Bill 20: Municipal political parties are here
Bill 20: Municipal political parties are here
Now corporations can write off political contributions as business expenses which is an unfair advantage.
Published Oct 24, 2024 in The Sherwood Park News • 2 minute read
What is next for Alberta’s cities, towns, and counties?
Last spring, Bill 20 passed after just one hour of debate in the Legislature. UCP Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver spent a few minutes introducing Bill 20 then immediately asked the Speaker to limit debate in the Legislature to one hour. Every UCP MLA supported the motion to shut down debate before it even started and Bill 20 quickly became the law of the land.
It was an egregious abuse of power by the UCP to pass legislation that will transform our municipal elections and municipal councils, especially in Calgary and Edmonton. It was done without consultation, without public notice, and it highlighted the disadvantaged position municipal governments hold within Canada.
With Bill 20, the UCP has just brought political parties into municipal government and shut independent voices out of our political system. Political parties will be allowed in the 2025 municipal elections for Edmonton and Calgary. Then the UCP would like to expand the presence of municipal political parties to municipalities across the rest of the province in the following election, including right here in Strathcona County.
Corporations and trade unions will now be allowed to contribute up to $5,000 per candidate running for municipal election. Until now, individual voters could contribute financially to election campaigns. With Bill 20, corporations can contribute to political campaigns in addition to municipal political parties. Corporations can write off political contributions as business expenses which is an unfair advantage to citizens interested in supporting a candidate running for election. The new political system Bill 20 creates has the potential to be abused, especially given that there is no requirement for municipal candidates to disclose who has donated to their election campaign prior to people voting in 2025.
On the campaign spending side, candidates who run in political parties will be able to spend twice as much money as independent candidates. Political parties in local elections are deeply unpopular with Albertans, but the UCP are tilting the playing field against anyone who doesn’t want to participate in the new Bill 20 political system.
This feels like an attempt by the UCP to install local elected officials in Alberta’s two major cities that are friendlier to their agenda. It is undemocratic and disrespectful to voters, who the UCP feel can’t be trusted to make their own decisions on local matters. It is an excuse to funnel more money into election campaigns, and out of local government. Albertans deserve better.
There is always change after an election but turning municipal councils into a system with political parties is not good change.
Bill 20 does not make life more affordable in Alberta. It does not help Albertans get health care where and when we need it, and it does nothing to address the rising costs of housing, utilities, and insurance in Alberta. It is a solution to a problem that Albertans did not have.
We need a provincial government that is focused on what is truly important to all Albertans.
Please reach out to me if you have any thoughts on this or other issues that are top of mind for you.
Kyle Kasawski is the MLA for Sherwood Park. If you have questions about this column or any provincial issues, he would like to hear from you. Find his contact information at meetkyle.ca