The proposal put forth by Calgary city councillors seeking to grant voting rights to permanent residents in municipal elections has been approved, but the United Conservative Party has stated it’s a waste of time.
On Tuesday, city council approved the resolution 9 – 6, seeking to let permanent residents vote in municipal elections.
But the resolution merely seeks to rally support from the city to advocate for legislative changes at the provincial level.
Before the resolution was even passed, Alberta’s Minister of Municipal Affairs, Ric McIver, shut it down.
“Citizens of Canada can vote in municipal elections. That will not be changing,” he stated on social media in a direct response to the proposal.
Spearheaded by Ward 8 Councillor Courtney Walcott, the move aimed to amend the Local Authorities Election Act to allow non-citizen residents to participate in local polls.
Walcott is one of three city councilors— including Mayor Jyoti Gondek– who last year supported the decision to ban fireworks on Canada Day over concerns it was culturally insensitive to Indigenous and Chinese Canadians.
