To Party or Not to Party? That is The Question.

For the People, Not the Party

Bill 20 and the ability to form political parties is the talk of the town when it comes to the imminent municipal election. One of the frequent questions asked to me is where I stand. 

I’ve been exploring the idea for about six months. I’ve met with some folks in parties, as well as other candidates committing to be independent. When I started my campaign, I decided to start as an independent but keep an open mind.

If you’ve seen my survey, you’ll know that one of the questions is whether or not party politics is a good idea. After speaking with hundreds of people either at the doors or through my website, it’s become clear to me that the results so far are overwhelmingly against party politics in municipal governance. With a larger sample size that could change however, I don’t think it will. 

That is why I’m aiming to keep my campaign independent from parties, slates, and special interest groups. 

While my decision is heavily influenced by the feedback I’m hearing, it’s not the sole reason. When I’m in the community, I want to hear the concerns of the residents because I want to advocate for you - not my party colleagues. If elected, there are things I would like to accomplish, such as the zoning bylaw changes I put forward. I’m sure that if I tow the party line, I can get the support of my colleagues and pass the amendment, but if I draw a party line then that may work unfavourably for you if the rest of the team does not get elected. 

I used the term special interest groups loosely. Just to clarify, I acknowledge the benefit of having subject matter experts to weigh in on issues and provide solutions, but the residents of Ward Karhiio are my top priority. For example, I’ve had a large number of residents express concerns about the housing crisis. I’ve also had exactly one resident tell me about co-op housing as a solution. We had a brilliant conversation and I spent more time at their door than I should have, but I was fascinated by the ideas they were sharing. I don’t know if it’s the right idea, but I felt they had provided enough information that the idea is worth exploring further. As such, I intend to reach out to the Northern Alberta Cooperative Housing Association to discuss opportunities for solutions. 

I envision the engagement process as passionate residents sharing their concerns, and somewhere in that group is a concept for a beneficial idea. From there, I am tasked with finding the experts to deliver the results the residents expect of their elected representatives. In my mind, the residents come first. If we start with the subject matter experts or “special interest groups”, then we have advocates driving priorities instead of residents. There’s been too much of that at City Hall over the years, and having solutions looking for problems is part of how we got the mess we’re in today. I want to tow the people line - not the party line.

The primary focus of a Councillor is to advocate for the ward they represent. I feel that maintaining partisan independence is going to best enable me to achieve that. I’m proud of my political history where I have worked on NDP campaigns, Conservative campaigns, and even spent 2 years on the board of an Alberta Party Constituency Association. I enjoy being able to work across party lines. I enjoy having genuine friendships across party lines. I enjoy being able to meet with other candidates running in other ridings, and have already started building those relationships. 

Regardless of how a candidate decides to run in this election, I wish them the best of luck. The preceding blog is my opinion as it relates to my decision to remain independent, but I recognize that other people may be operating with different information. At the end of the day, I will be working with 12 other people, and I won’t get to choose my colleagues. If elected, I will be entering City Hall with the intention to advocate for the residents of Ward Kariiho and to make the experience as positive as possible for the colleagues I will be working with on behalf of our amazing city.