Alberta
Municipal
The requirement for parties in municipal politics may be far more interesting to outside observers; though there is little optimism that it will actually provide better local governance. I say “requirement” because the new rules heavily favour parties over independent candidates.
ONE good thing is a provision allowing parties to request, and vet, criminal record checks for municipal candidates. Calgarians may recall the sordid candidacy of mayoral hopeful Kevin J. Johnston, whose antics, and criminal behaviour, highlighted the fact that anyone who runs for office can be given unfettered access to voter data. City Council decided to go through the 2021 election without voter registration lists in response.
Mayoral candidates may spend up to $1 per resident, or $20,000, whichever is greater. Ward candidates may spend up to $1 per resident of the ward (around $114,000 in Calgary and $125,000 in Edmonton), or $20,000, whichever is greater.
Political parties may spend up to $1 per resident for each ward in which they have a registered candidate, providing they run at least one-third of the municipality’s available council seats.
A municipal party running a full slate of ward candidates, including a mayoral candidate, would have the ability to spend up to $1.6 million in Calgary or $1.5 million in Edmonton, a mayoral candidate can spend up to the same on their own campaign, AND each candidate will have the ability to spend up to $114,000 (Calgary) or $125,000 (Edmonton) individually; which is a total potential spend of $3 per resident, or $4.8 and $4.5 million in each city, for what is essentially a single campaign. For comparison, a provincial party is restricted to a total spend of $1.30 per elector in the Register of Electors three months prior to election day, ($3.8 million per March 2024) and riding candidates are restricted to expenses of $60,800 each.
Donors will have to “pick one”. Instead of being able to donate up to $5,000 per candidate, the new rules restrict individual donations to $5000 per year, a move that again favours a continuously operating municipal party over independent candidates who tend to decide in the year before, or of, an election. Parties may carry balances forward to the next election, and they will have no limitations on operating expenses.
A Better Calgary Party held its founding meeting on Saturday where attendees were given their first look at what a political party would be like at the municipal level. Spoiler alert: exactly like the rest of them. The founders offered the new membership six names to approve for governance board, and included a bylaw stating all six would be elected at this time. One person had also put their name in but was rejected. Peter McCaffrey, formerly of the Manning Centre for Democracy, told the crowd that he was on the committee who chose the six members and they had collectively decided that they would not publicly disclose why those people were chosen. Good times.
Municipalities are also trying to get their jaws back into place over upgraded costs to count ballots by hand instead of using electronic tabulators to do it faster for less. I know I’m looking forward to getting the results within a week of election day instead of that night. Edmonton had suggested the province take over the cost of pandering to the conspiracy theory crowd, but have they thought to make it a civil matter and demand FOX “news” pay for it, instead? I’m just saying that I think there’s precedent.
Health
Alberta Primary Care Services is now separate from Alberta Health Services. Minister of Health Adriana LaGrange announced the division’s new Chief Executive Officer (because of course each new silo will require its own dedicated managerial hierarchy) will be ready to go November 1. LaGrange insisted the province has “multi-pronged” approaches to addressing Albertan’s needs, none of which include listening to Albertans.
Canada
Elections
B.C. has had an incredible campaign period. Wiping out the B.C. Liberals right before the election to pit the “right” against the “left” head on has initially left the province in exactly the same position it was in 2017, with the Green Party holding the balance of power. Slightly different this time is the sheer number of nutters elected under the conservative banner. Yes, I am self-aware enough to realize I’m throwing stones from ‘Berta because we may have elected a head nutter, but most of them put on their normal person cloaks at least for the campaign period — B.C. elected theirs “as is”, which I imagine will make their legislature more of a sideshow than ours. No offence.
Little known fact: New Brunswick is also heading to the polls — today. I have to think they also tamped down their nuttery for the election period since they haven’t made headlines for being awful. Eric Grenier from the Writ says it will either be a close race or a Liberal cake-walk — because apparently pollsters also didn’t know there was an election happening.
There’s also rumours circling again about Justin Trudeau’s leadership, but this time, there’s some caucus might being thrown around. On the one hand, no one wants to see another Kim Campbell situation — if the Liberals are going to be shown the door because of Trudeau, then let him accept his due from the voters. On the other, it might actually behoove the party to try and mitigate the losses with a new leader. I believe we will find out Thursday what he decides.
It doesn’t end there: former B.C. Liberal leader Christy Clark has indicated she will seek the leadership if it becomes available. As one person put it, “Clark for LPC leader might give her the all-time record of vanquishing two parties off the history books.” Ouch. Hear me out though: Trudeau managed to position himself left of the NDP and that’s afforded Poilievre a lot of breathing room on the right. He can spend his time pandering to the worst of the right wing because the centre and centre-right have been abandoned to him. However, if the party were to find itself with a Liberal leader that bleeds blue, she can cut off Poilievre’s return to the centre-right. Folks, that’s the kind of match-up I’m here for.
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Never a dull moment