'Very problematic:' Iveson sounds alarm over growing partisan involvement in upcoming Edmonton election

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The growing influence of partisan politics in Edmonton’s civic election race is raising red flags for the outgoing mayor.

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Mayor Don Iveson, after chairing his final regular council meeting of the term Tuesday, said he’s very concerned about political party involvement in the upcoming election following news that a group with high-profile Alberta NDP members was working to limit the number of progressive candidates in select wards to avoid vote splitting.

Emails obtained by Postmedia highlight discussions among the Election Readiness Coalition to also provide training and campaign support to select candidates. Several candidates in the group’s email list have since received endorsements from NDP MLAs and the Edmonton and District Labour Council.

Two-term MLA Sarah Hoffman, who is included on the group email list but said she wasn’t involved, has endorsed Michael Janz in Ward papastew, Glynnis Lieb in Ward Ipiihkoohkanipiaohtsi and Erin Rutherford in Ward Anirniq. Both Janz and Lieb are on the group’s mailing list. Mayoral candidate Mike Nickel has also been endorsing a slate of council contenders.

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Iveson said these actions are problematic, arguing the strength of municipal politics is the independent decision-making ability of elected officials and that political involvement from other levels of government could jeopardize that.

“I’m concerned about what appears to be the partisan infiltration and slate manifestation that we’re seeing in this election. I think that would be a very problematic course for Edmontonians and that voters should be very wary of such,” Iveson said.

“I think the strength of our decision-making system … is the independence of the people who come to city hall to make decisions. I think when people owe any kind of debt to any kind of association or are subject to ideological litmus tests of one kind or another, that along with the prospect of blocks forming on council and politics from other orders of government playing out on city council decisions, I am very concerned about that.”

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Nickel, who ran for a United Conservative Party nomination in the 2019 provincial election, said he has not been influenced by the party, but did receive support from Conservative MP Kerry Diotte door knocking in a community he represents federally.

“I get along very well with the NDP representatives that share my ward with me, both provincial and federal. The same goes with the federal Conservatives I share my ward with,” Nickel said in an email to Postmedia. “We try to get things done and have mutual respect.”

But Nickel has on his own endorsed a series of candidates for councillor positions including Dave Olivier in Ward Nakota Isga, incumbent Jon Dziadyk in Ward tastawiyiniwak and Ward Dene’s Tricia Velthuizen, who is currently a press secretary for the UCP government’s Service Alberta minister.

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Caroline Matthews, running in Ward Métis, has also gone door knocking with Diotte but told Postmedia Tuesday she isn’t seeking endorsements from elected officials in senior levels of government and isn’t affiliated with any political party.

University of Calgary political science associate professor Jack Lucas said being able to connect candidates to the ideas and values held by political parties could be helpful for voters, but they have to be cautious about how much weight parties have in influencing municipal decision-makers.

“It could be very useful for voters to know about connections between candidates and political parties because it allows them to use information they have in their heads about those parties when they’re making municipal voting decisions,” he said in an interview with Postmedia. “I think the concern really is more about the introduction of partisan bickering to municipal politics, which is something very few people are keen to see and the worry about parties dictating policy positions among municipal politicians.”

The municipal election will be held Oct. 18.

duscook@postmedia.com

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