The Pledge on Real Talk
An AUMA panel appeared on veteran journalist Ryan Jespersen’s podcast, Real Talk, on Wednesday, May 26, to discuss the importance of upholding democratic values in this fall’s municipal elections. AUMA President Barry Morishita was joined by Cathy Heron, VP of Cities under 500,000, and Andrew Knack, VP of Cities over 500,000, for a lively 30-minute discussion.
The trio introduced Ryan and his audience to the Local Democracy Pledge (The Pledge), a voluntary commitment that candidates can make to voters to protect key democratic principles. You can watch the recording of the podcast here.
Why did AUMA develop The Pledge?
AUMA developed “The Pledge” as a means to promote fair and transparent municipal elections, free from undue partisan or financial influences. It is also intended to improve the quality and tone of political discourse in the run-up to Alberta’s 2021 municipal elections. We took this action following the province’s changes to the Local Authorities Election Act (LAEA).
AUMA participated in the Government of Alberta’s stakeholder consultation about the LAEA in 2020 and provided numerous suggestions for consideration. A few of our recommendations are reflected in the updated legislation, but many others are not. At our Spring MLC this past March, our members indicated they wanted to ensure democratic principles are maintained, and this campaign is borne of their on-going concern.
What is The Pledge?
The Pledge is voluntary and commits candidates to:
- Keep local elections focused on local issues
- Be accountable to the communities in which they hope to serve
- Remain non-partisan
- Provide Financial transparency (i.e., no “big money”)
- Engage in respectful dialogue.
Neither AUMA nor municipalities have any role to play in administering or enforcing candidates’ pledges. You can find more information at our website, auma.ca/pledge.
We are working hard to ensure all candidates are aware of The Pledge and have an opportunity to consider their commitment to it and promote it in their communities.
