Municipal Affairs Desk

Best idea ever: everybody votes!

by: Chris Bilton
June 12, 2009 12:00 PM
Comments: (2)

“No taxation without representation.” The anti-colonial slogan is something like 250 years old, but when it comes up during Diana Salas’ presentation this past Wednesday — during the public forum on municipal voting rights for permanent residents — it makes more sense than ever.

The issue — raised in David Miller’s last mayoral campaign — is that a considerable number of Toronto’s permanent residents are not Canadian citizens and consequently don’t have the right to vote in any election. These residents do, however, pay the same property taxes and user fees as everybody else, and they can access all of the city’s services (libraries, community centres, etc). Since City Hall uses the money that these folks willingly contribute, the mayor — along with some councilors and the “I Vote Toronto” campaign headed up by City Idol winner Desmond Cole — is pushing to have the provincial government allow all permanent residents to be able to vote in Toronto’s municipal elections.

The mayor, in delivering the opening address at last night’s forum, argues that municipal government is supposed to be open and inclusive, and that means being open and inclusive to everyone who makes Toronto their home whether they are official Canadian citizens or not. The easy argument is that since Toronto is the number one destination for immigrants coming to Canada, we should encourage their involvement in understanding and contributing to the city’s political process. And excluding someone who chooses to live here is kind of insulting.

Besides, including non-citizens in the municipal process has proven to be a great thing. According to the deputy consul-general to the Netherlands, Astrid de Vries (who bears an uncanny resemblance to Tilda Swinton), since her country adopted the practice back in 1985, non-citizens voter turnout is actually higher than native residents (69 to 58 per cent in 2006). Not only that, she’s observed that it makes elected officials more accountable to all parts of the city (in major centres like Rotterdam and Amsterdam, anyway) and increases political involvement all around.

Invest Toronto director and urban affairs author Alan Broadbent makes the financial case for voting rights, first noting that Canada is by far the most immigration-favouring country in the world (according to a recent poll), and then pointing out that if we want to attract the best and brightest to our country and our city, we need to ensure that they will be included in all aspects of city life.

There is still the question of what constitutes residency, which is something Salas has been dealing with in her efforts to get the vote for non-citizens in New York City. In the Netherlands it includes anyone who’s lived there for five years; here, a three-year requirement seems to be the most likely number.

But the details are somewhat beside the point right now. The most important message from all the panelists at Wednesday night's forum is that the voting rights for all residents need to be a citywide discussion. Councillor Janet Davis — the evening’s moderator — agreed with one audience member who said that it was a shame that herself, Miller, Adam Vaughan and Paul Ainslie were the only councilors present to discuss such a major change to the electoral system. It looks as though even a great idea such as this is going to need a bit more support before we try and convince Mr. McGuinty.

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