Anne Saltel
Dear editor:
A municipal election represents the purist form of democracy. One person placing him(her)self in the race for mayor or council.
There is no affiliation with a political party or a platform to follow (sometimes I think there should be guidelines as to what issues one can campaign on, but that is another letter).
During our most recent provincial election (Oct. 6), a candidate ran a full-page ad in the local newspapers including quotes from area mayors endorsing him as their candidate of choice.
It is a given that when the house is sitting, the mayor and council should lobby the provincial and federal governments for the betterment of the community. In a provincial election, however, the mayors of these communities are just ordinary citizens (i.e., one person, one vote).
If a mayor wants to endorse a candidate, he should place a lawn sign and assist with the candidate’s campaign as an individual. But when a mayor usurps his power as a municipal leader to endorse a political candidate, it is questionable whether this is ethical (unfortunately, it is not illegal—I checked).
When a mayor allows his/her title to be inserted into an ad, should he/she be able to use that authority to endorse an individual? Is it acceptable to influence the citizenry in this way?
It is my opinion it is not. The mayor should be impartial during a campaign.
Knowing now that the endorsed candidate was not successful in becoming a member of Parliament, how does this influence the way our new MPP views these communities? Have these mayors put our communities at risk of not being considered for provincial coffers?
What’s done is done.
It is my hope that by voicing my opinion and dismay publicly, we may learn from this.
Sincerely,
Anne Saltel,
Concerned citizen,
Sioux Lookout, Ont.
