Karen Bird – The Conversation

A worker uses a snowblower to clear snow from Nathan Phillips Square at Toronto City Hall in February 2025. City councils can foster the mutual respect and shared understanding that are essential for democratic legitimacy. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Arlyn McAdorey

March 19, 2026

Talk matters: How municipal council debates can enhance democracy

Karen Bird, McMaster University

With municipal elections on the horizon this year in several Canadian provinces and territories, local councils have the opportunity to show that quality debate can lead to a stronger democracy.

Thousands of people gather outside New Zealand’s parliament in Wellington in November 2024 to protest a proposed law that would have redefined the country’s founding agreement between Indigenous Māori and the British Crown. The law was ultimately handily defeated. (AP Photo/Mark Tantrum)

November 9, 2025

The Māori ward vote in New Zealand contains important lessons for Canada

Karen Bird, McMaster University

Recent Māori ward plebiscites indicate that while institutional reforms for Indigenous representation are vital, meaningful change isn’t possible without broad public understanding and trust.

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