The discussions will notably address incivility which demobilizes elected officials or those who wish to run for office in politics. Then, a network made up of elected officials, former elected officials, researchers and people interested in municipal life to exchange and help each other.
The network will be open to all elected officials.
The Member of Parliament for Sherbrooke, Élisabeth Brière, announced this financial support. “Our municipal elected officials face many challenges, which can result in their demobilization, but also that of potential candidates. Thanks to the PEPINES group’s Elected Officials in Action project, members of Estrie municipal councils will be able to discuss systemic irritants without filter, and especially solutions that will make it possible to revalorize the role of elected official.”
The mayor of Sherbrooke, Évelyne Beaudin, welcomed the initiative. “Since 2021, around 800 municipal elected officials have resigned. In a recent survey commissioned by the UMQ [Union des municipalités du Québec]we learned that a large number of elected officials suffered verbal violence as well as intimidation or threats. Being a municipal elected official in Quebec is not easy. This is a serious time for our local democracy.”
The president of PEPINES, Joan Westland-Eby, for her part stressed that the project aims not only to identify the causes of incivility problems, but also to find solutions.
Stanstead Mayor Jody Stone also participated in the announcement, emphasizing the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion in the project.
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