While the mayoral races in most major Canadian cities are being framed around questions of cost of living and housing affordability, there’s a very different race playing out in Brampton.
On the back of his high profile expulsion from the federal Conservative leadership race, the controversial incumbent, Patrick Brown, is in a race that is effectively a referendum on his integrity as mayor and the instability at Brampton City Hall.
But why should Brampton matter to readers across the country?
Well, the 2021 census results showed Brampton as the fastest growing big city in Canada, with a population approaching 700,000. As a key city in the Greater Toronto Area, Brampton politics have a disproportionate impact on the overall political culture of the region, and for better or for worse, they impact the perception of the GTA as a destination for global talent and investment.
Notably, Brown has also managed to become among the best known big city mayors in the country. This means that Brampton City Hall gets more national attention than might otherwise be the case.
And the attention it’s getting has not been positive. Opponents of Brown in the current mayoral election, as well as a majority of his city council colleagues, have been involved in tabling allegations of corruption, misconduct relating to key municipal contracts, and cover-ups enabled by rushed votes in council.
But this really shouldn’t be a story about Brampton. It’s a story about Patrick Brown.
Brown has had a controversial political career from the very beginning, including his time as leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, his more recent attempt to run for leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada, and of course his time in office as mayor of Brampton.
For one reason or another (or many), Patrick Brown has managed to run away from his political indiscretions by jumping from one level of government to another. And to date, the electorate has not fully penalized him.
But the race for Brampton’s top job should not be so easily handed to a man who has proven time and time again that he doesn’t have the moral character for office.
Luckily, this race is offering Bramptonians some interesting alternatives to Brown as they consider the leadership of their city. One candidate, who seems to be getting most of the attention, is Nikki Kaur.
Kaur is former candidate for the Conservative Party of Canada, and more recently a Brampton City employee who made headlines for making public certain allegations of corruption at City Hall.
Although many of us don’t have a horse in this race directly, it’s important to value the integrity of our municipal governments and the key roles they play. In particular, Canada’s big cities reflect heavily on the reputation of our country, and we should not allow a lack of integrity to become an acceptable norm in any City Hall across the country.
As a fellow resident of the GTA, I will follow this race closely.
