Thoughts on BC Politics and More

Sixteen mayors from Metro Vancouver have penned an open letter to BC Premier David Eby, outlining concerns with bills 44 and 47 and provincial overreach into municipal decision-making. “The letter… expresses our collective concerns with the limited coordination and consultation by the province with local governments in developing Bills 44 and 47 (2023), the misalignment of province-wide requirements with the Metro Vancouver region’s land use and infrastructure context and regional planning frameworks,” the letter states. “We’re just writing to the premier appealing to them to roll back this legislation, allow local governments to do what they were elected to do,” Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley said at a press conference on Thursday ... CLICK HERE for the full story 

Investors have fled the Metro Vancouver new condo market, leaving piles of empty and unsold units. Article content And those looking to buy a home to live in aren’t interested in these newer condos, either because they’re too pricey (estimates suggest the bulk of the empty inventory is in the $800,000 to $1.2 million range), too small (in the neighbourhood of 790 to 870 square feet), or both. No amount of incentives seems to be able to reverse the glut ... CLICK HERE for the full story 

Speaking to municipal leaders at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention, Conservative Leader John Rustad laid out three clear commitments a Conservative government would deliver to local governments: restoring property rights and predictability, dismantling Metro Vancouver’s unaccountable bureaucracy, and establishing a $1 billion infrastructure fund. “We’ve seen and heard your concerns,” Rustad told delegates. “About property rights and predictability for housing. About accountability and transparency. And about the need for real investment in core infrastructure. A Conservative government will deliver on all three.” Rustad said the NDP’s Heritage Conservation Act amendments, DRIPA, and the Cowichan decision have created chaos and uncertainty for municipalities and builders, stalling housing projects across the province. “Certainty builds housing. Uncertainty kills it,” Rustad said.  “We will repeal the HCA amendments, repeal DRIPA, and refer the Cowichan decision to the Supr...

Conservative Party of BC Leader John Rustad, MLA for Nechako Lakes, says revelations from Surrey Police confirm that crime is spiraling out of control, and the NDP’s broken justice system is failing in its first duty — to keep people safe. “BC’s legacy cannot be that it has the highest threshold in the country for laying extortion charges. Premier David Eby has presided over a system where police work around the clock while violent criminals walk free because Crown approval drags on. This isn’t about Crown counsel themselves; it’s about providing them with the resources and tools to do their jobs, and about the rules and direction set by the premier,” said Rustad. “As extortion fuels bullets in Surrey, squeezes businesses across Metro Vancouver, and pushes shopkeepers on Vancouver Island to consider closing their doors, crime is threatening our way of life. British Columbians deserve safe streets and real leadership, not false commitments and a premier and ministers hiding from a probl...

BC’s farmland commission has issued stop-work orders against five properties as it takes action against “purpose-built event centres” on farmland across Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, with plans to investigate another 15 sites. Stop-work orders have been issued against three large buildings on farmland in Delta, in addition to a building in Langley and another in Richmond, said Agricultural Land Commission director of operations Avtar Sundher ... CLICK HERE for the full story

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 man...

BC Conservative MLA Tony Luck is joining calls to rein in excessive mayoral salaries in Metro Vancouver, following a recent report by former Solicitor General Kash Heed recommending that municipal salaries be aligned with those of provincial cabinet ministers. “Taxpayers are tired of seeing public officials put themselves first,” said Luck. “At a time when families are struggling to afford groceries, housing, and basic services, it’s unacceptable that some mayors are pocketing $150,000 more than provincial cabinet ministers.” The report, commissioned by Metro Vancouver itself, highlights the growing pay gap between municipal leaders and senior government officials. Some mayors are now earning well over $300,000 annually, far surpassing the compensation of provincial cabinet ministers, who shoulder responsibility for entire ministries. “Let’s be clear: public service is about responsibility, not entitlement,” Luck said. “If the NDP government is serious about affordability, it should st...

