, each councillor should be responsible for the constant improvement of his/her district and to the overall quality of life for their citizens.

As a politician, I was elected to represent the needs of my constituents. When planning a project for my area, I need to ask myself “is this the best thing for my citizens and my district?” And not “is this the best thing for my party?”

A voice for the people can be opposed, but should never be silenced.

I want to hear from you Montreal!

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