Cities push for permanent residents to be given vote

Five New Brunswick cities want to give permanent residents the ability to vote in the nextmunicipalelection, but a change in provincial law must take place for that to happen.

Only Canadian citizens can vote according to the the Municipal Elections Act.

The New BrunswickMulticulturalCouncil wants the law to beamendedto includepermanentresidents in time for the next round of municipal elections in 2016.

"It'll only lead to one thing, community inclusion and increased the civic engagement of those immigrants in the community," said Moncef Lakouas,the council's first vice-president.

Support for the idea is gathering steam. Earlier this week, Frederictoncouncil added its name to a list of cities infavour of the idea. The other cities on the list areEdmundston,Moncton, Dieppe and Saint John.

These cities have all sent letters to Premier Brian Gallant about their desire to change the law.

MonctonMayor GeorgeLeBlancsaid he thinks changing the law would help with the retention of immigrants.

"What better way is there to welcome someone in your community and to ensure to keep them here than to offer them an opportunity to vote in a municipal election," he said.

BehrouzKamel, aMonctonresident whoowns a piece of land near the casino inMoncton, saidhe wants to build a restaurant and a motel there.

The permanent resident madeMonctonhome five years ago. Now he would like to be able to vote.

"I think we should vote because we are like Canadians. We live here, we sleep here, we work here. we eat here. Everything our life is here," saidKamel.