It’s an honour to have been asked by GENERATION NEXT to write a column focusing on how South Asian youth can be inspired to become more involved in municipal government and politics in general. I must tell you, however, their lack of involvement is not unique!
Voter turnout in elections seems to be trending downward at all levels of government – most alarmingly in municipal politics. Mississauga’s last local election saw a pitiful 23% turnout – not unusual for most municipal jurisdictions.
A commitment to voting is established at an early age. Studies at the federal level have consistently shown that those who choose, or are inspired, to vote when first entitled to do so – at age 18 in Canada – are far more likely to continue the habit throughout their lifetimes.
Many of our immigrants come to Canada from countries where an involvement in politics can lead to persecution. Whereas some countries of birth have well-established democracies, others reward political activism with jail terms imposed by the victorious as the pendulum of power swings back and forth. Moving to Canada, some bring a reluctance to get involved after many hard learned lessons.
Adding to this reluctance, you have the formidable hurdles experienced by immigrants settling into a new country. While establishing academic and professional credentials, gaining employment, reunifying families that may have been temporarily left behind and generally coping with the culture shock of a new country, voting may be a low priority.
The three to five year wait for the Canadian Citizenship that entitles immigrants to vote is a disincentive for those who want to actively participate in the events of their new country. In Toronto alone, 250,000 recent immigrants hold jobs, pay taxes and send their children to school – all with no say in how their day to day lives are governed. I believe those new residents who are interested in local councils and school boards should be encouraged to cast ballots in local elections once their landed status is established. This would encourage a more in-depth interest in municipal politics and establish a pattern of voting that will then apply to provincial and federal elections after citizenship is achieved.
Municipal issues are closest to the people, affecting such services as school programs, public health, roads, waste management, libraries, transit etc. All residents should have their say in how those services are delivered. How is it fair that someone can move from another province to an Ontario city on election day and vote in a municipal election while a three year immigrant has no say in who will manage his or her municipal tax dollars?
A second serious disincentive to voter participation is the unlimited terms of office enjoyed by politicians at all levels of government. Add to this, a low voter turnout at the municipal level which makes it almost impossible to unseat a local councillor. The current system creates twenty year incumbencies and a lack of real interest in issues. In Mississauga we have a 30 year mayor, two 24 year councillors, two 18 year incumbents and one at 15 years. The re-election rate for municipal politicians is 93% right across the country.
Often, councils are not representative of the ethnic and cultural diversity of the population they’ve been elected to serve because the turnover is so slow, it can’t keep pace with the changing demographics. Reasonable term limits should be implemented, particularly at the municipal level, so young people who run for office or work on a campaign have a realistic opportunity for success.
I don’t believe we should be critical of the lack of interest or participation in local politics. The odds are stacked against a spontaneous passion for local municipal issues. I do believe we should alter some basic policies governing elections to make participation more interesting and more relevant.
Author: Councillor Carolyn Parrish represents Ward 6 in Mississauga City Council. Councillor Parrish wrote this OpEd exclusively for Generation Next. We are grateful to Councillor Parrish for contributing to Generation Next. She can be reached at 905-615-4616.
