Changes worth considering to attract municipal candidates

By Medicine Hat News Opinon on July 21, 2017.

Just two months to go before the local municipal election and there are surprisingly few fresh faces running for city council and so far, only one possible candidate who will oppose the incumbent mayor, Ted Clugston.

Provincially there has been a concerted effort to encourage more women to run for political office. You could add to that list younger people of both genders.

Perhaps a closer look at what it takes to run for office will shed some light on possible hindrances.

Obviously it takes money to mount an effective election campaign and if you are not financially independent you need a host of people who are willing to give generously to your campaign. Even identifying those individuals takes time and resources which is difficult if you are working a full-time job. Being well connected helps and often it is older people who are in that enviable position.

There are many occupations that require an employee, who plans to run in an election, to resign when their candidacy is announced. For anyone working for a living the prospect of giving up a job, length of service and benefits, with only a possibility of being successful in an election, is a daunting decision to make. An unsuccessful candidate could be looking for a job and starting again at the bottom.

This perhaps explains why we often see incumbents running again rather than fresh faces. An incumbent probably has a better chance at being re-elected than someone who is running for the first time. For those who are retired or close to retirement it is also a less daunting prospect — they may not really need a job if they are not elected.

A pattern may be emerging here. If you are older and if you are already an elected official the prospect of running in an election is far more feasible.

There may be a way to change this but it would take some fundamental change and it remains to be seen whether we are ready for that. It would also mean acknowledging that another country may have a better system — something we as Canadians find hard to do.

In Switzerland, being a politician is not a full-time job. They have regular jobs that pay them a wage and a pension. They would have to be independently wealthy if they did not have a job.

The government’s business takes place every quarter for three weeks, about 12 weeks a year in total, during which time elected officials are temporarily away from their regular jobs.

They have the benefit of up-to-date participation in the business world and possibly are more aware of concerns among the people as a result.

There is also a term limit of four years, ensuring someone does not become addicted to being part of government or enjoying it as a career.

The Swiss democratic system also gives a direct voice to the electorate with referenda.

(Gillian Slade is a News reporter. To comment on this and other editorials, go to https://www.medicinehatnews.com /opinions or telephone her at 403-528-8635.)