What Factors accont for the longevity of Conservative Party rule in Ontario in the post – part 4
Posted by admin in Description EssayIn recent years there has been a substantial decline in the fortunes of municipal parties in the larger cities. In the 1989 election, for instance, no parties ran candidates in Calgary, and in Edmonton all but one of the parties had been disbanded. (Nossal 1989) Walter Walchuk offers a provocative explanation for the decline of parties. He argues that with improved and cooperative human relationships, the nature of democracy will change. Among other things there will be "a shift from the competitive nature of the party system . . . to a cooperative system of citizens elected on the basis of individual merit." (Nossal 1989) The problem with his explanation is that although there has been a decline in the importance of municipal parties, people are no more cooperative today than they have been in the past.
Even though the overwhelming majority of local governments in Ontario hold nonpartisan municipal elections, it is impossible to rid local government of partisan considerations. As one politician said, "There is no such thing as nonpartisanship. If there were there would be no need for elections." (Nossal 1989) Quite simply, since different philosophical perspectives on raising and allocating fiscal resources are found at the local as well as the federal and provincial levels, local political decision making has a partisan component, even though it is covert rather than overt.
The partisan bias of nonpartisan elections in Canadian provinces has been studied by James Anderson and James Lightbody. Anderson maintains that in the early years, Liberals and Conservatives covertly running on civic slates were able to thwart the attempts of socialists and labour representatives to capture city halls. "On balance, the non-partisan camouflage appeared to have benefited Liberal and Conservative business-oriented interests in prairie cities during the reform era." (Nossal 1989) Making a similar point for Edmonton’s more recent period, Lightbody writes, "Throughout the 1950s, the Citizens’ Committee was extensively infiltrated by Liberals who employed their federal organization to advance municipal candidates, perhaps as a surrogate to realistic hopes elsewhere." (Nossal 1989) Shortly after Decore’s 1983 victory in Edmonton, the provincial Liberal party claimed that 55 mayors and school board chairs elected across the province were, or had recently been, Liberal party supporters. (Nossal 1989)
