Government MLAs agreed on Friday it would be beneficial to consider giving permanent residents the right to vote in municipal elections, but decided it wasn't as important as passing legislation as quickly as possible to make it easier for people already with that right to cast their ballot.

The legislature's law amendments committee was considering amendments to the Municipal Elections Act that, among other things, gives people more time and opportunities to vote in a municipal election.

Halifax Regional Municipality Mayor Mike Savage appealed to the committee to also include an amendment that would extend voting rights to permanent residents.

Currently, the act says a person isn't eligible to vote until they've obtained Canadian citizenship. They can only apply for citizenship if they're a permanent resident who has lived in the country for at least three of the last five years.

"Add to that the processing times, throw in a four-year municipal election cycle and it could take years for people to be welcomed at a polling station," Savage told the committee.

Municipal government affects everyone

Noting that his municipality has been calling for the change since 2014, Savage said his proposed amendment would be a chance for the province to make a progressive change that would be the first of its kind in Canada.

Voting rules have evolved over time to include more people and Savage said it's time for them to include the 29,415 permanent residents in the Halifax region as well as those in the rest of the province. He suggested eligibility be the same for permanent residents as it is for everyone else: a minimum of six months living in the municipality ahead of the vote.

"The history of voting rights is about removing arbitrary restrictions on who can vote. Whether you were born in Halifax or came here by another land, municipal government impacts your life," he said.

Not the right time for Liberal MLAs

But despite aggressive efforts by the government since coming to office to promote immigration as a way to boost the population and diversify communities, Liberals MLAs were not swayed by Tory MLA Tim Halman's motion, supported by the NDP, to refer Savage's proposal back to the Municipal Affairs Department for consideration.

"I think that right now we're dealing with the act as it is and it would take the department a whole lot more conversation and consultation before anything like this could be enacted," said Hants East MLA Margaret Miller.

Her caucus college, Ben Jessome, agreed.

"I'm comfortable moving this forward to have the discussion at the departmental level, but what I'm not comfortable doing is holding the bill up in the process for this piece," said Jessome, MLA for Hammonds Plains-Lucasville.

New Democrat MLA Claudia Chender noted that not making the change now means permanent residents will likely miss out on the possibility of voting in next year's municipal election.

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