Democracy traces its roots to Ancient Greece more than 2,500 years ago. One of the distinguishing features of Athenian democracy was its legislative assembly, in which eligible Athenian citizens participated directly in public decision-making. Rather than being governed through political parties or representatives acting under party discipline, citizens exercised their own judgment and cast their own votes. Although their rights were not protected in the way we understand constitutional rights today, they nevertheless enjoyed a remarkable degree of political liberty by participating directly in the governance of their city.
Canadians have become increasingly cynical about the
political process and about politics in general. This growing disillusionment
is reflected, in part, by declining voter turnout. Many citizens no longer feel
that their individual voices carry the same weight in the democratic process.
Party politics, so dominant at the federal and provincial levels, has
contributed to this sentiment. Members elected to represent their
constituencies often find themselves constrained by party discipline, making it
difficult to advocate fully for the views of those who elected them.
Local government has, for the most part, avoided many of the
pitfalls associated with party politics. One of its greatest strengths is that
those elected to office are generally free to exercise independent judgement
and represent their communities without direction from a party leader. That
independence allows councillors to weigh each issue on its own merits and to
vote according to their conscience and their understanding of the community's
best interests.
Over the years, I have come to appreciate another important
strength of this model. Testing my ideas against the perspectives of eight
other council members has made me a more thoughtful and confident
decision-maker. Rather than debating only two or three competing viewpoints,
each of us may be challenged by as many as eight different perspectives.
Through that respectful exchange of ideas, assumptions are tested, weaknesses
exposed, and stronger decisions are more likely to emerge.
As political slates become more common in local government,
it is worth remembering that one of municipal democracy's greatest strengths
has always been the independence of those elected to serve.
Several years ago, I heard Rex Murphy describe communities
as the "texture of the nation." I would extend that thought by
suggesting that the diversity of independent voices within local government
reflects the diversity of the community itself. It is that diversity of thought
that gives each community its unique character and strengthens its democratic
foundation. In a culturally diverse community such as Abbotsford, the
importance of independent voices becomes even greater.
When nine men and women exercise independent judgment, each
seeking what they sincerely believe to be in the community's best interests,
the texture of that community is enriched and strengthened.