As the Metro Vancouver Regional District faces ongoing scrutiny in the wake of a scathing report on its governance structure, one of the elder statesmen of British Columbia politics is throwing out a radical solution. “I think we should go down to six to eight municipalities from 22-plus that we have now,” said Mike Harcourt. Harcourt served as BC premier from 1991 to 1996, and as mayor of Vancouver from 1980 to 1986,  experience he believes gives him insight into the regional government’s current woes ... CLICK HERE for the full story

The governance review ordered by Metro Vancouver recommends citizens not be given the right to directly elect directors to the utility, despite concluding that the regional district’s board has “become large and unwieldy.” Deloitte, hired in February, said in its May 20 report that Metro Vancouver should adopt a hybrid board structure. It should add external directors “with appropriate skills and experience” to sit with the crop of municipal mayors and councillors appointed from local councils on the regional district’s water and sewage boards ... CLICK HERE for the full story

As part of the once-a-decade riding redistribution process, B.C. has gained a riding for the 2025 federal election and seen many political boundaries reshaped. The new political map is likely to change the political calculations for federal parties, with the additional riding located in the BC Interior, an area historically popular with the Conservatives. And a University of BC political scientist says the redrawing of political boundaries in Metro Vancouver could add to the challenges faced by the federal NDP and its leader Jagmeet Singh, who has to contest in a significantly redrawn riding ... CLICK HERE for the full story

... weeks of failed negotiations culminated in the stoppage earlier this week that shut down most bus and SeaBus services in Metro Vancouver and left hundreds of thousands of commuters without a ride. The clock is ticking on the next strike. The province has dispatched Vince Ready, a veteran labour negotiator, to try to broker a deal between the two parties. If that fails, CUPE national representative Liam O’Neill said, the union would launch a three-day strike starting on February 3 ... CLICK HERE for the rest of the story

BC United says the provincial government needs to step in and prevent transit chaos before it begins, as Metro Vancouver buses and SeaBus sit idle during the region’s transit strike. BC United Leader Kevin Falcon says the province needs to show leadership here before things get worse. “This is not about the workers themselves, it’s about a failure of government to make sure they are leading, and make sure we can get these settlements done well in advance of the expiration of contracts, so we don’t run into this situation" ... CLICK HERE for the full story

  In what can only be described as a series of questionable, and incendiary, comments last night, former radio personality, former BC Liberal MLA, and now again radio personally, Jas Johal post 25 Tweets slamming 6 BC Liberal leadership candidates for having concerns around a large number of problematic memberships. Just in case they ended up being taken down, I copied all of them, and present them here unedited, and in the order he posted them: Referencing a January 7 th article in Business in Vancouver Johal stated: “ What stupidity is this BC Liberals?” It amazes me when South Asians sign up as members there always seems to be a problem for BC Liberals? When Justin Trudeau signed up South Asians for his leadership run, did you hear any carping? When Jagmeet Singh signed up members in Brampton and Surrey, did New Democrats lose their minds? When Erin O’Toole signed up members in the South Asian community, even a bunch of Conservatives didn’t flip out. When the BC NDP sign ...

Just two days ago, Shane Simpson, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, announced that up to 25 British Columbians, affected by the downturn in the forest sector, were going to receive training and work experience in asphalt paving and heavy construction. In making the announcement he commented that, “ We know that heavy equipment operators and similar construction occupations will be in great demand over the next 10 years.  The provincial government is working with industry and unions to hire trainees and provide training for new career path opportunities that will allow British Columbians to support themselves and their families ”. With a government grant of nearly half a million dollars ($450,000) the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 115, in partnership with Emil Anderson Construction , Dawson Blacktop and Dawson Group will be delivering road-building and heavy-construction training programs for 25 individuals ...

Shortening commutes for tens of thousands, reducing congestion, boosting the economy, saving the environment, proven effectiveness, improving employers’ bottom line, fantastic Return on Investment (ROI) – why delay? Commuting is a twice-daily living nightmare for millions of workers in this province, and congestion keeps getting worse. Businesses groups on the North Shore and in the Sidney area have been calling for action. They cite long commutes as adversely impacting recruiting of new employees, absenteeism,  morale, mental and physical health, productivity and retention, while congestion can cripple their freighting and delivery efficiency. Health authorities and school districts are similarly struggling to find, motivate, and retain good employees while keeping HR costs in line. Currently politicians at the federal, provincial and municipal levels are assembling multi-billion-dollar commitments to expand transportation and transit infrastructure, the s...