Alberta municipal leaders quash advocacy for permanent resident voting rights

A Calgary city councillor's plea to have permanent residents be given the right to vote in municipal elections, an idea long dismissed by Premier Danielle Smith as unconstitutional, has been defeated.

Coun. Courtney Walcott made his case to fellow municipal officials from across the province this week during the Alberta Municipalities annual conference.

In an emotional and lengthy debate, mayors and councillors from municipalities big and small implored one other to reconsider who exactly they represent in office.

Walcott's resolution needed a majority to pass but only got about 42 per cent support in the end — 46 votes short.

If the votes were in his favour, Alberta Municipalities, the organization that represents villages, towns, and cities throughout the province, would have adopted the motion and lobbied the provincial government to make the necessary changes to the Local Authorities Election Act.

Those with permanent residency status hold many of the same privileges as Canadian citizens — individuals can work, own property, pay taxes and more — but they can't vote in elections or obtain a Canadian passport.

The debate on Walcott's proposal Thursday was the longest of all 21 resolutions up for discussion as officials from more than a dozen municipalities weighed in.

Concerns about "watering down" the privileges of citizenship were expressed, a passport was used as an argumentative prop, and tears were shed.

Barrhead, Alta., town councillor Rod Klumph argued that giving permanent residents the ability to vote in municipal elections would "diminish the right of Canadians to rule themselves."

"The people who have permanent residency also retain their citizenship in the country they left, and that's what concerns me," he said.

Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi, who is also a former member of Parliament, disagreed with the implication that permanent residents aren't engaged or loyal to Canada.

"It took me about 10 years to gain citizenship because of various reasons ... but I have been loyal to this country from the day I landed here," said Sohi.

"I volunteered for politicians. I made donations to politicians. I went door to door to convince Canadian citizens to vote for a politician. But as a permanent resident for 10 years while I was doing that, I was not able to have my right to vote."

Sam Munckhof-Swain, a councillor in Beaumont, Alta., echoed Sohi, saying his path to citizenship was also prolonged.