Subsidizing Failure: BC Conservative Critic for Municipal Affairs and Local Government Slams $250M Metro Vancouver Developer Deal

IMAGE CREDIT:  Metro Vancouver

BC Conservative MLA Tony Luck is calling out the provincial and federal governments for what he is describing as a reckless bailout of Metro Vancouver’s broken development model, one that’s now being backstopped with a quarter-billion dollars in taxpayer money.

This week, it was revealed that the province has quietly slashed development fees for dozens of in-progress Metro Vancouver projects after a dramatic fee hike implemented by Metro’s mayors, many of whom voted for the increase in 2023 despite repeated industry warnings. That $220 million shortfall will now be covered by federal dollars, meaning Canadians across the country will pay the price for Metro’s mismanagement.

“Let’s be clear, this isn’t about building housing,” said Luck, MLA for Fraser-Nicola and Official Opposition Critic for Municipal Affairs and Local Government. “It’s about rewarding the worst-run region in the country with a blank cheque. Communities like Merritt and Kamloops manage to grow without dumping their failures on the rest of Canada. Metro should be forced to do the same.”

The new arrangement applies to any development application submitted before March 22, 2024, with permits issued before March 2026, locking in developers under a lower cost regime while infrastructure demands continue to rise.

“Instead of reining in spending or prioritizing smart growth, Metro’s solution is to pass the bill to Ottawa and hope nobody notices, all while, in many cases, paying themselves egregiously large salaries,” said Luck. 

“This is exactly the kind of policy failure and fiscal mismanagement that erodes public trust. Hardworking taxpayers deserve better.”

Luck is calling on the BC NDP to commit to equitable infrastructure funding across all regions and to table a full accounting of how the $250 million will be used. He also says local governments must be held to higher standards when setting fees.

“This government is picking winners, and rural British Columbians aren’t on the list,” Luck said. “Metro mayors jacked up development fees and now they’ve been bailed out. That’s not fiscal responsibility, it’s political favouritism.”