How diverse are Edmonton's federal election candidates?
Women and visible minorities are under-represented among candidates in the Edmonton-area for the upcoming federal election, according to analysis from CTV News.
A review of Elections Canada data and websites and social media profiles for 56 candidates shows white men are most likely to be running for office across 10 Edmonton-area ridings.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Women candidates are outnumbered by a nearly two-to-one ratio compared to male candidates, with 19 women on ballots compared to 37 men.
“This confirms a reality in Canadian politics, that there is still a gap in terms of representation of women and minorities in the political systems,” said MacEwan University political scientist Chaldeans Mensah.
Most parties had close to a gender-balanced roster of Edmonton candidates.
Among the major parties, the Liberals have four women running and the New Democrats have five.
For a second straight election, all 10 Conservative Party candidates in the listed Edmonton area ridings are men.
Edmonton Griesbach has the most women running with four. There are no women candidates running in Edmonton-Wetaskiwin.
Women make up almost exactly 50 per cent of the population, according to the most recent national census.
“The major challenge for the parties is recruiting, making a concerted effort to recruit women, and putting them in winnable ridings where they can have a chance,” said Mensah.
“All parties have a responsibility to encourage more representation of women in politics.”
Visible minorities are similarly unrepresented among candidates compared to population statistics.
Forty-six of the 56 candidates are white, or about 82 per cent of those running in the 10 Edmonton-area ridings.
Mensah says similar to women, diverse candidates face struggles entering the political process and often draw abuse because of their background.
“That stuff can be very scary,” said Mensah. “It really discourages people from entering politics.”
The NDP has the most non-white Edmonton-area candidates with four, followed by the Liberals and Conservatives with three each.
The census shows about 37 per cent of Edmontonians are a visible minority, including those of Indigenous backgrounds.
“I think there is this kind of widespread agreement that there is value to having diverse voices represented in Parliament,” said Mensah.
“We need to have the political parties be more proactive in recruiting people from diverse backgrounds.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.