‘Find common ground’: Councillor Knack says collaboration instrumental to success in mayor’s chair

Edmonton city councillor and mayoral candidate, Andrew Knack, speaks with Alberta Primetime host Michael Higgins about his bid for mayor.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Michael Higgins: We’re here discussing the fact that you had announced early plans to not seek re-election, that you would be departing municipal politics at the end of a lengthy 12-year term.

What’s changed?

Andrew Knack: Well, a lot in the world since September, and for me, I’m running for mayor now to stand up for everyday Edmontonians. We are dealing with so many issues right now. We’ve got rapid population growth in our city, which can create great opportunities, but it’s also creating real challenges for people. We’re seeing people struggle with affordability. We’re seeing people feel not as safe as they used to in our city.

As I’ve been reflecting on this, I realized that over the last 12 years that I’ve had the chance to serve, I’ve been able to create positive change. I have that track record of action, and I think we’re at a place now where we need that over the next four years, and to set us up for the next 40 years.

MH: You’re doing this as an independent, 100 per cent no affiliation, no ties whatsoever with any of the newly developing municipal parties?

AK: Yeah, 100 per cent as an independent. I’ve said this over and over again, partisan politics is poison, and we see it so evidently now in almost every day. Because in partisan politics, you put party loyalty above the people you’re actually serving, and that is not conducive to actually making good decisions for the people we serve.

For me, I’ve spoken out about this quite a bit over the last year since this idea first came forward. We know that Edmontonians do not want this. They have been loud and clear that party politics is not something they’re interested in, and so I want to continue to lead by example and say, ‘We’re doing this as an independent, I will work with everyone on council to get the things done that we need done.’

MH: If it is that you are elected mayor, what approach would you take to working with other members of council who come to their seats with party affiliation?

AK: I’d take the same approach I’ve taken for the last 12 years. I’ve been able to accomplish things that help address affordability, that have helped create a safer city, that have helped us manage our growth, and plan for our growth, and I’ve done that with people on the right side of the spectrum, on the left side of the spectrum, in the middle, and people who don’t have an affiliation.

I think we can do that even if there’s a couple of people that do get elected with a party affiliation, but I don’t believe that Edmontonians are actually going to be sending a lot of party representation to city council because they haven’t wanted it.

MH: Where do you land on the political spectrum? There are going to be voters who are going to want to know that because you’re on the ballot facing others who probably are under a political banner.

AK: I go back to saying the same thing I’ve done in the other elections. Last election, I was still an independent councillor. You’ve always been allowed to run as a slate. That’s hasn’t been restricted in the city, but most people have chosen to run as independents because the issues that we deal with aren’t on the ideological spectrum.

What’s the right-wing way to clear snow? What’s the left-wing way to clear and fill a pothole? Our role as city councillors is to work with people from across political ideologies, find common ground, understand the different perspectives that exist, and then make an informed decision.

For me, I’ve talked about this, I grew up really conservative. Over the years, when I moved into Edmonton, on the social issues, I shifted a little more to the left. On other issues, I’m on the right. On some issues, I’m in the middle.

There isn’t a clear ideology, and that’s not how we should be operating. Fortunately, I’ve been receiving the support from Edmontonians three different times running as an independent and so that should carry over to running as mayor.

MH: How will that be reflected in your policy approach on anything from the straightforward stuff like taxation and regulating development, to the more controversial stuff — bike lanes, banning plastic bags, stuff that where ideology maybe does come into play?

AK: I think it comes into play when you let it come into play, and then you forget about the humanity we all have of actually wanting to all make a city the best place it can be. So for most of my time on council, or really all of my time on council, that’s why I’ve hosted regular town halls. That’s why I door knock every single month, not just during an election period. I door knock all the time.

I’m regularly out at community events, trying to engage people face-to-face, to understand what are their concerns and how do they see a solution, addressing those concerns, seeing where we align, seeing maybe where we differ, seeing if maybe we can make adjustments to each other’s perspectives to help make a better decision.

For me, that’s how we’re going to continue to work. I have a proven track record of this over the last 12 years, why change now? Especially to a system that, again, is actually really toxic right now.

We’re seeing it provincially, we’ve seen it federally. We don’t need that in local government.

MH: With the degree of control the provincial government now has over municipal governments, how different of an approach do you bring to bridging a relationship with the Smith government?

AK: Again, take the same approach I’ve taken when I work with Edmontonians, to take action on the things that matter to them. We sit down, we find common ground. I think the issues that I’m talking about and what I’ve been hearing clearly from Edmontonians around how we’re managing growth, how we’re making life more affordable, how we’re going to create a safer city. Those are things I’m hearing from this provincial government all the time, and so I think there’s a great opportunity to find common ground, sit down at a table with them and work through those issues.

And where we do have some differences of opinions, we do need to be willing to stand up for Edmontonians. That is the role of the mayor, to stand up for Edmontonians, speak aloud about what those issues are. But, before you get to that point, you need to make sure you’ve done everything possible to find that common ground and find a good path forward to accomplishing our common goals.