Elect Respect launched to combat toxicity in politics
Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward (centre) recently joined a number of Halton Region colleagues at the launch of the Elect Respect campaign. Elect Respect was formed to shine a light on abusive and disrespectful behaviour that has become a hallmark of politics of every order. Photo: Halton Region
Like many women across the country – or anyone in the public life it seems – Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward has had enough of abusive and disrespectful behaviour.
With nearly 15 years in elected office, including the past six as mayor, Meed Ward has witnessed the kind of vitriol that drives people away from politics – or prevents them from entering it at all.
But it turns out she is far from alone. At the recent launch of the Elect Respect campaign, Meed Ward and fellow leaders made it clear that the time for silence is over.
“I’m a big believer in doing what I can. There’s always something you can do. Even if the jurisdiction doesn’t lie with you, you can still use your voice. You can speak up,” Meed Ward said in discussing why she wanted to take the lead in the launch of Elect Respect. “In this case even more importantly, I’m commit myself to being respectful. We all have the power to govern ourselves. That is something we can all do.”
Elect Respect
Launched earlier this month, Elect Respect calls on public officials and citizens to stand against harassment, abuse, and toxic discourse in politics. It also promotes a renewed commitment to respectful public service.
The campaign began as a conversation among a small group in Halton Region. Initially founded by Meed Ward and a group of female elected officials who called themselves the Halton Elected Representatives (HER), the group came together to share their experiences of abuse in public life and to seek a better way forward.
While the group started as women sharing their experiences, the focus has shifted to include all genders and ethnicities, as well as anyone facing barriers to office, including physical and mental health challenges.
“Today, democracy is under pressure,” says a statement on the Elect Respect website. “Public distrust is rising, and personal attacks, harassment, and inappropriate conduct in political spaces are becoming more common. Together, we can elect to create meaningful change.”
The campaign was launched with Halton Region, but Meed Ward said the four municipalities (the city of Burlington and the towns of Halton Hills, Milton, and Oakville) are in various stages of bringing the campaign to their councils. She’s also heard from other municipalities across the province who are doing the same.
Respectful, safe, and inclusive participation in government is essential to a healthy democracy, according to Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr.
“The Elect Respect campaign is an important initiative, and elected officials across all levels of government in Halton are showing their support,” Carr said. “Together, we can create an environment where elected officials can serve their community without fear of threats, abuse or intimidation.”
Standing Up, Speaking Out
At the heart of Elect Respect is an online pledge. Elected officials and members of the public are invited to commit to respectful behavior, speak out against abuse, and support those targeted by harassment.
In addition, local councils can adopt the prepared resolution that not only calls for a stand against personal attacks, but to also focus debate on ideas and policies, not personal attacks and to help build a supportive culture where people of all backgrounds feel safe to run for and hold office.
“It’s about saying we’re going to treat each other with respect and we’re going to treat the elected officials that we engage with, with respect and behave in a manner that is respectful,” Meed Ward said. “Lead by example, commit yourself to appropriate behavior, and hope that it catches on. And it has.”
Meed Ward knows firsthand how damaging abuse can be. The Elect Respect website features personal stories and headlines that reflect the growing hostility in public life.
In general, Meed Ward said people are being scared away from politics by this type of behavior. And, she is quick to point out, democracy itself is weakened when good people choose not to get involved.
This is reflected on Meed Ward’s own Facebook page where she posted about the announcement.
A comment on the page – which was intentionally left on her page – said that “weak women” shouldn’t be in politics. The comment was left there, Meed Ward said, because it’s a perfect example of what is being fought against when someone says this is not acceptable behavior.
“There are women across this country that are keeping their head down because they don’t want to be labeled as somebody who just can’t take it. We are flipping the script on that,” Meed Ward said. “Why should we have to take it? Why can’t you behave yourself? We can behave ourselves; we can commit to being respectful to you, and we will. Show more discipline, show more discipline, show some respect for democracy.”
What Comes Next?
As the Elect Respect campaign gains traction, Meed Ward is urging elected officials and citizens to take concrete steps toward restoring civility in public life. One way to do that is for individual council members to lead by example – sign the pledge and bring the resolution to their councils.
This allows entire councils to engage in meaningful conversations about respect and civility – and lets the public see that commitment in action.
Elected officials are also encouraged to bring the campaign to every board they sit on, since those often include other elected representatives who may have stories worth sharing.
Meed Ward emphasized the importance of this initiative, especially because (except in British Columbia and Quebec) most municipal councils in Canada are non-partisan. Councillors build their communities one vote at a time, every single time, she said, adding that collaboration is essential. As such, civility is good for democracy if people are seen to be treating each other with respect.
This is especially true when there are legitimate differences of perspective.
Meed Ward praised recent gestures of cross-party civility in the House of Commons and plans to invite both Prime Minister Mark Carney and Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre to sign the pledge.
Whatever one’s philosophy, she said, this should be a universal topic. The fact that it isn’t, Meed Ward said, reflects much work is still to be done. If enough people join together and commit to greater civility, she added, then democracy will be healthier, and people will feel free to raise diverse perspectives.
There’s no point in electing people from diverse backgrounds, she said, if society will try and silence them the second they show up.
With that in mind, she reflected on one of her own early political experiences.
“I was told by one of my colleagues as a councillor that I should defer to the mayor. But why?” Meed Ward said. “I was elected just like the mayor was. You want me as a woman to keep my mouth shut so that the male mayor can say everything that needs to be said about a matter. I don’t think so. So I didn’t.”
To take the pledge or to learn more about the resolution, visit electrespect.ca. MW
✯ Municipal World Executive and Essentials Plus Members: You might also be interested in Andrea Mariko Grant and Sabreena Delhon’s article: Local politicians face abusive working conditions.
Sean Meyer is digital content editor for Municipal World.
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