October 14, 2025
Satinder Sukraat
Today on Red FM, Mount Royal University political science professor Dr. Duane Brat joined News Director Rishi Nagar by phone to discuss Alberta’s upcoming municipal elections and the government’s pilot project introducing political parties at the municipal level.
When asked why the government introduced this system, Brat explained that the official reasons included reducing the power of incumbents and giving voters more certainty through recognizable party brands. However, he added that there may have been an unstated motive behind the move.
“They believed Calgarians voted in too many progressive candidates and wanted more conservatives, so they thought party labels would help voters decide,” Brat said.
On why Calgarians and Edmontonians showed little interest in the party system, Brat noted long-standing tensions between provincial and municipal governments.
“The provincial government has always had a problem with Calgary and Edmonton. They’ve rarely had conservative mayors or councils, so this was another way to try to influence municipal politics,” he said, adding that while Municipal Affairs Minister Rick McIver justified the pilot as limited to two cities, “they happen to be the two largest and most populous.”
Regarding what might happen if the pilot project fails, Brat said it remains uncertain.
“It’s supposed to be an experiment. Let’s see how it’s done,” he said. “If most candidates and mayors elected are not party-affiliated, will the province keep the structure, reject it, or double down? We’ll have to wait and see.”
Brat concluded with a cautious note about election outcomes.
“If you’re asking me to predict the election, the only thing I can say is that we won’t know until Tuesday.”
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