Should Political Parties Be In Municipal Politics?

At least in theory, parties have no place in municipal politics. In practice, that is

not necessarily true. For example, in Toronto, the NDP has organized hard to
elect their chosen candidates (including the current Mayor).

Should parties play a formal and public role in municipal elections?

Here are two points of view:

1. Pro-Party In Municipal Politics

“In Toronto, there already is a party system but it is covert. The NDP already
supports a number of councilors (Giambrone, Moscoe, Rae, Bussin
Saundercook, De Bearemaker, etc.) plus the mayor.

The problem with this is two-fold:

- the non-ndp-supported candidates are at a disadvantage in a similar way that

independent candidates for MP and MPP are for federal and provincial elections

- there is no transparency for the voters into which candidates are supported by
the ndp

To say to system works fine as it is though is laughable. The low voter turnout is
a direct consequence of a broken system.”

2. Against Parties In Municipal Politics

“Politics in this country dictate that you vote for your representitive; the person
you feel best represents your interests irrespective of party.

Too many people in Canada get caught up in the partisan aspects of this and
DON’T vote for the person they feel best represents their interests, rather they
vote for the party that best represents their national interests.

Municipal politics has been saved from this, and it is silly to suggest that we now
go with the party system. Peraonally I think politics would be much more
transparent and would function better if me had no political parties at any level.”

Check this out:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/war-of-words-erupts-within-

ontario-tory-caucus/article1242239/
http://www.freedominion.com.pa/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?

p=1394198&sid=2321387b45f3bf6c07dc8db8eb613327

“So much for party unity.

Just a few weeks after being named leader of the Ontario Progressive
Conservatives, Tim Hudak has a caucus spat on his hands.

Outspoken Tory Bill Murdoch is slamming his colleague Norm Sterling for
suggesting that municipal politics should have a party structure.

Mr. Sterling’s comments were published in an Ottawa newspaper a week ago.

Mr. Murdoch, who now serves as the party’s rural and northern affairs critic, says
he completely disagrees with Sterling and that municipal politicians should
remain non-partisan.

The feisty Tory was booted from caucus last fall for suggesting that then-leader
John Tory find another job, but returned to the fold in April after Mr. Tory
resigned.”

http://independentcandidates.ca/blog/2009/08/keep-the-parties-out-of-municipal-
politics/