Do the municipal elections prove that we don't need a party system after all?

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Municipal elections are very different from their provincial and federal counterparts in many ways. Locally, there is little mud-slinging by candidates, and due to the very brief (three week) campaign period, not much of a "campaign trail".

That's not to say that people don't care about municipal politics. The individuals elected next Monday can be the most influential politicians in our day-to-day lives, as they are the ones making decisions about our drinking water, our recreation facilities, even our emergency personnel.

City, town and village councils work directly for the people who elect them, and are under constant scrutiny, living in the communities in which they work. Maybe this is why we don't see party politics in municipal elections.

If small town and big city politicians can manage to run an election, not to mention the affairs of the communities they represent, without resorting to a party system, could it be done provincially or even federally?

The benefits of making the change have been argued before. More efficiency in legislature, better representation for the average person, and a deeper involvement with the democratic system on the part of our citizens.

Too much time is spent by elected officials of all political parties, trying either to get their party into power or keep their party in power. Removing them altogether would mean more time spent trying to solve our country's problems, rather than those of the party, or more time spent making decisions in the interest of our province, rather than in the interest of the party.

It would also mean that politicians would become more accountable to those who have elected them. They would also have the freedom to act on our behalf, without fear of repercussion for going against the party line.

Finally, people would no longer be able to sit back and vote for a candidate based solely on their party ties. Citizens would become more involved with the decisions they make at the poling station, and candidates would need to be very clear on their platforms to get those votes.

Obviously, this is not an easy change to make. Critics of the idea say that we would see a decrease in voter turnout.

People don't want to have to do homework before they vote, and with a party system, all that is required is that they show up on election day. Is this just another way of keeping the public uninformed? Or is ignorance truly bliss?

We are used to being able to decide who to vote for without getting to know who they are. We're used to it taking multiple session of legislature just to get a bill passed. We're used to accepting that local politicians have their hands tied on local issues because the party leader feels they are not important.

We're accustomed to the status quo, but is it time for change?